Whakakihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whakatūria te Pāti Reipa i te tau 1854, hei urupare ki te Ture o Kansas-Nebraska. Ko tana tuunga anti- pononga i ahuareka ki a Seward, engari i hiahia ia ki te hanganga Whig i New York kia whiriwhiria ano. I te marama o Hepetema 1855, i hui tahi nga roopu Whig me te Republican o New York i nga huihuinga i hohoro te whakakotahi ki tetahi. Ko Seward te tangata tino rongonui ki te whakauru ki te roopu hou, a i korerohia hei kaitono perehitini pea i te tau 1856. Heoi, kaore a Weed i whakaaro he kaha te roopu hou i te taumata motu ki te whakarite i te perehitini, a ka tohutohu ki a Seward kia tatari tae noa ki te 1860. A, no te whakahuatia ingoa o Seward i te
1856 Republican National Convention, he nui te mihi ki a ia. I roto i te pōtitanga peresideni 1856, te kaitono Democratic, seneta Pennsylvania o mua James Buchanan, hinga te Republican, seneta California o mua John C. Frémont, me te Know Nothing kaitono, peresideni o mua Fillmore.