Hunt, Washington (b Windham, Greene Co, 5 Aug 1811; d New York
City, 2 Feb 1867). Governor and US representative. Educated in
common schools, Hunt later studied law, was admitted to the bar
(1834), and established a practice at Lockport (Niagara Co).
After an unsuccessful bid for US Congress (1836), he was
appointed judge (1836–41) in Niagara Co. A Whig, he served three
terms in US Congress (1843–49) but refused a fourth term. He
subsequently served as state comptroller (1849–50) and governor
(1851–52). While governor, he sought Erie Canal expansion funded
by the sale of canal revenue certificates, a plan that was later
deemed unconstitutional. After losing his reelection bid in
1852, Hunt retired to his Lockport farm. He served as temporary
chairman of the Whig Party’s last national convention (1856) and
joined the Democrats when the Whig Party disintegrated. In 1860
he declined the Democratic nomination for US vice president and
later served as a Democratic National Convention delegate
(1864). Holt,Michael