1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Flag of Wisconsin (1866-1913).png
  1894 November 3, 1896 1898  
  Edward Scofield.jpg Willis Chisholm Silverthorn.png
Nominee Edward Scofield Willis C. Silverthorn
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote264,981169,257
Percentage59.67%38.11%

1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Scofield:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Silverthorn:     50–60%

Governor before election

William H. Upham
Republican

Elected Governor

Edward Scofield
Republican

The 1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896.

Contents

Incumbent Republican Governor William H. Upham retired. [1]

Republican nominee Edward Scofield defeated Democratic nominee Willis C. Silverthorn with 59.67% of the vote. Scofield's popular vote share was the highest in the state's history for a gubernatorial candidate to that point, reflecting the state's transition from a Republican-leaning but competitive state to one dominated by the Republicans.

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

Other candidates

Results

1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election [2] [3] [lower-alpha 1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Edward Scofield 264,981 59.67% +7.42%
Democratic Willis C. Silverthorn 169,25738.11%+0.22%
Prohibition Joshua H. Berkey 8,144 [lower-alpha 2] 1.83%−1.16%
Socialist Labor Christ Tuttrop1,3060.29%
National Robert Henderson4070.09%
Scattering15 [lower-alpha 3] 0.00%
Majority95,72421.55%
Total votes444,110 100.00%
Republican hold Swing +7.20%

Results by county

Scofield was the first Republican to ever win Dodge County, Manitowoc County, and Washington County; Dodge County would not vote Republican again until 1916. Scofield was also the first Republican since 1855 to carry Outagamie County, the first since 1857 to carry Jefferson County, and the first since 1861 to carry Kewaunee County.

