1908 Tennessee gubernatorial election

none related races 1908 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1908 Tennessee gubernatorial election Tennessee Presidential no 1906 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1906 1910 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1910 November 3, 1908 File:Patterson-malcolm-governor-tn2.jpg 150x150px Malcolm R. Patterson Democratic Party (United States) 133,176 53.73% File:George N. Tillman (3).jpg George N. Tillman Republican Party (United States) 113,269 45.70% 1908 Tennessee gubernatorial election results map by county.svg County resultsPatterson: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0D0596 >90%Tillman: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% #c21b18 80–90% #a80000 >90% Governor Malcolm R. Patterson Democratic Party (United States) Malcolm R. Patterson Democratic Party (United States) The 1908 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908. Incumbent Democratic governor Malcolm R. Patterson defeated Republican nominee G. N. Tillman with 53.73% of the vote. During Patterson's term as governor, he created a State Highway Commission, signed legislation that banned gambling on horse races, and enacted food and drug regulations.Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 245–263. Patterson was the first governor to occupy a governor's mansion (previous governors had lived in hotel rooms), which was purchased by the state, and occupied by successive governors until 1922, when a new residence was built. At the beginning of his second term in 1909, he signed the General Education Act, which created four colleges: East Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Memphis, and Tennessee State University.Finding Aid for Malcolm Rice Patterson Papers https://web.archive.org/web/20130712213320/http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/findingaids/67-114.pdf July 12, 2013, Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1969. Retrieved: November 30, 2012. Background During the governor race, Edward W. Carmack, who had lost his Senate seat to Robert Love Taylor two years earlier, challenged Patterson for the nomination. Carmack ran a strong campaign, but Patterson managed to clinch the nomination with just over 50% of the delegates. The Republican Party, which was embroiled in a power struggle between Walter P. Brownlow and Newell Sanders, initially nominated two candidates, T. Asbury Wright (Brownlow's candidate) and George Tillman (Sanders's candidate), but Wright eventually withdrew. In October 1908, a feud between the West Tennessee Land Company and Obion County residents over control of Reelfoot Lake resulted in two of the company's officers, Quentin Rankin and Robert Z. Taylor, being kidnapped by a vigilante group known as the Night Riders. Rankin was murdered by the group, though Taylor managed to escape.Bill Threkkeld, "Night Riders of Reelfoot Lake," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: November 30, 2012. Patterson personally led the state guard into Obion County, where they rounded up and incarcerated dozens of Night Riders (several would later be put on trial). This action boosted his popularity, and he defeated Tillman on election day in November, 133,176 votes to 113,269.Timothy Ezzell, "Malcolm R. Patterson," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: November 30, 2012. Shortly after the election, Patterson became involved in a scandal that would eventually end his political career. Carmack, his former opponent, had published an article ruthlessly mocking Patterson's advisor, Colonel Duncan Cooper. On November 8, 1908, Cooper and his son, Robin, encountered Carmack in the street. Gunfire erupted between Carmack and Robin Cooper, resulting in Carmack being shot and killed. Carmack's supporters blamed Patterson for the shooting, and at one point sought his impeachment. Both Coopers were convicted of murder, though the elder Cooper was pardoned by Patterson in 1910, leading to widespread outrage. Patterson, who had issued more than 1,400 pardons during his tenure, had previously been accused of abusing the pardon power to free corrupt political allies. General election Candidates Major party candidates Malcolm R. Patterson, Democratic G. N. Tillman, Republican Other candidates W.A. Weatherall, Socialist Results 1908 Tennessee gubernatorial electionhttps://books.google.com/books?id=nqAaAQAAMAAJ Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc 2005 CQ Press 9781568029818 2020-09-06 Democratic Party (United States) Malcolm R. Patterson (incumbent) 133,176 53.73% Republican Party (United States) George N. Tillman 113,269 45.70% Socialist Party USA W. A. Weatherall 1,422 0.57% 19,907 Democratic Party (United States) See also 1908 United States presidential election in Tennessee References 1908 Tennessee Gubernatorial Category:November 1908 in the United States