Gubernatorial elections
United States elections · 1886 · held
State gubernatorial races held in this midterm year. Each governor is elected separately; there is no combined national percentage.
State races and results map
Each race has its own denominator. Missing counts are blank. The interactive map uses modern state outlines as navigation references.
Alabama — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Seay | Democratic | 145095 | 79.43% | Elected |
| Arthur Bingham | Republican | 36793 | 20.14% | — |
| John T. Tanner | Prohibition | 576 | 0.32% | — |
| Write-ins | Other | 204 | 0.11% | — |
Sources & further reading
Arkansas — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Pollard Hughes Jr. | Democratic | 90650 | 55.31% | Elected |
| Lafayette Gregg | Republican | 54063 | 32.99% | — |
| Charles E. Cunningham | Agricultural Wheel | 19169 | 11.70% | — |
Sources & further reading
California — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Bartlett | Democratic | 84970 | 43.43% | Elected |
| John Franklin Swift | Republican | 84316 | 43.10% | — |
| Charles C. O'Donnell | Independent | 12227 | 6.25% | — |
| Peter D. Wigginton | American Party | 7347 | 3.76% | — |
| Joel Russell | Prohibition | 6432 | 3.29% | — |
| Scattering | 336 | 0.17% | — |
Sources & further reading
Colorado — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alva Adams | Democratic | 29234 | 49.66% | Elected |
| William H. Meyer | Republican | 26816 | 45.55% | — |
| William H. Fishback | Prohibition | 2710 | 4.60% | — |
Sources & further reading
Connecticut — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward S. Cleveland | Democratic | 58818 | 47.73% | — |
| Phineas C. Lounsbury | Republican | 56920 | 46.19% | Elected |
| Samuel B. Forbes | Prohibition | 4699 | 3.81% | — |
| Herbert Baker | Labor | 2792 | 2.27% | — |
Sources & further reading
Delaware — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin T. Biggs | Democratic | 13942 | 63.50% | Elected |
| John H. Hoffecker | Prohibition | 7832 | 35.67% | — |
| Joseph Pyle | Independent Republican | 151 | 0.69% | — |
Sources & further reading
Georgia — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John B. Gordon | Democratic | 101159 | 99.20% | Elected |
| Others | 815 | 0.80% | — |
Sources & further reading
Kansas — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Martin | Republican | 149715 | 54.74% | Elected |
| Thomas Moonlight | Democratic | 115667 | 42.29% | — |
| C. H. Brancombe | Prohibition | 8094 | 2.96% | — |
Sources & further reading
Maine — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph R. Bodwell | Republican | 68850 | 53.72% | Elected |
| Clark S. Edwards | Democratic | 55289 | 43.14% | — |
| Aaron Clark | Prohibition | 3851 | 3.01% | — |
| Scattering | 181 | 0.13% | — |
Sources & further reading
Massachusetts — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Ames | Republican | 122346 | 50.19% | Elected |
| John F. Andrew | Democratic | 112883 | 46.31% | — |
| Thomas J. Lothrop | Prohibition | 8251 | 3.39% | — |
| All others | Write-in | 128 | 0.05% | — |
| George E. McNeill | Independent | 112 | 0.05% | — |
| James Sumner | Independent | 49 | 0.02% | — |
Sources & further reading
Michigan — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrus G. Luce | Republican | 181474 | 47.65% | Elected |
| George L. Yaple | Fusion | 174042 | 45.69% | — |
| Samuel Dickie | Prohibition | 25326 | 6.65% | — |
| Scattering | 37 | 0.01% | — | |
| Blank | 6 | 0.00% | — |
Sources & further reading
Minnesota — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Ryan McGill | Republican | 107064 | 48.55% | Elected |
| A. A. Ames | Democratic | 104464 | 47.37% | — |
| James E. Child | Prohibition | 8966 | 4.07% | — |
| Write-In | Write-in | 37 | 0.02% | — |
Sources & further reading
Nebraska — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Milton Thayer | Republican | 75956 | 54.95% | Elected |
| James E. North | Democratic | 52656 | 38.09% | — |
| Harvey W. Hardy | Prohibition | 8175 | 5.91% | — |
| Jay Burrows | National Union | 1422 | 1.03% | — |
Sources & further reading
