1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
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 County results Scofield: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Silverthorn: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 1896 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896.
Incumbent Republican Governor William H. Upham retired.[1]
Republican nominee Edward Scofield defeated Democratic nominee Willis C. Silverthorn with 59.67% of the vote. Scofield's popular vote share was the highest in the state's history for a gubernatorial candidate to that point, reflecting the state's transition from a Republican-leaning but competitive state to one dominated by the Republicans.
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Major party candidates
- Willis C. Silverthorn, Democratic, Democratic nominee for Wisconsin's 8th congressional district in 1880, Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin in 1884
- Edward Scofield, Republican, former State Senator
Other candidates
- Joshua H. Berkey, Prohibition, temperance lecturer
- Christ Tuttrop, Socialist Labor
- Robert Henderson, National, Prohibitionist nominee for Wisconsin State Senate in 1892
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Edward Scofield | 264,981 | 59.67% | +7.42% | |
| Democratic | Willis C. Silverthorn | 169,257 | 38.11% | +0.22% | |
| Prohibition | Joshua H. Berkey | 8,144[b] | 1.83% | −1.16% | |
| Socialist Labor | Christ Tuttrop | 1,306 | 0.29% | ||
| National | Robert Henderson | 407 | 0.09% | ||
| Scattering | 15[c] | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 95,724 | 21.55% | |||
| Total votes | 444,110 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | +7.20% | |||
Results by county
[edit]Scofield was the first Republican to ever win Dodge County, Manitowoc County, and Washington County; Dodge County would not vote Republican again until 1916. Scofield was also the first Republican since 1855 to carry Outagamie County, the first since 1857 to carry Jefferson County, and the first since 1861 to carry Kewaunee County.
| County[2][3] | Edward Scofield Republican |
Willis C. Silverthorn Democratic |
Joshua H. Berkey Prohibition |
Christ Tuttrop Socialist Labor |
Robert Henderson National |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,427 | 77.09% | 397 | 21.45% | 27 | 1.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,030 | 55.65% | 1,851 |
| Ashland | 2,700 | 59.18% | 1,784 | 39.11% | 59 | 1.29% | 15 | 0.33% | 4 | 0.09% | 916 | 20.08% | 4,562 |
| Barron | 2,765 | 64.88% | 1,328 | 31.16% | 165 | 3.87% | 0 | 0.00% | 4 | 0.09% | 1,437 | 33.72% | 4,262 |
| Bayfield | 2,224 | 72.87% | 776 | 25.43% | 46 | 1.51% | 5 | 0.16% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,448 | 47.44% | 3,052 |
| Brown | 5,324 | 57.13% | 3,870 | 41.53% | 88 | 0.94% | 5 | 0.05% | 32 | 0.34% | 1,454 | 15.60% | 9,319 |
| Buffalo | 2,303 | 62.73% | 1,302 | 35.47% | 61 | 1.66% | 1 | 0.03% | 4 | 0.11% | 1,001 | 27.27% | 3,671 |
| Burnett | 807 | 67.59% | 355 | 29.73% | 28 | 2.35% | 3 | 0.25% | 1 | 0.08% | 452 | 37.86% | 1,194 |