County [2] [3] Edward Scofield
Republican
Willis C. Silverthorn
Democratic
Joshua H. Berkey
Prohibition
Christ Tuttrop
Socialist Labor
Robert Henderson
National
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Adams 1,42777.09%39721.45%271.46%00.00%00.00%1,03055.65%1,851
Ashland 2,70059.18%1,78439.11%591.29%150.33%40.09%91620.08%4,562
Barron 2,76564.88%1,32831.16%1653.87%00.00%40.09%1,43733.72%4,262
Bayfield 2,22472.87%77625.43%461.51%50.16%10.03%1,44847.44%3,052
Brown 5,32457.13%3,87041.53%880.94%50.05%320.34%1,45415.60%9,319
Buffalo 2,30362.73%1,30235.47%611.66%10.03%40.11%1,00127.27%3,671
Burnett 80767.59%35529.73%282.35%30.25%10.08%45237.86%1,194
Calumet 1,53944.43%1,89754.76%270.78%10.03%00.00%-358-10.33%3,464
Chippewa 3,58753.95%2,96544.59%891.34%60.09%20.03%6229.35%6,649
Clark 3,29969.38%1,34128.20%1002.10%120.25%10.02%1,95841.18%4,755 [lower-alpha 4]
Columbia 4,74663.04%2,45732.64%3084.09%50.07%120.16%2,28930.41%7,528
Crawford 2,30759.49%1,52639.35%411.06%20.05%20.05%78120.14%3,878
Dane 8,74754.34%6,80442.27%5183.22%80.05%150.09%1,94312.07%16,098 [lower-alpha 5]
Dodge 5,57352.02%5,01946.85%1081.01%40.04%90.08%5545.17%10,713
Door 2,40271.74%89726.79%481.43%00.00%10.03%1,50544.95%3,348
Douglas 4,11361.29%2,49837.22%871.30%80.12%50.07%1,61524.06%6,711
Dunn 3,34067.89%1,43029.07%1432.91%50.10%20.04%1,91038.82%4,920
Eau Claire 4,44762.92%2,39733.91%2203.11%10.01%30.04%2,05029.00%7,068
Florence 49179.32%12219.71%50.81%00.00%00.00%36959.61%619 [lower-alpha 6]
Fond du Lac 6,08953.87%5,03344.53%1701.50%70.06%40.04%1,0569.34%11,303
Forest 40868.69%16928.45%152.53%00.00%20.34%23940.24%594
Grant 5,28157.53%3,68540.14%2052.23%30.03%60.07%1,59617.39%9,180
Green 3,05454.60%2,33141.68%1933.45%110.20%40.07%72312.93%5,593
Green Lake 2,09155.94%1,58142.30%621.66%40.11%00.00%51013.64%3,738
Iowa 3,08056.68%2,14539.47%1963.61%20.04%90.17%93517.21%5,434 [lower-alpha 4]
Iron 1,29071.67%47826.56%301.67%10.06%10.06%81245.11%1,800
Jackson 2,70774.88%79221.91%1082.99%20.06%60.17%1,91552.97%3,615
Jefferson 4,27552.76%3,67245.32%1501.85%30.04%30.04%6037.44%8,103
Juneau 2,80561.00%1,71437.28%641.39%80.17%70.15%1,09123.73%4,598
Kenosha 2,80660.80%1,75037.92%531.15%50.11%00.00%1,05622.88%4,615 [lower-alpha 6]
Kewaunee 1,81251.36%1,70248.24%140.40%00.00%00.00%1103.12%3,528
La Crosse 6,20164.36%3,21533.37%2042.12%80.08%70.07%2,98630.99%9,635
Lafayette 2,91054.92%2,26542.74%1192.25%10.02%40.08%64512.17%5,299
Langlade 1,39457.25%1,01841.81%220.90%10.04%00.00%37615.44%2,435
Lincoln 1,67546.92%1,84951.79%431.20%30.08%00.00%-174-4.87%3,570
Manitowoc 4,40151.87%3,99547.09%650.77%120.14%110.13%4064.79%8,484
Marathon 3,66846.05%4,19852.70%730.92%250.31%20.03%-530-6.65%7,966
Marinette 4,35869.69%1,80828.91%761.22%90.14%20.03%2,55040.78%6,253
Marquette 1,47563.06%84035.91%230.98%00.00%10.04%63527.15%2,339
Milwaukee 35,46355.16%27,46442.72%6431.00%6791.06%400.06%7,99912.44%64,289
Monroe 3,66959.52%2,37438.51%1081.75%10.02%120.19%1,29521.01%6,164
Oconto 2,91168.88%1,25329.65%541.28%50.12%30.07%1,65839.23%4,226
Oneida 1,40568.91%60429.62%301.47%00.00%00.00%80139.28%2,039
Outagamie 5,37955.12%4,19643.00%1501.54%80.08%260.27%1,18312.12%9,759
Ozaukee 1,54643.26%1,98855.62%290.81%100.28%10.03%-442-12.37%3,574
Pepin 1,29572.71%44224.82%422.36%10.06%10.06%85347.89%1,781
Pierce 3,69769.75%1,41526.70%1823.43%30.06%20.04%2,28243.06%5,300 [lower-alpha 6]
Polk 2,84874.89%88623.30%651.71%30.08%10.03%1,96251.59%3,803
Portage 3,47653.28%2,95545.29%851.30%20.03%60.09%5217.99%6,524
Price 1,44470.71%55327.08%381.86%60.29%10.05%89143.63%2,042
Racine 5,73356.77%4,10140.61%2412.39%50.05%190.19%1,63216.16%10,099
Richland 2,63554.16%2,08842.92%1392.86%20.04%10.02%54711.24%4,865
Rock 8,22467.48%3,65730.01%2922.40%100.08%40.03%4,56737.47%12,187
Sauk 4,59461.16%2,63735.11%2633.50%90.12%80.11%1,95726.06%7,511
Sawyer 50655.97%37141.04%272.99%00.00%00.00%13514.93%904
Shawano 3,01964.34%1,60434.19%551.17%110.23%30.06%1,41530.16%4,692
Sheboygan 6,54362.99%3,42632.98%880.85%3133.01%180.17%3,11730.01%10,388
St. Croix 3,42456.13%2,47940.64%1873.07%60.10%40.07%94515.49%6,100
Taylor 1,35563.32%75935.47%200.93%20.09%40.19%59627.85%2,140
Trempealeau 3,30067.87%1,39028.59%1613.31%50.10%60.12%1,91039.28%4,862
Vernon 4,37871.50%1,63826.75%981.60%30.05%40.07%2,74044.75%6,123 [lower-alpha 4]
Vilas 73161.02%45938.31%80.67%00.00%00.00%27222.70%1,198
Walworth 5,29270.14%1,88925.04%3484.61%30.04%130.17%3,40345.10%7,545
Washburn 76573.42%25324.28%222.11%20.19%00.00%51249.14%1,042
Washington 2,83353.08%2,46146.11%300.56%60.11%70.13%3726.97%5,337
Waukesha 5,33160.61%3,28237.32%1772.01%20.02%30.03%2,04923.30%8,795
Waupaca 5,45675.54%1,59322.05%1391.92%30.04%320.44%3,86353.48%7,223
Waushara 3,20784.71%47012.41%1052.77%00.00%40.11%2,73772.29%3,786
Winnebago 7,83558.97%5,21339.24%2131.60%140.11%110.08%2,62219.74%13,286
Wood 2,76657.84%1,95240.82%521.09%60.13%60.13%81417.02%4,782
Total264,98159.67%169,25738.11%8,1441.83%1,3060.29%4070.09%95,72421.55%444,110

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. One must exercise caution using the Blue Book as a source for Wisconsin election data for the period of 1890-1920 as it was unreliable during this period.
  2. The 1897 Blue Book mistakenly gives Berkey's total as 8,140
  3. The 1897 Blue Book mistakenly gives the Scattering total as 16
  4. 1 2 3 Includes 2 Scattering votes
  5. Includes 6 Scattering votes
  6. 1 2 3 Includes 1 Scattering vote

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References

  1. "Governor William Upham | Painting | Wisconsin Historical Society". wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Wisconsin Historical Society, Tabular Statement of votes given for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, State Superintendent, Railroad Commissioner and Commissioner of Insurance, at the General Election held in the several towns, wards, villages and election districts in the several Counties in the State of Wisconsin on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday being the third day of November A.D. 1896
  3. 1 2 Casson, Henry, ed. (1897). "Tabular Statement of the votes given for state officers, by counties, at the general election held on the 3d day of November, A.D. 1896, as returned by the county clerks". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Henry Gugler Company. pp. 304–305.

Bibliography