Lieutenant Governor, 1896 Election
General
| Date: | November 3, 1896 |
| Cycle: | 1896 |
| Office: | Lieutenant Governor |
| State: | Minnesota |
| District: | Statewide |
| Candidate | Gender | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John La Porte (J.L.) Gibbs | Man | Republican | 178,381 | 54.63 | +11.37 |
| James Madison (J.M.) Bowler | Man | Democrat-People's | 141,240 | 43.25 | |
| Clarence Wedge | Man | Prohibition | 6,917 | 2.12 |
Gibbs was an attorney and dairy farmer from Geneva and state Representative (HD 16, 1864-1866; HD 05, 1876-1878; HD 04, 1885-1887, 1896-1897).
Bowler was a resident of Bird Island, former state Representative (HD 34, 1878-1879), People's nominee of the 3rd CD in 1894, Democratic-People's nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1898, Democratic nominee for Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner in 1902, and Democratic nominee for the 5th CD in 1916.
Wedge ran a tree nursery in Albert Lea.
Sources
- The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota, 1897 (p. 487).