1906 California gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 1906 California gubernatorial election California presidential no Flag of California (1864).pngborder 1902 California gubernatorial election 1902 1910 California gubernatorial election 1910 November 6, 1906 James Gillett, 1910 Crop.jpg James Gillett Republican Party (United States) 125,887 40.35% Hon. Theodore A. Bell, Democratic Congressman from California (cropped).jpg Theodore Arlington Bell Democratic Party (United States) 117,645 37.71% William Langdon W. H. Langdon 1908 Wide Crop Alt.jpg United States Independence Party 45,008 14.43% Austin Lewis (cropped)2.jpg Austin Lewis Socialist Party of America 16,036 5.14% 1906 California gubernatorial election results map by county.svg County resultsGillett: #ffc8cdff 30–40% #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d72f30 70–80%Bell: #bdd3ffff 30–40% #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cdeff 70–80%Langdon: #FFEEAA 40–50% Governor George Pardee Republican Party (United States) James Gillett Republican Party (United States) The 1906 California gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1906. James Gillett won the 1906 election and became the governor of California.Guide to U.S. Elections CQ Press 2010 978-1-60426-536-1 Kalb Deborah Washington, DC 1603 This was the first election in which more votes were cast in Los Angeles County than in San Francisco, possibly as a result of the earthquake seven months earlier in San Francisco.Los Angeles County would ultimately overtake San Francisco in population during the decade of the 1900s, so this was likely to occur at some point around 1910 anyway. Republican nomination thumb|left|upright=1.2|A photograph of Republican nominee for Governor James Gillett and other party leaders at the home of Major Frank McLaughlin, published in The San Francisco Call, September 10, 1906. The photograph, with Gillett's hand on the shoulder of San Francisco political boss Abe Ruef, came to be known as "The Shame of California."Left to right: Frederick W. Henshaw, Rudolph Herold, James Wilfred McKinley, George Hatton, James Gillett, Abe Ruef, Frank McLaughlin, Walter F. Parker, Warren R. Porter, Frank Henry Kerrigan, Joseph R. Knowland. At the time of the election, the governor of California was George Pardee. In his term, he became a strong proponent of conservation, and provided assistance to the residents of San Francisco when the city experienced a plague from 1900 to 1904, and an earthquake in 1906. This, along with his efficient use of the state's bureaucracy, made him a popular figure. Despite this, Pardee's chances for renomination were slim for several reasons. As with most incumbent governors of the era, there was not enough patronage for all of the groups that had supported him four years earlier, and as a result he could not rely on their support.Bean Walton Boss Ruef's San Francisco: The Story of the Union Labor Party, Big Business, and the Graft Prosecution 1952 University of California Press Berkeley 145–152 https://archive.org/details/bossruefssanfran0000unse_j6f4/mode/1up 3 October 2026 Many in the Republican Party, as well as the lobbyists for the Southern Pacific Railroad company, also condemned Pardee for his opposition to the company at a time when it was influential in state politics.Gov. George Cooper Pardee https://www.nga.org/governor/george-cooper-pardee/ National Governors Association January 3, 2011 29 March 2024James Gillett 1907–1911 https://governors.library.ca.gov/22-Gillett.html Governors Gallery California State Library 29 March 2024 There were further theories that Republican voters were angry at his focus on issues in Northern California, supposedly neglecting Southern Californians.HOW AND WHY GILLETT WON THE NOMINATION An Analysis of the Conditions and Causes that Led to the Victory of Humboldt's Favorite Son https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=HTS19061004.2.54 29 March 2024 235 XLIII Humboldt Times 4 