Kammala jumla mai zuwa: A wani bangare saboda ci gaba da rikice-rikicen siyasa a Kansas, adawa da Dokar Kansas-Nebraska ta kasance mai karfi a Illinois da kuma Arewa. Yayin da zaben 1856 ya kusanto, Lincoln ya watsar da Jam'iyyar Whig da ta mutu a madadin 'yan Republican. Ya halarci taron Bloomington na Mayu 1856, wanda ya kafa Jam'iyyar Republican ta Illinois. Taron taron ya tabbatar da cewa Majalisa tana da 'yancin tsara bautar a cikin yankuna kuma ya yi kira ga shigar da Kansas nan da nan a matsayin jihar kyauta. Lincoln ya ba da jawabin ƙarshe na taron, inda ya goyi bayan dandalin jam'iyyar kuma ya yi kira ga kiyaye Tarayyar. A watan Yuni
1856 Republican National Convention, Lincoln ya sami goyon baya mai yawa a kan kuri'un mataimakin shugaban kasa, ko da yake jam'iyyar ta zabi tikitin John C. Frémont da William Dayton. Lincoln ya goyi bayan tikitin Jam'iyyar Republican, ya yi yakin neman zabe ga jam'iyyar a ko'ina cikin Illinois. 'Yan Democrat sun zabi tsohon Jakadan James Buchanan, wanda ya kasance daga kasar tun 1853 kuma ya kauce wa muhawara game da bautar a yankuna, yayin da Know Nothings ya zabi tsohon shugaban Whig Millard Fillmore. A zaben 1856, Buchanan ya ci nasara da abokan hamayyarsa, amma Frémont ya lashe jihohi da dama na Arewa da kuma Republican William Henry Bissell ya lashe zaben a matsayin Gwamnan Illinois. Kodayake Lincoln bai sami nasara ba, yakin neman zabensa ya sa ya zama shugaban jam'iyyar Republican a Illinois.