Editing Martin Van Buren (section)

===1828 elections===
Van Buren's overarching goal at the national level was to restore a two-party system with party cleavages based on philosophical differences, and he viewed the old divide between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans as beneficial to the nation.{{sfn|Wilson|1984|pp=27–28}} Van Buren believed that these national parties helped ensure that elections were decided on national, rather than sectional or local, issues; as he put it, "party attachment in former times furnished a complete antidote for sectional prejudices". After the 1824 election, Van Buren was initially somewhat skeptical of Jackson, who had not taken strong positions on most policy issues. Nonetheless, he settled on Jackson as the one candidate who could beat Adams in the [[1828 United States presidential election|1828 presidential election]], and he worked to bring Crawford's former backers into line behind Jackson.

He also forged alliances with other members of Congress opposed to Adams, including Vice President [[John C. Calhoun]], Senator [[Thomas Hart Benton (politician)|Thomas Hart Benton]], and Senator [[John Randolph of Roanoke|John Randolph]].{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=178–181}} Seeking to solidify his standing in New York and bolster Jackson's campaign, Van Buren helped arrange the passage of the [[Tariff of Abominations|Tariff of 1828]], which opponents labeled as the "Tariff of Abominations". The tariff was intended to protect northern and western agricultural products from foreign competition, but the resulting tax on imports cut into the profits of New England businessmen, who imported raw materials including iron to make into finished goods for subsequent resale, as well as finished goods including clothing for distribution and resale throughout the United States. The tariff also raised the cost of living in the South, because Southern states had little manufacturing capacity, which required them to export raw materials including cotton or sell them to Northern manufacturers, then import higher-priced finished goods or purchase them from the North. The tariff thus satisfied many who sought [[Protectionism|protection]] from foreign competition, but angered Southern cotton interests and New England importers and manufacturers.{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=196–199}} Because Van Buren believed the South would never support Adams, and New England would never support Jackson, he was willing to alienate both regions through passage of the tariff.{{sfn|Niven|1983|p=201}}

Meanwhile, Clinton's death from a heart attack in 1828 dramatically shook up the politics of Van Buren's home state, while the [[Anti-Masonic Party]] emerged as an increasingly important factor.{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=194–196}} After some initial reluctance, Van Buren chose to run for Governor of New York in the [[New York gubernatorial election, 1828|1828 election]].{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=202–203, 209}} Hoping that a Jackson victory would lead to his elevation to Secretary of State or Secretary of the Treasury, Van Buren chose [[Enos T. Throop]] as his running mate and preferred successor.{{sfn|Niven|1983|p=209}} Van Buren's candidacy was aided by the split between supporters of Adams, who had adopted the label of [[National Republicans]], and the Anti-Masonic Party.{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=206–208}}

Reflecting his public association with Jackson, Van Buren accepted the gubernatorial nomination on a ticket that called itself "Jacksonian-Democrat".{{sfn|Niven|1983|p=211}} He campaigned on local as well as national issues, emphasizing his opposition to the policies of the Adams administration.{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=211–212}} Van Buren ran ahead of Jackson, winning the state by 30,000&nbsp;votes compared to a margin of 5,000 for Jackson.{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=214–215}} Nationally, Jackson defeated Adams by a wide margin, winning nearly every state outside of New England.{{sfn|Wilson|1984|p=9}} After the election, Van Buren resigned from the Senate to start his term as governor, which began on January&nbsp;1, 1829.<ref>{{cite book|last=Benjamin|first=Gerald|date=2012|title=The Oxford Handbook of New York State Government and Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3AnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA322|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=322|isbn=978-0-19-999635-3}}</ref> While his term as governor was short, he did manage to pass the Bank Safety Fund Law, an early form of deposit insurance, through the legislature.<ref>{{cite book|last=Neu|first=Irene D.|date=1960|title=Erastus Corning: Merchant and Financier, 1794–1872|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jEDlH_ryLw4C&pg=PA91|publisher=Cornell University Press|page=91|isbn=978-0-8014-7645-7}}</ref> He also appointed several key supporters, including [[William L. Marcy]] and [[Silas Wright]], to important state positions.{{sfn|Niven|1983|pp=218–219}}