1879 Minnesota gubernatorial election

1879 Minnesota gubernatorial election
November 4, 1879
 
Nominee John S. Pillsbury Edmund Rice
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 57,524 41,524
Percentage 54.18% 39.11%

County results
Pillsbury:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100%
Rice:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
No Date/Vote:      

Governor before election

John S. Pillsbury
Republican

Elected Governor

John S. Pillsbury
Republican

The 1879 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1879, to elect the governor of Minnesota. Incumbent John S. Pillsbury was reelected to a third term.

Ara Barton was the initial Greenback nominee, but he declined the nomination and was replaced by William Meigher.

Candidates

Campaigns

The Republican State Convention was held on September 2, 1879. Pillsbury was re-nominated on the first, technically informal, ballot. He became the first Governor of Minnesota nominated for a third term. Other primary candidates were James Wakefield, Lucius Frederick Hubbard, Gordon E. Cole, and William W. Billson.[1] Before the convention, it was generally believes that Wakefield would be nominated.[2]

On September 25, 1879, the Democratic State Convention was held. On the first ballot, Edmund Rice was nominated, with 212 votes to runner-up William W. McNair's 202. Other votes were cast for Richard W. Johnson, Eugene M. Wilson, and Henry R. Wells. All opposition dropped out following Rice's first place position, making his nomination, if only on a technicality, unanimous.[3]

Results

Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1879[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John S. Pillsbury (incumbent) 57,524 54.18
Democratic Edmund Rice 41,524 39.11
Greenback William Meighen 4,264 4.02
Prohibition William W. Satterlee 2,868 2.70
Total votes 106,180 100
Republican hold

References

  1. ^ "PILLSBURY TRUIMPHANT". September 3, 1879.
  2. ^ "THE NEXT GOVERNOR". February 6, 1879.
  3. ^ "RAMPANT DEMOCRACY". September 26, 1879.
  4. ^ "Our Campaigns - MN Governor Race - Nov 04, 1879". Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  5. ^ "Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book) - Chapter 10 Minnesota Elections" (PDF). Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. April 1, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2016.