1879 Minnesota gubernatorial election

1879 Minnesota gubernatorial election

←  1877 November 4, 1879 1881  →

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

• Edmund Rice, Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (Democrat)
• John S. Pillsbury, Incumbent (Republican)
• William Meighen, Former State Senator, Candidate in 1877 (Greenback)
• Rev. Dr. William W. Satterlee, Pastor (Prohibition)

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.