The 1879 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1879. Incumbent Republican Governor William E. Smith ran for re-election to a second term. The Democratic convention initially nominated Alexander Mitchell for Governor, but Mitchell declined the nomination; in his place, Milwaukee attorney James Graham Jenkins received the nomination. Smith and Jenkins also faced a Greenback candidate and a nominee from the nascent Prohibition Party in the general election. Smith ultimately won re-election in a landslide, winning 53% of the vote to Jenkins's 40%. Reuben May, the Greenback nominee, received only 7% of the vote, a significant erosion from the Party's 15% in 1877.
Results
Results by county Smith was the first Republican to ever carry Milwaukee County. Participating in its first election, Marinette County voted for Smith and would continue to vote for the statewide winner in every election until 1932. After voting for Jenkins in this election, Shawano County would not back the losing candidate again until 1942. County William E. SmithRepublican James G. JenkinsDemocratic Reuben MayGreenback W. R. BloomfieldProhibition ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Adams68871.97%20121.03%677.01%00.00%00.00%48750.94%956Ashland17761.03%11338.97%00.00%00.00%00.00%6422.07%290Barron70971.47%28028.23%20.20%00.00%10.10%42943.25%992Bayfield8373.45%3026.55%00.00%00.00%00.00%5346.90%113Brown2,03046.15%2,25051.15%1172.66%00.00%20.05%-220-5.00%4,399Buffalo1,32461.58%81537.91%110.51%00.00%00.00%50923.67%2,150Burnett38794.62%225.38%00.00%00.00%00.00%36589.24%409Calumet77730.75%1,51960.11%2158.51%150.59%10.04%-742-29.36%2,527Chippewa81646.00%78544.25%1729.70%00.00%10.06%311.75%1,774Clark1,00566.87%34723.09%15110.05%00.00%00.00%65843.78%1,503Columbia2,76260.49%1,67336.64%1262.76%50.11%00.00%1,08923.85%4,566Crawford93846.74%75537.62%31415.65%00.00%00.00%1839.12%2,007Dane4,62350.21%4,07244.22%5015.44%60.07%60.07%5515.98%9,208Dodge2,67037.44%4,13958.03%3094.33%130.18%10.01%-1,469-20.60%7,132Door61359.86%949.18%31530.76%00.00%20.20%29829.10%1,024Douglas3961.90%2438.10%00.00%00.00%00.00%1523.81%63Dunn1,35668.48%62131.36%30.15%00.00%00.00%73537.12%1,980Eau Claire1,48858.15%1,03140.29%391.52%00.00%10.04%45717.86%2,559Fond du Lac3,58444.65%3,83447.76%5837.26%240.30%20.02%-250-3.11%8,027Grant3,11157.18%1,70331.30%62511.49%00.00%20.04%1,40825.88%5,441Green2,00057.69%1,10431.84%36110.41%00.00%20.06%89625.84%3,467Green Lake1,09252.98%63730.91%33216.11%00.00%00.00%45522.08%2,061Iowa1,77550.31%1,44741.01%3058.65%00.00%10.03%3289.30%3,528Jackson1,83675.84%38715.99%1927.93%60.25%00.00%1,44959.85%2,421Jefferson2,30143.62%2,76052.32%2103.98%00.00%40.08%-459-8.70%5,275Juneau1,22751.79%92639.09%2169.12%00.00%00.00%30112.71%2,369Kenosha1,18054.60%96644.70%150.69%00.00%00.00%2149.90%2,161Kewaunee25422.18%88877.55%30.26%00.00%00.00%-634-55.37%1,145La Crosse2,23456.16%91022.88%79920.09%350.88%00.00%1,32433.28%3,978Lafayette1,67348.98%1,61947.39%1153.37%90.26%00.00%541.58%3,416Lincoln17263.70%4918.15%4918.15%00.00%00.00%12345.56%270Manitowoc1,89840.98%2,72858.91%50.11%00.00%00.00%-830-17.92%4,631Marathon66128.94%1,33458.41%28912.65%00.00%00.00%-673-29.47%2,284Marinette97879.64%24820.20%00.00%20.16%00.00%73059.45%1,228Marquette61443.55%74752.98%412.91%70.50%10.07%-133-9.43%1,410Milwaukee8,68257.19%6,41042.22%890.59%00.00%00.00%2,27214.97%15,181Monroe1,86257.31%99230.53%39512.16%00.00%00.00%87026.78%3,249Oconto86756.26%67343.67%10.06%00.00%00.00%19412.59%1,541Outagamie1,29830.88%2,50059.48%4059.64%00.00%00.00%-1,202-28.60%4,203Ozaukee51923.33%1,48566.74%2209.89%00.00%10.04%-966-43.42%2,225Pepin62977.85%17721.91%20.25%00.00%00.00%45255.94%808Pierce1,51469.71%33515.42%31814.64%00.00%50.23%1,17954.28%2,172Polk1,19679.79%30320.21%00.00%00.00%00.00%89359.57%1,499Portage1,42051.64%1,21844.29%983.56%130.47%10.04%2027.35%2,750Price3931.97%8166.39%21.64%00.00%00.00%-42-34.43%122Racine2,54756.57%1,76639.23%1643.64%250.56%00.00%78117.35%4,502Richland1,71362.91%58021.30%42815.72%00.00%20.07%1,13341.61%2,723Rock4,16968.80%1,60026.40%2183.60%691.14%40.07%2,56942.39%6,060Sauk2,38764.65%91724.84%38410.40%40.11%00.00%1,47039.82%3,692Shawano51541.97%69956.97%131.06%00.00%00.00%-184-15.00%1,227Sheboygan2,11342.61%2,13042.95%71414.40%00.00%20.04%-17-0.34%4,959St. Croix1,84655.94%1,38341.91%120.36%591.79%00.00%46314.03%3,300Taylor29653.53%25646.29%10.18%00.00%00.00%407.23%553Trempealeau1,69770.77%30112.55%37115.47%281.17%10.04%1,32655.30%2,398Vernon2,09265.83%37711.86%70722.25%00.00%20.06%1,38543.58%3,178Walworth3,28673.78%1,09524.58%551.23%170.38%10.02%2,19149.19%4,454Washington1,27735.88%2,19061.53%862.42%60.17%00.00%-913-25.65%3,559Waukesha2,57449.20%2,46847.17%1903.63%00.00%00.00%1062.03%5,232Waupaca1,83057.31%1,05332.98%2999.36%110.34%00.00%77724.33%3,193Waushara1,48783.73%1699.52%1126.31%00.00%80.45%1,31874.21%1,776Winnebago3,08648.32%2,43938.19%82712.95%330.52%20.03%64710.13%6,387Wood51939.98%37528.89%40331.05%00.00%10.08%1169.93%1,298Total100,53553.19%75,03039.70%12,9966.88%3870.20%570.03%25,50513.49%189,005
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Ashland Chippewa Crawford Dane Douglas Green Lake Milwaukee Taylor Winnebago
Counties that flipped from Greenback to Republican Clark Lincoln Wood
Notes
References
Bibliography