1898 Nebraska gubernatorial election

The 1898 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898. Incumbent Populist Governor Silas A. Holcomb did not stand for re-election. Populist and Democratic fusion nominee William A. Poynter defeated Republican nominee Monroe Hayward with 50.19% of the vote.

1898 Nebraska gubernatorial election

← 1896 November 8, 1898 1900 →

Nominee William A. Poynter Monroe Hayward Party Populist Republican Alliance Democratic Popular vote 95,703 92,982 Percentage 50.19% 48.77%

Governor before election Silas A. Holcomb Populist Elected Governor William A. Poynter Populist

A party calling itself the Liberty Party held a convention on August 2, 1898, and had originally nominated candidates for governor and lieutenant governor. The nominees were Richard A. Hawley for governor, who had previously run for governor with the so-called National Party in the election of 1896, and J. Phipps Roe, of Omaha, Nebraska, for lieutenant governor. However, on September 22, both candidates withdrew their names and the Liberty Party decided to endorse the Populist/Democratic fusion candidates, William A. Poynter and Edward A. Gilbert, for governor and lieutenant governor respectively.^[1]

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

• William A. Poynter, People's Independent, Democratic and Silver Republican fusion candidate, former President Pro Tempore of the Nebraska Senate,^[2] Populist candidate for Nebraska's 3rd congressional district in 1892. The Democratic state convention first nominated Constantine Joseph Smyth, who declined the nomination, then Edgar Howard, before nominating Poynter who had already been nominated by the Populist and Silver Republican parties.^[3][4]
• Monroe Hayward, Republican, former district court judge^[5]

Other candidates

• R. V. Muir, Prohibition
• Dr. H. S. Aley, Socialist Labor

Results

1898 Nebraska gubernatorial election^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Populist	William A. Poynter^[a]	95,703	50.19%
	Republican	Monroe Hayward	92,982	48.77%
	Prohibition	R. V. Muir	1,724	0.90%
	Socialist Labor	H. S. Aley	248	0.13%
	Scattering		11	0.01%
Majority			2,721	1.43%
Turnout			190,668
	Populist hold

1. Cross-endorsed by a party calling itself the Liberty Party

See also

• 1898 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election

References

1. "Ready for Political Work: The Various Nominations Certified to the Secretary of State". The Clipper-Citizen. September 23, 1893. p. 3. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
2. "William A. Poynter". The Nebraska independent. Lincoln, Nebraska. August 4, 1898. p. 1. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
3. "Poynter for Governor". Omaha daily bee. Omaha, Neb. August 3, 1898. p. 4. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
4. "Poynter is the nominee". Omaha daily bee. Omaha, Neb. August 4, 1898. p. 3. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
5. "The Candidates". The Sioux County journal. Harrison, Nebraska. August 18, 1898. p. 5. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
6. "NE Governor, 1898". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
7. Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. p. 64. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
8. Dubin, Michael J. (2010). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-7864-4722-0.
9. Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books. pp. 186–187. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
10. Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 359. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
11. Sheldon, Addison E., ed. (December 1918). The Nebraska Blue Book and Historical Register 1918. Lincoln, Nebraska: Nebraska Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 463–464.