Governor, 1888 Election
General
| Candidate | Gender | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William R. (W.R.) Merriam | Man | Republican | 134,355 | 51.26 | +9.20 |
| Eugene M. (E.M.) Wilson | Man | Democrat | 110,251 | 42.07 | |
| Hugh Harrison | Man | Prohibition | 17,026 | 6.50 | |
| Jabez (J.H.) Paul | Man | Union Labor | 385 | 0.15 | |
| Scattering | Write-In | 72 | 0.03 |
This marked the 15th consecutive gubernatorial win in Minnesota for the GOP.
Merriam was a banker from St. Paul and state Representative (HD 27, 1883-1885; HD 26, 1887-1889).
Wilson was an attorney and former U.S. Representative (CD 02, 1869-1871), Mayor of Minneapolis (1872-1873, 1874-1875), state Senator (SD 27, 1879-1881), and Minneapolis Park Commission Board Member (1883-1890).
Harrison was a banker and former Republican Mayor of Minneapolis (1868-1869). His 6.5 percent stood as the best showing for a Temperance or Prohibition gubernatorial nominee in the state until 1912 when Engebret Lobeck won 9.4 percent.
Sources
- Mower County Transcript, December 26, 1888 (pg. 3).