1888 Illinois gubernatorial election
US gubernatorial election
 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
The 1888 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1888.
Republican nominee Joseph W. Fifer defeated Democratic nominee John M. Palmer with 49.15% of the vote.
Democratic nomination
Candidates
- John M. Palmer, former Governor
- William A. J. Sparks, former U.S. Land Office Commissioner
- Adlai Stevenson I, First Assistant United States Postmaster General
- Murray F. Tuley, judge
Results
The Democratic state convention was held on May 23, 1888, at Springfield.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John M. Palmer | 567 | 72.78 | |
| Democratic | William A. J. Sparks | 210 | 26.96 | |
| Democratic | Adlai Stevenson I | 1 | 0.13 | |
| Democratic | Murray F. Tuley | 1 | 0.13 | |
| Total votes | 779 | 100.00 | ||
Palmer's nomination was then made unanimous.
Republican nomination
Candidates
- Clark E. Carr, unsuccessful candidate for Republican nomination for Governor in 1880
- James A. Connolly former State Representative, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois
- Joseph W. Fifer, former State Senator
- John McNulta, former U.S. Congressman for Illinois's 13th congressional district
- Richard J. Oglesby, incumbent Governor (not formally nominated)
- John Irving Rinaker, chairman of the Board of Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners of Illinois
- John C. Smith, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
- Francis M. Wright
Results
The Republican state convention was held on May 2, 1888, at Springfield.
The results of the balloting were as follows:[4][5][6][7]
| Gubernatorial Ballot | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||||
| Joseph W. Fifer | 288 | 349 | 398 | 606 | |||||
| John McNulta | 136 | 133 | 144 | 111 | |||||
| Clark E. Carr | 115 | 110 | 97 | 9 | |||||
| James A. Connolly | 100 | 96 | 89 | 58 | |||||
| John I. Rinaker | 98 | 77 | 62 | 32 | |||||
| John C. Smith | 58 | 45 | 36 | 17 | |||||
| Francis M. Wright | 48 | 33 | 21 | 14 | |||||
| Richard J. Oglesby | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joseph W. Fifer | 606 | 71.55 | |
| Republican | John McNulta | 111 | 13.11 | |
| Republican | James A. Connolly | 58 | 6.85 | |
| Republican | John I. Rinaker | 32 | 3.78 | |
| Republican | John C. Smith | 17 | 2.01 | |
| Republican | Francis M. Wright | 14 | 1.65 | |
| Republican | Clark E. Carr | 9 | 1.06 | |
| Total votes | 847 | 100.00 | ||
Fifer's nomination was then made unanimous.
General election
Candidates
- John M. Palmer, Democratic
- Joseph W. Fifer, Republican
- David H. Harts, Prohibition, Prohibition nominee for Illinois's 14th congressional district in 1882
- Willis W. Jones, Union Labor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joseph W. Fifer | 367,860 | 49.15% | ||
| Democratic | John M. Palmer | 355,313 | 47.47% | ||
| Prohibition | David H. Harts | 18,874 | 2.52% | ||
| Union Labor Party | Willis W. Jones | 6,394 | 0.85% | ||
| Scattering | 6 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 12,547 | 1.68% | |||
| Turnout | 748,447 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ "Palmer for Governor". St. Paul daily globe. Saint Paul, Minn. May 24, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "For Governor of Illinois". Waterbury evening Democrat. Waterbury, Conn. May 24, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "Ready for the Fray". The Elgin Advocate. Elgin, Ill. May 26, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "All Shades of Politics". Rock Island daily Argus. Rock Island, Ill. May 3, 1888. p. 2. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "State Politics". Elgin Daily Courier. Elgin, Illinois. May 3, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "Illinois Republicans". Crawford avalanche. Grayling, Mich. May 10, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Raum, Green B. (1900). History of Illinois Republicanism. Chicago: Rollins Publishing Company. p. 188.
- ^ Illinois Official Vote 1888, pp. 5–6.
- ^ "IL Governor, 1888". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of the Thirty-Sixth General Assembly of the State of Illinois. Springfield, Ill.: Springfield Printing Co., State Printers. 1889. p. 33.
Notes
Bibliography
- Compiled and Printed by the Secretary of State (1889). Official vote of the State of Illinois cast at the General Election held November 6, 1888. Springfield, Ill.: H. W. Rokker, State Printer and Binder.
