United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1896, in 32 states, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election, on November 3, 1896 (except in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, which held early elections).

Following the death of Delaware Governor Joshua H. Marvil, the General Assembly scheduled the next gubernatorial election for 1896, two years into the term. Delaware's gubernatorial elections have been held in presidential election years ever since.

In Florida, the gubernatorial election was held in October for the last time. The subsequent election days were moved to the same day as federal elections from the 1900 elections.

Results

State Incumbent Party Status Opposing candidates Alabama(held, 3 August 1896) William C. Oates Democratic Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Democratic victory Joseph F. Johnston (Democratic) 59.01%Albert Taylor Goodwyn (Populist) 40.99% Arkansas(held, 7 September 1896) James Paul Clarke Democratic Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Democratic victory Daniel Webster Jones (Democratic) 64.26%Harmon L. Remmel (Republican) 25.28%Abner W. Files (Populist) 9.86%J. W. Miller (Prohibition) 0.60% Colorado Albert McIntire Republican Alva Adams (Democratic) 46.22%Morton Shelley Bailey (Populist) 37.98%George W. Allen (Republican) 12.66%Davis H. Waite (Midroad-Populist) 1.78%Scattering 1.36% Connecticut Owen Vincent Coffin Republican Retired, Republican victory Lorrin A. Cooke (Republican) 62.53%Joseph B. Sargent (Democratic) 32.48%Lewis Sperry (National Democratic) 3.21%Edward Manchester (Prohibition) 1.06%John A. Norton (Socialist Labor) 0.72% Delaware William T. Watson (acting) Democratic Term-limited, Democratic victory Ebe W. Tunnell (Democratic) 44.20%John H. Hoffecker (Union Republican) 31.40%John C. Higgins (Anti-Addicks Republican) 20.39%Louis N. Slaughter (Single Tax) 2.44%Daniel M. Green (Prohibition) 1.56%Scattering 0.01% Florida(held, 6 October 1896) Henry L. Mitchell Democratic Term-limited, Democratic victory William D. Bloxham (Democratic) 66.71%Edward R. Gunby (Republican) 20.35%William A. Wicks (Populist) 12.94% Georgia(held, 7 October 1896) William Yates Atkinson Democratic Re-elected, 58.47% Seaborn Wright (Populist) 41.53% Idaho William J. McConnell Republican Retired, Democratic victory Frank Steunenberg (Democratic) 76.79%David Budlong (Republican) 22.38%Moses F. Fowler (Prohibition) 0.83% Illinois John Peter Altgeld Democratic Defeated, 43.66% John Riley Tanner (Republican) 54.10%George Washington Gere (Prohibition) 1.34%William St. John Forman (National Democratic) 0.75%Charles A. Baustian (Socialist Labor) 0.09%Isaac W. Higgs (National Prohibition) 0.07% Indiana Claude Matthews Democratic Term-limited, Republican victory James A. Mount (Republican) 50.93%Benjamin F. Shively (Democratic) 46.79%Thomas Wadsworth (Populist) 1.37%Leander M. Crist (Prohibition) 0.48%A. G. Burkhart (National Prohibition) 0.40%Philip H. Moore (Socialist Labor) 0.04% Kansas Edmund Needham Morrill Republican Defeated, 48.30% John W. Leedy (Populist) 50.56%Horace Hurley (Prohibition) 0.71%Henry L. Douthart (National Prohibition) 0.23%A. E. Kepford (Independent Prohibition) 0.21% Louisiana(held, 21 April 1896) Murphy J. Foster Democratic Re-elected, 56.27% John N. Pharr (Populist) 43.64%A. B. Booth 0.09% Maine(held, 14 September 1896) Henry B. Cleaves Republican Retired, Republican victory Llewellyn Powers (Republican) 66.84%Melvin P. Frank (Democratic) 27.79%Luther C. Bateman (Populist) 2.67%Ammi S. Ladd (Prohibition) 2.19%William H. Clifford (National Democratic) 0.49%Scattering 0.03% Massachusetts Roger Wolcott (acting) Republican Re-elected, 67.05% George Fred Williams (Democratic) 26.92%Frederick O. Prince (National Democratic) 3.68%Thomas C. Brophy (Socialist Labor) 1.18%Allen Coffin (Prohibition) 1.16% Michigan John T. Rich Republican Retired, Republican victory Hazen S. Pingree (Republican) 