| Calumet | 1,539 | 44.43% | 1,897 | 54.76% | 27 | 0.78% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | -358 | -10.33% | 3,464 |
| Chippewa | 3,587 | 53.95% | 2,965 | 44.59% | 89 | 1.34% | 6 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.03% | 622 | 9.35% | 6,649 |
| Clark | 3,299 | 69.38% | 1,341 | 28.20% | 100 | 2.10% | 12 | 0.25% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,958 | 41.18% | 4,755[d] |
| Columbia | 4,746 | 63.04% | 2,457 | 32.64% | 308 | 4.09% | 5 | 0.07% | 12 | 0.16% | 2,289 | 30.41% | 7,528 |
| Crawford | 2,307 | 59.49% | 1,526 | 39.35% | 41 | 1.06% | 2 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.05% | 781 | 20.14% | 3,878 |
| Dane | 8,747 | 54.34% | 6,804 | 42.27% | 518 | 3.22% | 8 | 0.05% | 15 | 0.09% | 1,943 | 12.07% | 16,098[e] |
| Dodge | 5,573 | 52.02% | 5,019 | 46.85% | 108 | 1.01% | 4 | 0.04% | 9 | 0.08% | 554 | 5.17% | 10,713 |
| Door | 2,402 | 71.74% | 897 | 26.79% | 48 | 1.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,505 | 44.95% | 3,348 |
| Douglas | 4,113 | 61.29% | 2,498 | 37.22% | 87 | 1.30% | 8 | 0.12% | 5 | 0.07% | 1,615 | 24.06% | 6,711 |
| Dunn | 3,340 | 67.89% | 1,430 | 29.07% | 143 | 2.91% | 5 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,910 | 38.82% | 4,920 |
| Eau Claire | 4,447 | 62.92% | 2,397 | 33.91% | 220 | 3.11% | 1 | 0.01% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,050 | 29.00% | 7,068 |
| Florence | 491 | 79.32% | 122 | 19.71% | 5 | 0.81% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 369 | 59.61% | 619[f] |
| Fond du Lac | 6,089 | 53.87% | 5,033 | 44.53% | 170 | 1.50% | 7 | 0.06% | 4 | 0.04% | 1,056 | 9.34% | 11,303 |
| Forest | 408 | 68.69% | 169 | 28.45% | 15 | 2.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.34% | 239 | 40.24% | 594 |
| Grant | 5,281 | 57.53% | 3,685 | 40.14% | 205 | 2.23% | 3 | 0.03% | 6 | 0.07% | 1,596 | 17.39% | 9,180 |
| Green | 3,054 | 54.60% | 2,331 | 41.68% | 193 | 3.45% | 11 | 0.20% | 4 | 0.07% | 723 | 12.93% | 5,593 |
| Green Lake | 2,091 | 55.94% | 1,581 | 42.30% | 62 | 1.66% | 4 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 510 | 13.64% | 3,738 |
| Iowa | 3,080 | 56.68% | 2,145 | 39.47% | 196 | 3.61% | 2 | 0.04% | 9 | 0.17% | 935 | 17.21% | 5,434[d] |
| Iron | 1,290 | 71.67% | 478 | 26.56% | 30 | 1.67% | 1 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.06% | 812 | 45.11% | 1,800 |
| Jackson | 2,707 | 74.88% | 792 | 21.91% | 108 | 2.99% | 2 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.17% | 1,915 | 52.97% | 3,615 |
| Jefferson | 4,275 | 52.76% | 3,672 | 45.32% | 150 | 1.85% | 3 | 0.04% | 3 | 0.04% | 603 | 7.44% | 8,103 |
| Juneau | 2,805 | 61.00% | 1,714 | 37.28% | 64 | 1.39% | 8 | 0.17% | 7 | 0.15% | 1,091 | 23.73% | 4,598 |
| Kenosha | 2,806 | 60.80% | 1,750 | 37.92% | 53 | 1.15% | 5 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,056 | 22.88% | 4,615[f] |
| Kewaunee | 1,812 | 51.36% | 1,702 | 48.24% | 14 | 0.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 110 | 3.12% | 3,528 |
| La Crosse | 6,201 | 64.36% | 3,215 | 33.37% | 204 | 2.12% | 8 | 0.08% | 7 | 0.07% | 2,986 | 30.99% | 9,635 |
