1881 Minnesota gubernatorial election

1881 Minnesota gubernatorial election

←  1879 November 8, 1881 1883  →

Nominee Lucius Frederick Hubbard Richard W. Johnson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 65,025 37,168 Percentage 61.59% 35.21%

County results Hubbard:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%     90-100% Johnson:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% No Date/Vote:

Governor before election John S. Pillsbury Republican Elected Governor Lucius Frederick Hubbard Republican

The 1881 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1881, to elect the governor of Minnesota. Incumbent governor John S. Pillsbury was not nominated for a fourth term, in favor of Lucius Frederick Hubbard, who was elected.

Candidates

• Charles H. Roberts, Professor (Greenback)
• Isaac C. Stearns, Former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (Prohibition)
• Lucius Frederick Hubbard, Civil War veteran (Republican)
• Richard W. Johnson, Civil War veteran (Democrat)

Campaigns

On September 28, 1881, the Republican State Convention was held. Despite Hubbard being the overwhelming favorite, multiple other candidates contested in the primary, notably incumbent John S. Pillsbury. Other primary candidates were Andrew Ryan McGill, Thomas Burr Clement, Clark W. Thompson, and J.C. Stover. Stover dropped out after the first informal ballot. In the first formal ballot, Hubbard had an overwhelming victory with 160 votes to runner-up Pillsbury's 51. A delegate opposed to Hubbard said "Ye love darkness rather than light because your deeds are evil". Passed by acclamation, the it was agreed to unanimously nominate Hubbard as the final result. The scene following his nomination was one of 'wild enthusiasm'. ^[1]

On October 6, 1881, the Democratic State Convention was held. The only primary candidate was Richard W. Johnson, who was voted unanimously by acclamation. ^[2]

Results

Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1881 ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lucius Frederick Hubbard	65,025	61.59
	Democratic	Richard W. Johnson	37,168	35.21
	Greenback	C. H. Roberts	2,676	2.54
	Prohibition	Isaac C. Stearns	708	0.67
Total votes			105,577	100
	Republican hold

References

1. "HUBBARD FOR HELMSMAN". September 29, 1881.
2. "Gen. R.W. Johnson for Governor". October 7, 1881.
3. "Our Campaigns - MN Governor Race - Nov 08, 1881" . Retrieved May 5, 2016.
4. "Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book) - Chapter 10 Minnesota Elections" (PDF). Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. April 1, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2016.