Davis, David (1815-1886), an American judge and statesman, helped his close friend Abraham Lincoln obtain the nomination for President in 1860. Lincoln appointed Davis to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1862. Davis was nominated for President by the National Labor Reform Party in 1872, but he withdrew the nomination. He resigned from the Supreme Court in 1877, and was elected to the United States Senate from Illinois as an independent. His election prevented him from serving on the Electoral Commission in the disputed presidential election of 1876. Davis’ vote might have elected Democrat Samuel J. Tilden (see Electoral Commission). Davis was born in Cecil County, Maryland.
