1875 Minnesota gubernatorial election

1875 Minnesota gubernatorial election

November 2, 1875

Nominee John S. Pillsbury David L. Buell Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 47,073 35,275 Percentage 56.08% 42.03%

County results Pillsbury:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%      90-100% Buell:      50–60%      60–70%      70-80% Unknown/No Vote:

Governor before election C. K. Davis Republican Elected Governor John S. Pillsbury Republican

The 1875 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1875, to elect the governor of Minnesota. Incumbent Republican Cushman Kellogg Davis was not seeking another term.

Candidates

• David L. Buell, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (Democrat)
• John S. Pillsbury, businessman (Republican)
• Ramson F. (R.F.) Humiston, founder of Worthington, Minnesota (Prohibition)

Campaigns

On July 7, 1875, the Party-Colored Convention was held, a coalition of Democrats, Liberal Republicans, Anti-Monopolists, and all those opposed to the Republican Party of Minnesota. Democrat David L. Buell (who had previously lost the Democratic nomination in 1873) was nominated on the first ballot.^[1] Buell's reputation with the public soured in early september, as his alleged business practices became known. Buell was a known moneylender, and would set interest rates as high as he could, intending to take as much money from his clients as he so demanded. This claims were disproven, however did harm his reputation.^[2]

Pillsbury, upon announcing he was running, was seen as a long-shot and unlikely candidate.^[3] Pillsbury would be nominated by the Republican State Convention on July 28, 1875, on the first ballot, after defeating primary challengers Horace Austin and Jacob H. Stewart.^[4]

Results

Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1875^[5][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John S. Pillsbury	47,073	56.08
	Democratic	David L. Buell	35,275	42.03
	Prohibition	R. F. Humiston	1,589	1.89
Total votes			83,937	100
	Republican hold

References

1. "PRISMATIC POLITICS". July 8, 1875.
2. "Concerning David L. Buell". September 7, 1875.
3. "The Minneapolis Papers". June 13, 1875.
4. "THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN". July 29, 1875.
5. "Our Campaigns - MN Governor Race - Nov 02, 1875". Retrieved May 6, 2016.
6. "Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book) - Chapter 10 Minnesota Elections" (PDF). Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. April 1, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2016.