| Lafayette | 2,910 | 54.92% | 2,265 | 42.74% | 119 | 2.25% | 1 | 0.02% | 4 | 0.08% | 645 | 12.17% | 5,299 |
| Langlade | 1,394 | 57.25% | 1,018 | 41.81% | 22 | 0.90% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 376 | 15.44% | 2,435 |
| Lincoln | 1,675 | 46.92% | 1,849 | 51.79% | 43 | 1.20% | 3 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | -174 | -4.87% | 3,570 |
| Manitowoc | 4,401 | 51.87% | 3,995 | 47.09% | 65 | 0.77% | 12 | 0.14% | 11 | 0.13% | 406 | 4.79% | 8,484 |
| Marathon | 3,668 | 46.05% | 4,198 | 52.70% | 73 | 0.92% | 25 | 0.31% | 2 | 0.03% | -530 | -6.65% | 7,966 |
| Marinette | 4,358 | 69.69% | 1,808 | 28.91% | 76 | 1.22% | 9 | 0.14% | 2 | 0.03% | 2,550 | 40.78% | 6,253 |
| Marquette | 1,475 | 63.06% | 840 | 35.91% | 23 | 0.98% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.04% | 635 | 27.15% | 2,339 |
| Milwaukee | 35,463 | 55.16% | 27,464 | 42.72% | 643 | 1.00% | 679 | 1.06% | 40 | 0.06% | 7,999 | 12.44% | 64,289 |
| Monroe | 3,669 | 59.52% | 2,374 | 38.51% | 108 | 1.75% | 1 | 0.02% | 12 | 0.19% | 1,295 | 21.01% | 6,164 |
| Oconto | 2,911 | 68.88% | 1,253 | 29.65% | 54 | 1.28% | 5 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.07% | 1,658 | 39.23% | 4,226 |
| Oneida | 1,405 | 68.91% | 604 | 29.62% | 30 | 1.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 801 | 39.28% | 2,039 |
| Outagamie | 5,379 | 55.12% | 4,196 | 43.00% | 150 | 1.54% | 8 | 0.08% | 26 | 0.27% | 1,183 | 12.12% | 9,759 |
| Ozaukee | 1,546 | 43.26% | 1,988 | 55.62% | 29 | 0.81% | 10 | 0.28% | 1 | 0.03% | -442 | -12.37% | 3,574 |
| Pepin | 1,295 | 72.71% | 442 | 24.82% | 42 | 2.36% | 1 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.06% | 853 | 47.89% | 1,781 |
| Pierce | 3,697 | 69.75% | 1,415 | 26.70% | 182 | 3.43% | 3 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.04% | 2,282 | 43.06% | 5,300[f] |
| Polk | 2,848 | 74.89% | 886 | 23.30% | 65 | 1.71% | 3 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,962 | 51.59% | 3,803 |
| Portage | 3,476 | 53.28% | 2,955 | 45.29% | 85 | 1.30% | 2 | 0.03% | 6 | 0.09% | 521 | 7.99% | 6,524 |
| Price | 1,444 | 70.71% | 553 | 27.08% | 38 | 1.86% | 6 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.05% | 891 | 43.63% | 2,042 |
| Racine | 5,733 | 56.77% | 4,101 | 40.61% | 241 | 2.39% | 5 | 0.05% | 19 | 0.19% | 1,632 | 16.16% | 10,099 |
| Richland | 2,635 | 54.16% | 2,088 | 42.92% | 139 | 2.86% | 2 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.02% | 547 | 11.24% | 4,865 |
| Rock | 8,224 | 67.48% | 3,657 | 30.01% | 292 | 2.40% | 10 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.03% | 4,567 | 37.47% | 12,187 |
| Sauk | 4,594 | 61.16% | 2,637 | 35.11% | 263 | 3.50% | 9 | 0.12% | 8 | 0.11% | 1,957 | 26.06% | 7,511 |
| Sawyer | 506 | 55.97% | 371 | 41.04% | 27 | 2.99% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 135 | 14.93% | 904 |
| Shawano | 3,019 | 64.34% | 1,604 | 34.19% | 55 | 1.17% | 11 | 0.23% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,415 | 30.16% | 4,692 |
| Sheboygan | 6,543 | 62.99% | 3,426 | 32.98% | 88 | 0.85% | 313 | 3.01% | 18 | 0.17% | 3,117 | 30.01% | 10,388 |