55.57%Charles R. Sligh (Democratic) 40.35%Rufus S. Sprague (National Democratic) 1.78%Robert C. Safford (Prohibition) 1.00%John Gilberson (National Prohibition) 0.35%Scattering 0.94% Minnesota David Marston Clough (acting) Republican Re-elected, 49.18% John Lind (Democratic) 48.10%William J. Dean (Prohibition) 1.53%Albert Alonzo Ames (Independent) 0.86%William B. Hammond (Socialist Labor) 0.33% Missouri William J. Stone Democratic Term-limited, Democratic victory Lon Vest Stephens (Democratic) 52.88%Robert E. Lewis (Republican) 46.35%Herman P. Faris (Prohibition) 0.39%J. McDowell Trimble (National Democratic) 0.27%Louis C. Fry (Socialist Labor) 0.11% Montana John E. Rickards Republican Lost re-nomination, Democratic victory Robert Burns Smith (Democratic) 70.99%Alexander C. Botkin (Republican) 29.01% Nebraska Silas A. Holcomb Populist Re-elected, 53.46% John H. McColl (Republican) 43.50%Robert S. Bibb (National Democratic) 1.63%Joel Warner (Prohibition) 0.72%Richard H. Hawley (National Prohibition) 0.43%Charles Sadilek (Socialist Labor) 0.27% New Hampshire Charles A. Busiel Republican Retired, Republican victory George A. Ramsdell (Republican) 61.41%Henry O. Kent (Democratic) 35.96%John C. Berry (Prohibition) 1.34%Harry H. Acton (Socialist Labor) 0.61%Gardiner J. Greenleaf (Populist) 0.36%George W. Barnard (National) 0.29%Scattering 0.02% New York Levi P. Morton Republican Retired, Republican victory Frank S. Black (Republican) 55.28%Wilbur E. Porter (Democratic) 40.33%Daniel G. Griffin (National Democratic) 1.87%Howard Balkam (Socialist Labor) 1.29%William W. Smith (Prohibition) 1.22% North Carolina Elias Carr Democratic Term-limited, Republican victory Daniel Lindsay Russell (Republican) 46.46%Cyrus B. Watson (Democratic) 43.89%William A. Guthrie (Populist) 9.41%James R. Jones (National Prohibition) 0.17%Jeremiah W. Holt (Prohibition) 0.07% North Dakota Roger Allin Republican Lost re-nomination, Republican victory Frank A. Briggs (Republican) 55.61%Robert B. Richardson (Populist) 44.39% Rhode Island(held, 1 April 1896) Charles W. Lippitt Republican Re-elected, 56.40% George L. Littlefield (Democratic) 33.79%Thomas H. Peabody (Prohibition) 5.84%Edward W. Thienert (Socialist Labor) 2.52%Henry A. Burlingame (Populist) 1.45% South Carolina John Gary Evans Democratic Retired, Democratic victory William Haselden Ellerbe (Democratic) 89.18%Sampson Pope (Lily-White Republican) 6.65%R. M. Wallace (Black and Tan Republican) 4.17% South Dakota Charles H. Sheldon Republican Retired, Populist victory Andrew E. Lee (Populist) 49.76%A. O. Ringsrud (Republican) 49.37%J. F. Hanson (Prohibition) 0.87% Tennessee Peter Turney Democratic Retired, Democratic victory Robert Love Taylor (Democratic) 48.76%G. N. Tillman (Republican) 46.62%A. L. Mims (Populist) 3.74%Josephus Hopwood (Prohibition) 0.88% Texas Charles A. Culberson Democratic Re-elected, 55.31% Jerome C. Kearby (Republican) 44.22%Randolph Clark (Prohibition) 0.35%Scattering 0.13% Vermont(held, 1 September 1896) Urban A. Woodbury Republican Retired, Republican victory Josiah Grout (Republican) 76.41%J. Henry Jackson (Democratic) 21.25%Joseph Battell (Populist) 1.19%Rodney Whittemore (Prohibition) 1.08%Scattering 0.08% Washington John McGraw Republican Retired, Populist victory John Rankin Rogers (Populist) 55.55%Potter C. Sullivan (Republican) 41.68%Robert E. Dunlap (Prohibition) 2.78% West Virginia William A. MacCorkle Democratic Term-limited, Republican victory George W. Atkinson (Republican) 52.41%Cornelius Clarkson Watts (Democratic) 46.44%T. C. Johnson (Prohibition) 0.67%N. W. Fitzgerald (Populist) 0.40%Scattering 0.08% Wisconsin William H. Upham Republican Retired, Republican victory Edward Scofield (Republican) 59.67%Willis C. Silverthorn (Democratic) 38.11%Joshua H. Berkey (Prohibition) 1.83%Christ Tuttrop (Socialist Labor) 0.29%Robert Henderson (National Prohibition) 0.09%

See also 1896 United States elections

References

Notes

Bibliography