1902 California gubernatorial election

Southern Pacific Railroad Company, led to a steep decline in his popularity.^[2] Despite this unpopularity, Gage still held a significant amount of power within the State Republican Party, and observers noted that he might force his way through to the Republican Party nomination.^[3]

Regent of the University of California.^[6] In the beginning stages of the campaign, many observers doubted the seriousness of Pardee as a candidate, with some thinking that he was a stalking horse candidate, or that his infighting among those in the Republican Party would prove too costly in the primary.^[7][8]

Governor Gage was still the favorite to win the nomination, despite his political scandals. He received several endorsements from Republican groups, and even received cheers from the crowd at the convention.^[10] However, as the convention continued, Gage received more negative press and more delegates were unclear as to whether they would support his renomination.^[11] While Gage lead in the initial ballots at the convention, he would steadily lose support, until the sixth and final ballot when George Pardee was nominated, with 515 votes.^[12]

San Francisco City Attorney at the time of his campaign announcement.^[13] Despite not being favored to win the nomination at first, Lane would become the favorite to win by August 1902.^[14] On September 3, 1902, Lane was officially nominated by the Democratic Party, doing so on the first ballot.^[15] At the convention the Democratic Party would develop a progressive platform, which included low tariffs, the direct election of U.S. Senators, and support for the use of referendum, recall, and initiatives on the ballot in California. The party also supported the exclusion of Chinese immigration, as well as the establishment of a mine bureau, and labor bureau.^[16]

New York in 1849. He moved to California in 1886 and began working as a carpenter in Fresno. He joined Carpenters Union, Local 701 and became a member of the Socialist Party shortly after.^[17]

Oakland, where he stated,

I am glad whenever labor adds another cent to its daily wages, and I rejoice when the laboring man is able to cut off another hour from the time that he spends at his daily toil. I am glad and I rejoice over these things because I know that the more wages the laboring man gets the better citizen he will be, the more able he will be to send his children to school and to our university, and to make of them our future great men. For it is a fact that our greatest men have sprung from the common people. And I rejoice when the hours of labor are shortened because I know that with shorter hours the workingman will have more time to give to his wife and his children. And I know, from my own experience, that the more time a man can give to his wife and children the better man he is. And I believe that shorter hours and higher, wages will give us better citizens and make us all more prosperous. And I am convinced that there is but one way for the working people to gain their ends, and that is by a wise, intelligent and firm organization. There never was a better exemplification of the motto "United we stand, divided we fall" than in the case of the working people.

For this speech, Pardee was praised by standing ovation from a supportive crowd.^[21]

Yosemite, looking broadly over the whole state. I would not be a man of the narrow kind. I would not be a governor of the narrow kind.^[22]