| St. Croix | 3,424 | 56.13% | 2,479 | 40.64% | 187 | 3.07% | 6 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.07% | 945 | 15.49% | 6,100 |
| Taylor | 1,355 | 63.32% | 759 | 35.47% | 20 | 0.93% | 2 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.19% | 596 | 27.85% | 2,140 |
| Trempealeau | 3,300 | 67.87% | 1,390 | 28.59% | 161 | 3.31% | 5 | 0.10% | 6 | 0.12% | 1,910 | 39.28% | 4,862 |
| Vernon | 4,378 | 71.50% | 1,638 | 26.75% | 98 | 1.60% | 3 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.07% | 2,740 | 44.75% | 6,123[d] |
| Vilas | 731 | 61.02% | 459 | 38.31% | 8 | 0.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 272 | 22.70% | 1,198 |
| Walworth | 5,292 | 70.14% | 1,889 | 25.04% | 348 | 4.61% | 3 | 0.04% | 13 | 0.17% | 3,403 | 45.10% | 7,545 |
| Washburn | 765 | 73.42% | 253 | 24.28% | 22 | 2.11% | 2 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 512 | 49.14% | 1,042 |
| Washington | 2,833 | 53.08% | 2,461 | 46.11% | 30 | 0.56% | 6 | 0.11% | 7 | 0.13% | 372 | 6.97% | 5,337 |
| Waukesha | 5,331 | 60.61% | 3,282 | 37.32% | 177 | 2.01% | 2 | 0.02% | 3 | 0.03% | 2,049 | 23.30% | 8,795 |
| Waupaca | 5,456 | 75.54% | 1,593 | 22.05% | 139 | 1.92% | 3 | 0.04% | 32 | 0.44% | 3,863 | 53.48% | 7,223 |
| Waushara | 3,207 | 84.71% | 470 | 12.41% | 105 | 2.77% | 0 | 0.00% | 4 | 0.11% | 2,737 | 72.29% | 3,786 |
| Winnebago | 7,835 | 58.97% | 5,213 | 39.24% | 213 | 1.60% | 14 | 0.11% | 11 | 0.08% | 2,622 | 19.74% | 13,286 |
| Wood | 2,766 | 57.84% | 1,952 | 40.82% | 52 | 1.09% | 6 | 0.13% | 6 | 0.13% | 814 | 17.02% | 4,782 |
| Total | 264,981 | 59.67% | 169,257 | 38.11% | 8,144 | 1.83% | 1,306 | 0.29% | 407 | 0.09% | 95,724 | 21.55% | 444,110 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ One must exercise caution using the Blue Book as a source for Wisconsin election data for the period of 1890-1920 as it was unreliable during this period.
- ^ The 1897 Blue Book mistakenly gives Berkey's total as 8,140
- ^ The 1897 Blue Book mistakenly gives the Scattering total as 16
- ^ a b c Includes 2 Scattering votes
- ^ Includes 6 Scattering votes
- ^ a b c Includes 1 Scattering vote
References
[edit]- ^ "Governor William Upham | Painting | Wisconsin Historical Society". wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, Tabular Statement of votes given for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, State Superintendent, Railroad Commissioner and Commissioner of Insurance, at the General Election held in the several towns, wards, villages and election districts in the several Counties in the State of Wisconsin on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday being the third day of November A.D. 1896
- ^ a b Casson, Henry, ed. (1897). "Tabular Statement of the votes given for state officers, by counties, at the general election held on the 3d day of November, A.D. 1896, as returned by the county clerks". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Henry Gugler Company. pp. 304–305.
Bibliography
[edit]- Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Casson, Henry, ed. (1897). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Milwaukee: The Henry Gugler Company.