October 1906 An alliance between Southern Pacific boss William F. Herrin and San Francisco Republican and Union Labor Party boss Abe Ruef ensured Pardee lost the nomination to James Gillett at the Republican convention in Santa Cruz.Brady Steve The Direct Primary A Critical Step for California Progressivism http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~epf/1995/primary.html San Francisco State University San Francisco State University 31 March 2024 July 17, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110717032116/http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~epf/1995/primary.html Democratic nomination The 1902 California gubernatorial election was a close race that saw Democratic candidate Franklin Knight Lane lose the popular vote by only several thousand votes; an impressive feat given the Republican Party's dominance in state politics. Despite this, Lane did not run for the party's nomination in 1906, instead becoming a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Candidates considering runs at the beginning of the race were Theodore A. Bell, Meredith P. Snyder, and James Phelan, the former mayor of San Francisco.SAN FRANCISCO POLITICAL GOSSIP. Gillett’a Candidacy Booming-—Ex-Governor Gage Becoming Active—Democrats Who May Enter the Running. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19060219.2.45 29 March 2024 180 Volume 110 Sacramento Daily Union 19 February 1906 Bell initially had wanted to run for his former seat in California's 2nd congressional district, instead of for governor.LAUNCH NAME OF DIGGS FOR GOVERNOR THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY DEMOCRATS TO START BOOM AT A BANQUET. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DCS19060816.2.24 30 March 2024 Colusa Daily Sun 16 August 1906 At the Democratic convention in Sacramento the names presented for governor were Phelan, Bell, Thomas O. Toland, and Daniel Cole, among others.DIGGS, PHELAN. BELL, COLE, ALVORD, TOLAND These Are the Men the Democrats Talk of for Governor—Still No Slate in Sight. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19060910.2.55 30 March 2024 Sacramento Daily Union 10 September 1906 Bell would eventually be nominated by the Democrats on September 12, 1906.DEMOCRATS WILL NOMINATE BELL FOR GOVERNOR TODAY Diggs Took All Strings from the Napa Man and Left Him Free to Announce His Candidacy. DIGGS STILL A CANDIDATE Suggested Planks For a Platform presented to and Discussed by the Resolutions Committee. PHELAN WILLING TO ACCEPT https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19060912.2.12 30 March 2024 Sacramento Daily Union 12 September 1906 At the convention the party adopted several wide-ranging policies including support for William Jennings Bryan, public ownership of utilities, support for antitrust legislation, maintaining the Chinese Exclusion Act, support for an 8-hour work day and women's suffrage.DEMOCRATS SELECT BELL AND TOLAND Adopt Platform of Great Length and Scope Repudiate Hearst’s League and Cheer for Bryan https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDDU19060913.2.12 30 March 2024 San Diego Union and Daily Bee 13 September 1906 Third party campaigns The Independence Party began in 1906, largely led by William Randolph Hearst and his supporters. The party held its first state convention in Oakland on September 6, 1906. It was there that it nominated San Francisco District Attorney William Langdon for governor. The party's platform was similar to the Democratic platform, in that they called for the direct election of senators, increased irrigation for farmers, maintaining the Chinese Exclusion Act, food safety laws, and public ownership of utilities.INDEPENDENCE LEAGUE First State Convention Opens at Oakland and Nominates William Langdon of San Francisco for Governor. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19060907.2.16 30 March 2024 Sacramento Daily Union 7 September 1906 The Socialist Party was active in California and held its convention in Oakland. It was there that the party nominated Austin Lewis for governor, and F.J. Wheat of Los Angeles for lieutenant governor.Page 3 Advertisements Column 5 https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SLOMT19060906.2.42.5 31 March 2024 94 XXXIX Morning Tribune 6 September 1906 Lewis was a lecturer, writer and attorney who had law offices in both San Francisco and Oakland.He would become known for his work trying to prove the innocence of Tom Mooney and Warren K. Billings in the 1916 Preparedness Day Bombing.Guide to the Austin Lewis Papers, 1913-1944 https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf467nb0h3/entire_text/ Online Archive of California Bancroft Library 31 March 2024 He was a critic of both Gillett and Langdon, going so far as to say that "If you vote for Gillett your ballot counts one for the Southern Pacific railroad machine; if you vote for Hearst's puppet candidate you vote for nothing."SOCIALIST SAYS VOTE FOR GILLETT COUNTS ONE FOR SOUTHERN PACIFIC https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19061014.2.19.3 16 May 2024 Los Angeles Herald 14 October 1906 Carl Browne, a former leader in the Workingmen's Party of California and Coxey's Army, attempted to form a political coalition between the Populist and Prohibition Parties with himself as their candidate for governor.CARL BROWNE SEEKS COLD-WATER ALLIANCE https://www.newspapers.com/image/607840046/?terms=%22Carl%20Browne%22 15 November 2025 Los Angeles Evening Express 23 August 1906 San Francisco When this did not work, he pledged his support to Langdon.ASSAILS BROWNE WITH MISSILES https://www.newspapers.com/image/1237505798/?terms=%22Carl%20Browne%22 15 November 2025 San Francisco Chronicle 21 October 1906 San Francisco General election campaign thumb|left|Political cartoon stating that James Gillett is independent of both Southern Pacific lobbyist Abe Ruef and labor leader Olaf Tveitmoe By October 1906, the candidates had secured the nominations of their parties and started campaigning to voters across the state. Early on Bell would engage in mudslinging, especially against Langdon, whose campaign many at the time saw as a splinter effort of the Democratic Party.BELL PLANNING A MUDSLINGING LIGHT Powerful Democrats Admit That Bell’s Speech Accepting the Nomination Was Decidedly Demagogic https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MDA19060916.2.7 3 April 2024 Marysville Daily Appeal 16 September 1906 On the campaign trail, Bell would criticize Gillett and Langdon. Bell stated that Langdon's campaign was "simply an adjunct of the campaign of James Gillett", and implied that Gillett was a pawn of the Southern Pacific Railroad due to his acceptance of rail passes and lack of action on bills that would hurt the company.COW BELLS SOUND IN REDLANDS. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19061014.2.97 30 March 2024 136 100 San Francisco Call 14 October 1906 Bell also criticized William Randolph Hearst for his efforts to get himself elected Governor of New York and his creation of the Independence League, as many at the time, including Bell, thought this third party would take away votes from the Democrats.BELL SAYS HEARST IS NO DEMOCRAT. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19060925.2.2.1 3 April 2024 San Francisco Call 25 September 1906 On October 10, a prominent Republican banker, W.L. Porterfield, crossed party lines and endorsed Bell, going so far as to promise a subscription of one million dollars towards a new railroad that would connect San Pedro to an Eastern railroad. This showcased the dissatisfaction within the California Republican Party about the Southern Pacific's influence over it.PROMISE RAILROAD IF BELL IS ELECTED https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19061011.2.15 5 April 2024 Los Angeles Herald 11 October 1906PLEDGES SUPPORT TO BELL https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19061011.2.15.1 5 April 2024 Los Angeles Herald 11 October 1906 Governor Pardee endorsed James Gillett on September 28, 1906, allaying fears in the state's Republican Party that Pardee might refuse to endorse Gillett or run a third-party campaign.GOVERNOR PARDEE IS FOR GILLETT. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19060928.2.30 3 April 2024 Sacramento Daily Union 28 September 1906 Gillett held a large campaign rally in Sacramento on October 5. Thousands rallied to support him as he and other Republican leaders gathered to speak about their platform and Gillett's record on issues such as labor.JAMES N. GILLETT ROYALLY RECEIVED • STRONG WORDS SPOKEN BY REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR. Issues of the Campaign Are Plainly Enunciated by the Standard-Bearer of the Republican Party. HE HAS EVER STOOD THE FRIEND OF LABOR Great Crowds Gather at the Old Pavilion to Listen to Republican Doctrine by Republican Candidates. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19061006.2.9 5 April 2024 Sacramento Daily Union 6 October 1906 Gillett continued to travel around the state after his major rally, giving talks in Marysville, Grass ValleyGILLETT TALKS TO MINING MEN. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19061007.2.13 15 May 2024 San Francisco Call 7 October 1906 and Stockton to the working class people of California. In the weeks before the election multiple newspapers across the state were already calling the election for Gillett.Results 121 to 140 of 1,811 for Gillett https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=q&r=121&results=1&e=16-10-1906-31-11-1906--en--20--141-byDA-txt-txIN-Gillett------- California Digital Newspaper Collection Later in the campaign, Gillett was endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who stated in his endorsement, "In my opinion, the Republicans of California are fortunate in the nomination of Mr. Gillett...That if elected, his administration will be a credit to the State I have no doubt."Roosevelt Endorses Gillett https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MJ19061101.2.6 17 May 2024 Marin Journal 1 November 1906 On November 5, the San Francisco Call called the election for Gillett once again, along with other newspapers throughout the state.Gillett Is Assured a Sweeping Victory. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19061106.2.6 17 May 2024 San Francisco Call 6 November 1906 General election results California gubernatorial election, 1906Statement of the Vote of California at the General Election, Held November 6, 1906 California Secretary of State State Printing Office Sacramento, California 2 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31970020898406&view=1up&seq=40 18 July 2024 Republican Party (United States) James Gillett 125,887 40.35% -7.71% Democratic Party (United States) Theodore Arlington Bell 117,645 37.71% -9.51% United States Independence Party William Langdon 45,008 14.43% +14.43% Socialist Party of America Austin Lewis 16,036 5.14% +1.99% Prohibition Party (United States) James H. Blanchard 7,355 2.36% +0.83% Scattering 44 0.01% 8,242 2.64% 311,975 100.00% Republican Party (United States) +1.80% Results by county County James N. GillettRepublican Theodore A. BellDemocratic William H. LangdonIndependence Austin LewisSocialist James H. BlanchardProhibition ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # % # %Alameda11,02939.66%6,56123.59%7,73527.82%1,9226.91%5612.02%00.00%3,294"Langdon" Margin over Langdon11.84%27,808Alpine5276.47%1420.59%22.94%00.00%00.00%00.00%3855.88%68Amador88938.35%1,18150.95%2119.10%220.95%150.65%00.00%-292-12.60%2,318Butte2,05737.91%2,75350.74%2895.33%2464.53%801.47%10.02%-696-12.83%5,426Calaveras1,15944.66%92235.53%40215.49%973.74%120.46%30.12%2379.13%2,595Colusa37520.76%1,30372.15%643.54%462.55%181.00%00.00%-928-51.38%1,806Contra Costa2,15841.70%1,69332.71%1,00119.34%2865.53%350.68%20.04%4658.99%5,175Del Norte38349.36%30238.92%374.77%486.19%60.77%00.00%8110.44%776El