Nevada — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles C. Stevenson | Republican | 6463 | 52.41% | Elected |
| Jewett W. Adams | Democratic | 5869 | 47.59% | — |
Sources & further reading
New Hampshire — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles H. Sawyer | Republican | 37819 | 48.86% | Elected |
| Thomas H. Cogswell | Democratic | 37334 | 48.23% | — |
| Joseph Wentworth | Prohibition | 2137 | 2.76% | — |
Sources & further reading
New Jersey — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Stockton Green | Democratic | 109939 | 47.44% | Elected |
| Benjamin Franklin Howey | Republican | 101919 | 43.98% | — |
| Clinton B. Fisk | Prohibition | 19808 | 8.55% | — |
Sources & further reading
Oregon — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvester Pennoyer | Democratic | 27901 | 50.88% | Elected |
| Thomas R. Cornelius | Republican | 24199 | 44.13% | — |
| J. E. Houston | Prohibition | 2727 | 4.97% | — |
| Scattering | Write-in | 4 | 0.01% | — |
| Blank | 1 | 0.00% | — |
Sources & further reading
Pennsylvania — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James A. Beaver | Republican | 412285 | 50.33% | Elected |
| Chauncey Forward Black | Democratic | 369634 | 45.12% | — |
| Charles S. Wolf | Prohibition | 32458 | 3.96% | — |
| Robert J. Houston | Greenback | 4835 | 0.59% | — |
| Other | N/A | 1 | 0.00% | — |
Sources & further reading
Rhode Island — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George P. Wetmore | Republican | 14340 | 53.36% | Elected |
| Amasa Sprague | Democratic | 9944 | 37.00% | — |
| George H. Slade | Prohibition | 2585 | 9.62% | — |
Sources & further reading
South Carolina — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Peter Richardson III | Democratic | 33114 | 99.88% | Elected |
| Write-Ins | No party | 40 | 0.12% | — |
Sources & further reading
Tennessee — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Love Taylor | Democratic | 126491 | 53.52% | Elected |
| Alfred A. Taylor | Republican | 109842 | 46.48% | — |
Sources & further reading
Texas — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Sullivan Ross | Democratic | 228776 | 73.02% | Elected |
| Archelaus M. Cochran | Republican | 65236 | 20.82% | — |
| Ebenezer L. Dohoney | Prohibition | 19186 | 6.12% | — |
| Write-in | Write-in | 102 | 0.03% | — |
Sources & further reading
Vermont — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebenezer J. Ormsbee | Republican | 37709 | 66.00% | Elected |
| Stephen C. Shurtleff | Democratic | 17187 | 30.10% | — |
| Henry M. Seely | Prohibition | 1541 | 2.70% | — |
| Truman B. Smith | Greenback | 644 | 1.10% | — |
| Other | N/A | 18 | 0.10% | — |
Sources & further reading
Wisconsin — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah M. Rusk | Republican | 133247 | 46.53% | Elected |
| Gilbert M. Woodward | Democratic | 114529 | 39.99% | — |
| John Cochrane | Union Labor | 21467 | 7.50% | — |
| John M. Olin | Prohibition | 17089 | 5.97% | — |
| Scattering | 34 | 0.01% | — | |
| Blank | 2 | 0.00% | — |
Sources & further reading
Results: final · partial coverage · Separate state governor races
This entry covers governor elections held in the midterm year, including available special contests, not off-year elections or every sitting governor. Candidate-specific ideology is used where sourced; election-era party ideology is the fallback. Historical indirect selections and unavailable counts are identified separately. Source summaries may omit minor candidates; blank values do not mean zero votes.
Sources & further reading
Historical state result and cited records
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Historical state result and cited records
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Historical state result and cited records
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Historical state result and cited records
Historical state result and cited records
Historical state result and cited records
Historical state result and cited records
Historical state result and cited records
Historical state result and cited records
Historical state result and cited records