1890 Nebraska gubernatorial election
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 County results Boyd: 30-40% 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Powers: 30-40% 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Crounse: 30-40% 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% No Votes | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Nebraska |
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 Government |
The 1890 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1890. Incumbent Republican Governor John Milton Thayer did not seek reelection.
In a four-way race,
Governor of Nebraska
.
General election
Candidates
- James E. Boyd, Democratic candidate, former mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1881 to 1883 and 1885 to 1887
- Dr. Bartlett L. Paine, Prohibition candidate, co-founder of Miller & Paine, a department store in Lincoln, Nebraska[1]
- John H. Powers, Populist candidate, president of the Farmers' Alliance[2]
- Lucius D. Richards, Republican candidate, former mayor of Fremont, Nebraska, and chairman of the Nebraska Republican state central committee[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James E. Boyd | 71,331[a] | 33.32% | ||
| Populist | John H. Powers | 70,187[b] | 32.78% | ||
| Republican | Lucius D. Richards | 68,878[c] | 32.17% | ||
| Prohibition | Bartlett L. Paine | 3,676[d] | 1.72% | ||
| Scattering | 18 | ||||
| Total votes | 214,090 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
- ^ Some newspaper accounts at the time reported a total of 71,271 for Boyd[5]
- ^ Some newspaper accounts at the time reported a total of 70,287 for Powers[5]
- ^ Some newspaper accounts at the time reported a total of 68,888 for Richards[5]
- ^ Most newspaper accounts at the time failed to report a total for Paine[6]
Aftermath
After James E. Boyd was declared the winner, his opponent, John H. Powers, disputed the results of the election. While Boyd won by a margin of 1,144 votes, Powers claimed to have evidence that "2000 persons were bribed in Douglas County to vote for Boyd."[7][8] A resolution to investigate these allegations was introduced in a joint session of the Nebraska Legislature, but it was ruled out of order.[9]
However, the trouble was not over for Boyd. He was due to be sworn in as
United States Supreme Court, and it was argued on December 8, 1891.[12] On February 1, 1892, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Boyd was eligible, and thus he took office again on February 8, 1892, and served out the remainder of his term.[12][13]
See also
References
- ^ "Dr. Bartlett Lewis Paine". Prohibition Party.
- ^ "The Populists". NebraskaStudies.org. Nebraska Public Media.
- ^ "The Next Governor of Nebraska". Chicago Tribune. July 30, 1890. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Chicago Daily News Almanac and Political Register. Chicago Daily News Company. 1891. p. 245. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Official Vote in Nebraska: The Result and Votes Received by Boyd, Richards, and Powers for Governor". Beemer Times. November 28, 1890. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "The Official Vote". Omaha World-Herald. November 20, 1890. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Hon. John H. Powers Demands Justice". The Farmers' Alliance. February 21, 1891. p. 5.
- ^ "The Official Returns". The Aurora Republican. November 21, 1890. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
Powers will contest Boyd's election...
- ^ "Returns Counted: Boyd Has A Majority For the Governorship". The Axtell Republican. January 15, 1891.
- ISBN 9780930466008. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "John Milton Thayer". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Boyd v. Nebraska ex rel. Thayer, 143 U.S. 135 (Supreme Court of the United States February 1, 1892).
- ^ "James E. Boyd". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2023.