Dorado83136.18%1,24554.20%994.31%1034.48%190.83%00.00%-414-18.02%2,297Fresno4,08241.55%4,64247.25%3763.83%4414.49%2812.86%20.02%-560-5.70%9,824Glenn37525.92%99268.56%594.08%80.55%130.90%00.00%-617-42.64%1,447Humboldt3,63356.30%2,42037.50%941.46%2423.75%640.99%00.00%1,21318.80%6,453Inyo28430.67%19020.52%38741.79%394.21%262.81%00.00%-103-11.12%926Kern1,48434.78%1,87844.01%50211.76%3688.62%350.82%00.00%-394-9.23%4,267Kings1,05646.89%96742.94%944.17%863.82%492.18%00.00%893.95%2,252Lake49234.12%74351.53%1218.39%654.51%211.46%00.00%-251-17.41%1,442Lassen39140.90%48450.63%525.44%262.72%30.31%00.00%-93-9.73%956Los Angeles20,93643.86%12,93727.10%8,36017.51%3,0476.38%2,4525.14%50.01%7,99916.76%47,737Madera62638.01%78147.42%1559.41%603.64%251.52%00.00%-155-9.41%1,647Marin1,76046.17%1,24732.71%70518.49%842.20%160.42%00.00%51313.46%3,812Mariposa32232.23%45445.45%17917.92%333.30%111.10%00.00%-132-13.21%999Mendocino2,11445.24%2,02843.40%3076.57%1853.96%380.81%10.02%861.84%4,673Merced79234.71%1,11648.90%26111.44%793.46%341.49%00.00%-324-14.20%2,282Modoc48640.91%65855.39%221.85%100.84%90.76%30.25%-172-14.48%1,188Mono19347.65%16941.73%266.42%174.20%00.00%00.00%245.93%405Monterey1,75540.43%1,56035.94%76817.69%972.23%1613.71%00.00%1954.49%4,341Napa1,30332.06%2,48061.02%1403.44%771.89%631.55%10.02%-1,177-28.96%4,064Nevada1,23934.12%1,98354.61%2557.02%1042.86%501.38%00.00%-744-20.49%3,631Orange2,56647.38%1,62930.08%54410.04%3185.87%3596.63%00.00%93717.30%5,416Placer1,25538.87%1,72953.55%1253.87%501.55%682.11%20.06%-474-14.68%3,229Plumas47344.37%49346.25%736.85%171.59%90.84%10.09%-20-1.88%1,066Riverside2,09348.74%1,15626.92%3939.15%3778.78%2736.36%20.05%93721.82%4,294Sacramento3,34530.54%7,07464.58%1471.34%3282.99%590.54%10.01%-3,729-34.04%10,954San Benito58238.80%63542.33%20013.33%332.20%503.33%00.00%-53-3.53%1,500San Bernardino3,16545.34%2,08029.80%93613.41%4206.02%3795.43%00.00%1,08515.54%6,980San Diego3,62146.42%2,524Includes 55 votes from the Union Labor ticket32.36%5046.46%97412.49%1742.23%30.04%1,09714.06%7,800San Francisco12,90334.56%11,65031.20%10,52328.19%2,1035.63%1560.42%00.00%1,2533.36%37,335San Joaquin3,16042.33%3,47446.53%5126.86%2042.73%1161.55%00.00%-314-4.21%7,466San Luis Obispo1,57439.32%1,68342.04%3929.79%2516.27%1012.52%20.05%-109-2.72%4,003San Mateo1,69050.57%86325.82%67920.32%912.72%180.54%10.03%82724.75%3,342Santa Barbara1,79441.49%1,32330.60%92021.28%2144.95%691.60%40.09%47110.89%4,324Santa Clara5,71445.98%3,80530.62%1,97815.92%4903.94%4373.52%40.03%1,90915.36%12,428Santa Cruz1,69637.17%1,76038.57%63513.92%2615.72%2094.58%20.04%-64-1.40%4,563Shasta1,42539.05%1,46840.23%3088.44%37210.19%762.08%00.00%-43-1.18%3,649Sierra45939.95%59251.52%585.05%383.31%20.17%00.00%-133-11.58%1,149Siskiyou1,40640.59%1,71849.60%2166.24%1083.12%160.46%00.00%-312-9.01%3,464Solano2,06136.63%2,91851.86%3696.56%2133.79%661.17%00.00%-857-15.23%5,627Sonoma3,68741.07%4,34648.41%6327.04%2002.23%1121.25%00.00%-659-7.34%8,977Stanislaus1,19739.12%1,35044.12%2538.27%622.03%1976.44%10.03%-153-5.00%3,060Sutter67943.06%80751.17%402.54%352.22%150.95%10.06%-128-8.12%1,577Tehama87735.36%1,28151.65%1174.72%1636.57%421.69%00.00%-404-16.29%2,480Trinity51747.09%40236.61%1009.11%777.01%20.18%00.00%11510.47%1,098Tulare1,51330.45%2,65453.41%3256.54%3777.59%991.99%10.02%-1,141-22.96%4,969Tuolumne73232.16%78034.27%61627.07%1044.57%431.89%10.04%-48-2.11%2,276Ventura1,44947.14%87528.46%54917.86%1524.94%491.59%00.00%57418.67%3,074Yolo1,30539.45%1,78253.87%591.78%1093.30%531.60%00.00%-477-14.42%3,308Yuba69335.50%1,09155.89%1025.23%572.92%90.46%00.00%-398-20.39%1,952Total125,88740.35%117,64537.71%45,00814.43%16,0365.14%7,3552.36%440.01%8,2422.64%311,975 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Kings Mendocino Monterey San Francisco Trinity Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Amador Butte Lassen Napa Nevada Placer Plumas Sierra Sonoma Sutter Yuba Counties that flipped from Republican to Independence Inyo Notes References Our Campaigns California Politics 1906 California Gubernatorial Category:November 1906 in the United States