1896 Delaware gubernatorial election

none related races 1896 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1896 Delaware gubernatorial election Delaware 1896 Presidential no 1894 Delaware gubernatorial election 1894 1900 Delaware gubernatorial election 1900 November 3, 1896 x120px Ebe W. Tunnell Democratic Party (United States) 15,507 44.20% x120px John H. Hoffecker Union Republican 11,014 31.40% John C. Higgins Republican Party (United States) 7,154 20.39% 1896 Delaware gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 110px County resultsTunnell: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% Governor William T. Watson Democratic Party (United States) Ebe W. Tunnell Democratic Party (United States) The 1896 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896. Shortly after his victory in the 1894 gubernatorial election, Republican Governor Joshua H. Marvil died. State Senate Speaker William T. Watson, a Democrat, became Governor and a new election for a full four-year term was scheduled in 1896. Though Watson was considered a potential candidate for re-election,August 19, 1896 Work of the Caucusses: Kent County Made No Nominations for Either Place Morning News Wilmington, Del. 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/153925864/ June 16, 2021 the Democratic convention instead nominated Ebe W. Tunnell, the 1894 nominee for Governor; despite his protests that he would decline the nomination,August 31, 1896 Tunnell May Decline: He May Not Accept the Nomination for Governor Morning News Wilmington, Del. 6 https://www.newspapers.com/image/153925669/ June 16, 2021 Tunnell ultimately accepted it.September 1, 1896 Other Political Notes Morning News Wilmington, Del. 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/153925666 June 16, 2021 The Republican Party, meanwhile, split in the election and nominated two separate candidates for Governor: the faction of the Republican Party affiliated with wealthy industrialist J. Edward Addicks split off from the main Party and nominated John H. Hoffecker the President of the Smyrna Town Council.July 15, 1896 Addicks Men Meet: Dover Convention Names John Henry Hoffecker of Smyrna for Governor Morning News Wilmington, Del. 1–2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/153926411 June 16, 2021 The anti-Addicks faction, which held the official Republican banner, nominated former State Representative John C. Higgins.July 17, 1896 Republicans Meet: Principles of the Party Triumphantly Vindicated at the Georgetown Convention Morning News Wilmington, Del. 1–2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/153926388 June 16, 2021 The fragmentation continued throughout the campaign, and despite rumors that the fractions would reunite and nominate a single candidate, they did not do so.October 7, 1896 Will Not Withdraw: John C. Higgins and Robert G. Houston Will Remain on the Republican Ticket Morning News Wilmington, Del. 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/153925093/ June 16, 2021 The split ended up destroying the Republican Party's chances of regaining the governorship; Tunnell defeated Hoffecker and Higgins by a 12.81% margin, though he fell far short of a majority. This ended up being the final election that occurred under the 1831 Constitution; the 1897 Constitution was drafted the following year and ratified prior to the 1900 gubernatorial election. General election 1896 Delaware gubernatorial election1897 Senate Journal, p. 48-49 Democratic Party (United States) Ebe W. Tunnell 15,507 44.20% -3.48% Union Republican Independent Republican (US) John H. Hoffecker 11,014 31.40% — Republican Party (United States) John C. Higgins 7,154 20.39% -30.41% Single Tax Party Louis N. Slaughter 855 2.44% +0.93% Prohibition Party (United States) Daniel Green 548 1.56% — Write-ins 3 0.01% — 4,493 12.81% +9.69% 35,081 100.00% Democratic Party (United States) Republican Party (United States) References Bibliography Delaware Senate Journal, 86th General Assembly, 1st Reg. Sess. (1897). 1896 Delaware Gubernatorial Category:November 1896 in the United States