1890 Minnesota gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 related races 1890 United States gubernatorial elections 1890 Minnesota gubernatorial election presidential no 1888 Minnesota gubernatorial election 1888 1892 Minnesota gubernatorial election 1892 November 4, 1890 File:William Rush Merriam.jpg 150x150px William Rush Merriam Republican Party of Minnesota 88,111 36.58% File:ThomasWilson1899.jpg Thomas Wilson Democratic Party of Minnesota 85,844 35.63% File:Sidney M. Owen (cropped).jpg Sidney M. Owen Farmers' Alliance 58,513 24.29% 1890 Minnesota gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsLee: #FFC8CD 30−40% #FFB2B2 40−50% #E27F7F 50−60% #cc2f4a 60−70% #aa0000 80−90%Wilson: #bdd3ff 30−40% #a5b0ff 40−50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70−80%Owen: #eeffaa 30−40% #e5ff65 40−50% #ccff00 50−60% #aad400 60−70% #668000 70−80% Governor William Rush Merriam Republican Party of Minnesota William Rush Merriam Republican Party of Minnesota The 1890 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1890. Republican Party of Minnesota incumbent William Rush Merriam defeated Democratic Party of Minnesota challenger Thomas Wilson and Farmers' Alliance candidate Sidney M. Owen. Candidates Sidney M. Owen, newspaper editor (Farmer's Alliance) William Rush Merriam, incumbent (Republican) James P. Pinkham, minister (Prohibition) Thomas Wilson, representative from Minnesota's 1st congressional district (Democrat) Campaigns The Farmer's Alliance, a powerful force in Minnesotan politics, voted to run their own candidates in the upcoming elections. This was due to being removed from the Democratic State convention in 1886, and being defeated in the primary in 1888. The Republicans had no interest in cooperating with the Alliance. After Knute Nelson showed no interest (he chose to run for the Republican nomination), Sidney M. Owen became the nominee. The Farmer's Alliance was the first major third-party showing in Minnesotan history, and would be far from the last. The Republican Convention, held on July 24, 1890, saw three candidates in the primary: incumbent William R. Merriam, Knute Nelson, and William W. Braden. Merriam won in a landslide, with 350 votes to Nelson's 74 and Braden's 34. Merriam's victory speech made no note of the Democrats, instead focusing on the Farmer's Alliance as the main opponent. He spent much of his speech speaking about the accomplishments of the state under the Republican party (which in practice was nearly all of the state's history to that point). He stated, "The past history of the Republican Party is a guarantee for its future actions."Made It Unanimous July 25, 1890 https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18900725.1.2&srpos=1&e=------189-en-20--1--img-txIN-Nomination----1890------- The Democratic Convention saw the collapse of progressive and left-wing factions of the party, largely abandoning it in favor of the Farmer's Alliance. Delegates from Kittson County, and some from Blue Earth County, voted for Owen to be the Democratic nominee. With little further enthusiasm for a progressive from the Democratic Party, conservative Thomas Wilson was nominated with no serious opposition.Nobody Goes but Wilson September 6, 1890 https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18900906.1.10&srpos=10&e=------189-en-20--1--img-txIN-Thomas+Wilson----1890------- However, at the convention, Wilson found himself pitted against serious competitor Robert A. Smith, the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.The Democratic Puzzle September 8, 1890 https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18900908.1.5&srpos=1&e=------189-en-20--1--img-txIN-Thomas+Wilson----1890------- On the day of the convention—September 10, 1890—Wilson was nominated.Digest of the News September 10, 1890 https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18900910.1.4&srpos=5&e=------189-en-20--1--img-txIN-Democratic+State+Convention----1890------- Wilson's campaign was harmed by his continued ties to railroad corporations, as well as his anti-union rhetoric, causing the Democratic ticket to fair extremely poorly with the labor vote.A Little Inconsistency September 20, 1890 https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18900920.1.7&srpos=1&e=------189-en-20--1--img-txIN-Tom+Wilson----1890------- Results 1890 gubernatorial election, Minnesota Republican Party (United States) William Rush Merriam (incumbent) 88,111 36.58% -14.77% Democratic Party (United States) Thomas Wilson 85,844 35.63% -6.51% Farmers' Alliance Sidney M. Owen 58,513 24.29% n/a Prohibition Party (United States) James P. Pinkham 8,424 3.50% -3.01% 2,267 0.95% 240,892 Republican Party (United States) See also List of Minnesota gubernatorial elections References External links Minnesota Historical Election Archive Minnesota Gubernatorial 1890 Category:November 1890 in the United States