1900 Texas gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 1900 Texas gubernatorial election Texas November 6, 1900 presidential 1898 Texas gubernatorial election 1898 1902 Texas gubernatorial election 1902 File:Joseph_D._Sayers_(cropped).jpg Joseph D. Sayers Democratic Party (United States) 303,556 67.6% File:3x4.svg R. E. Hanney Republican Party (United States) 112,864 25.1% File:3x4.svg T. J. McMinn Populist Party (United States) 26,579 5.9% 1900 Texas gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 310px County resultsSayers: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996E2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d056c 90–100%Hanney: #FFB2B2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #D75D5D 60–70% #D72F30 70–80%No Data/Vote: #808080 Governor Joseph D. Sayers Democratic Party (United States) Governor-elect Joseph D. Sayers Democratic Party (United States) The 1900 Texas gubernatorial election was held to elect the Governor of Texas. Incumbent Governor Joseph D. Sayers was re-elected to a second term in office. Background During this period Texas was a part of the Solid South and the Democratic Party was overwhelmingly favored in local and state elections. The main opposition party for the previous decade had been the Populist Party, but after the results of the 1896 election they had seen their popularity with voters diminish in the state.Young Nancy Beck 1976 The Evolution of the Democratic Party in Texas: A Historical Overview https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/democratic-party 2026-06-25 Texas State Historical Association enBarnes Donna A. 1952 The Rise and Fall of the People's Party in Texas: A Historical Overview https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/peoples-party 2026-06-25 Texas State Historical Association en With the ongoing 1900 Presidential election the national Populist party was split on whether to repeat the strategy of electoral fusion with the Democrats or maintaining an independent organization. The Texas Populists were dominated by "middle of the roaders"American Populism, 1876-1896 NIUDL https://digital.lib.niu.edu/illinois/gildedage/populism https://web.archive.org/web/20251119094856/https://digital.lib.niu.edu/illinois/gildedage/populism 2025-11-19 2026-06-26 digital.lib.niu.edu en who had opposed the national party's fusion with the Democrats in the previous election and continued to do so in the current one. The internal conflict further broke the party's organization as a majority of the State's executive committee broke from the "middle of the roaders" and supported fusion.Winkler Ernest William https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Platforms_of_political_parties_in_Texas_%28IA_platformsofpolit00winkrich%29.pdf?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=original Platforms of Political Parties in Texas September 20, 1916 University of Texas 411-441 en At the nominating convention in July, the delegates nominated Jerome Kearby for governor. Kearby had been the party's nominee for governor in 1896 and was a prominent advocate of the "middle of the road" strategy. However after the convention the executive committee removed Kearby from their state ticket and replaced him with T. J. McMinn.Minor David 1952 TSHA Kearby, Jerome Claiborne https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/kearby-jerome-claiborne 10 Mar 2023 Texas State Historical Archive The Texas Republican Party also faced internal divisions, primarily over racial tensions.Moneyhon Carl H. 1976 The History of the Republican Party in Texas https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/republican-party 2026-06-26 Texas State Historical Association en The "Black and Tan" faction which at the time was led by William M. McDonald had been in charge of the mainline Republican Party but a personal rivalry with Henry C. FergusonHales Douglas January 1, 1995 Henry Clay Ferguson: A Pioneer in Texas Politics https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ferguson-henry-clay 2026-06-26 Texas State Historical Association enCasdorph Paul D. 1976 William Madison McDonald: A Pioneer in Texas Republican Politics https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mcdonald-william-madison 2026-06-26 Texas State Historical Association en led to there being two rival conventions being held, each claiming to be the legitimate organization. These simultaneous conventions each nominated their own slate of candidates for statewide office with the McDonald faction selecting George W. Burkett and the Ferguson faction selecting R. E. Hanney to be their respective nominees for governor. 1976 George Washington Burkett: Businessman and Politician in Texas https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/burkett-george-w 2026-06-26 Texas State Historical Association en The state party under McDonald planned to expel all members of the rival faction from the party, but the Ferguson faction managed to get support from the National Republican Party which recognized the Ferguson faction and Hanney as the legitmate ticket. While the Democratic party convention was characterized as being "the most acrimonious and bitter fight in the history of the Democratic party" since the election of 1873, the fight was mostly contained to the details of the party platform and incumbent governor Joseph Sayers was easily renominated. There were several minor parties organizing in the state at the time, including the Prohibition Party which saw its largest convention since 1886. General election On election day Sayers won reelection in a landslide with over 67% of the vote, maintaining the Democratic Party's control on the office. Candidates George Washington Burkett (Republican) (removed from ballot) H. G. Damon (Prohibition) R. E. Hanney (Republican) Jerome Claiborne Kearby, lawyer from Dallas, Populist candidate for governor in 1896, former district attorney of Palestine, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1892 and 1894, major in the 29th Texas Cavalry (Populist) (removed from ballot) T. J. McMinn, San Antonio politician (Populist)TSHA In re Ricardo Rodriguez https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/in-re-ricardo-rodriguez Palomo Acosta Teresa October 1, 1995 17 Mar 2023 Lee Lightfoot Rhodes, former Populist state representative from Van Zandt County (Social Democratic)TSHA Rhodes, Lee Lightfoot (1864-1936) Green Michael April 15, 2015 https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/rhodes-lee-lightfoot 17 Mar 2023 G. H. Royal, nominee for governor in 1898 (Socialist Labor) Joseph D. Sayers, incumbent governor (Democratic) Results 1900 Texas gubernatorial electionhttp://texasalmanac.com/topics/elections/elections-texas-governors-1845%E2%80%932010 Texas Almanac 17 Mar 2023 2015-11-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20151119092417/http://texasalmanac.com/topics/elections/elections-texas-governors-1845%E2%80%932010 dead Joseph D. Sayers (incumbent) Democratic Party (United States) 303,556 67.56% 3.53 R. E. Hanney Republican Party (US) 112,864 25.12% N/A T. J. McMinn Populist Party (US) 26,579 5.92% 22.15 G. H. Royal Socialist Labor Party (US) 155 0.03% 0.10 6,155Although H.G. Damon and L.L. Rhodes were on the ballot, the official results reported theirs as part of the total "scattering" vote. 1.37% 1.35 449,309 100.00% Aftermath The election effectively marked the end of the Populist Party's period of being the major opposion to the Democratic Party in the state. The internal division in the Republican Party between William McDonald and Henry Ferguson, both African Americans, weakened the Black and Tan faction and would lead to the "Lily White" faction of the party being able to take control. The Lily Whites embraced white supremacist policies and the party saw African American influence become greatly diminished for decades.Casdorph Paul D. 1952 The Rise of the Lily-White Movement in Texas Republican Politics https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/lily-white-movement 2026-06-26 Texas State Historical Association en References 1900 Texas Category:1900 Texas elections