1898 New York gubernatorial election

The 1898 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898. Incumbent Republican Governor Frank S. Black was defeated for re-nomination by Theodore Roosevelt, the former United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy and a returning hero of the Spanish–American War. In the general election, Roosevelt narrowly defeated judge Augustus Van Wyck.

1898 New York gubernatorial election

← 1896 November 8, 1898 1900 →
 
Nominee Theodore Roosevelt Augustus Van Wyck
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 661,707 643,921
Percentage 49.02% 47.70%

County results

Roosevelt:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%

Van Wyck:      40-50%      50-60%

Governor before election

Frank S. Black
Republican

Elected Governor

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Republican and Citizens Union nomination

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Candidates

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Campaign

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Returning from Cuba as a war hero, Theodore Roosevelt had popular approval but lacked support from the state's Republican political machine, which he had opposed as a member of the State Assembly and Police Commissioner. Instead of directly approaching Republican bosses Thomas C. Platt and Benjamin B. Odell, Roosevelt approached the Citizens Union, a good government organization, and suggested the nomination of a state ticket. The Citizens' Union Executive Committee endorsed the Roosevelt plan with only three dissenting votes.[1] An "Independent Citizens Committee" was formed, and six thousand signatures were gathered on a petition to file a ticket, with the signers believing that Roosevelt headed the ticket and that the Citizens Union backed it.[2]

Facing uncertain prospects of a three-cornered election against Roosevelt and the Democratic Party, the Republican bosses instead offered Roosevelt the nomination against the wishes of Governor Frank S. Black. On September 24, three days ahead of the Republican state convention, Roosevelt suddenly declined to run on the independent ticket.

Results

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The state convention met on September 27 at Saratoga Springs, New York. Sereno E. Payne was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Horace White as Permanent Chairman. Theodore Roosevelt was nominated for governor on the first ballot.[3]

1898 New York Republican convention[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Theodore Roosevelt 753 77.55%
Republican Frank S. Black (incumbent) 218 22.45%
Total votes 971 100.00%

Aftermath

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On September 30, Robert Fulton Cutting and a majority of the Citizens Union Executive Committee rejected the idea of a state ticket as "not only inconsistent with, but actually opposed to the fundamental principles and objects of the Citizens' Union."[5] However, the Independent Citizens' Committee declared the next day that they would proceed with nominations.[6] The petition to file an independent ticket with Roosevelt as its nominee was filed with the Secretary of State on October 12. Roosevelt immediately sent a letter to the Secretary of State declining to run on the independent ticket, which would have threatened Republican candidates for lower offices.[7]

The Independent Citizens' Committee substituted Theodore Bacon, a lawyer of Rochester, on the ticket, and Cutting, despite his earlier rejection of the state ticket idea per se, campaigned for the ticket.[8][9]

Democratic nomination

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Candidates

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Results

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The Democratic ticket was a compromise between the three biggest Democratic bosses: David B. Hill from upstate, Richard Croker of Tammany Hall, and Hugh McLaughlin of Brooklyn.[10] The Democratic state convention met on September 28 and 29 at Syracuse, New York.

1898 New York Democratic convention[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Augustus Van Wyck 351 78.00%
Democratic John B. Stanchfield 41 9.11%
Democratic Robert C. Titus 39 8.67%
Democratic James Kennedy McGuire 19 4.22%
Total votes 450 100.00%

Aftermath

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The day after the Democratic convention, the National Democratic Party state committee met on September 30 at 52 William Street, New York City. The committee resolved not to call a convention or endorse any candidates.[12]

General election

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Candidates

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Results

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1898 New York gubernatorial election[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Theodore Roosevelt 661,707 49.02%
Democratic Augustus Van Wyck 643,921 47.70%
Socialist Labor Benjamin Hanford 23,860 1.77%
Prohibition John Kline 18,383 1.36%
Independent Theodore Bacon 2,103 0.16% N/A
Total votes 1,349,974 100.00%

Notes

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  1. ^ AN INDEPENDENT'S POSITION in NYT on October 31, 1898
  2. ^ At this time, a vote of 10,000 gave automatic ballot status for the next election, smaller parties or independent runners needed 3,000 voters to sign a petition to file a ticket and get on the ballot.
  3. ^ ROOSEVELT THE STANDARD BEARER in NT on September 28, 1898
  4. ^ ROOSEVELT THE STANDARD BEARER in NT on September 28, 1898
  5. ^ REBUKE FOR INDEPENDENTS in NYT on September 30, 1898
  6. ^ INDEPENDENTS TO PERSIST in NYT on October 1, 1898
  7. ^ THE INDEPENDENT TICKET.; Petition for Nominations Is Delivered to the Secretary of State; MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FILED in NYT on October 13, 1898
  8. ^ MEETING OF INDEPENDENTS in NYT on October 26, 1898
  9. ^ THE CITIZENS' STATE TICKET in NYT on October 15, 1898
  10. ^ JUSTICE VAN WYCK FOR GOVERNOR in NYT on September 30, 1898
  11. ^ WORK OF THE CONVENTION in NYT on September 30, 1898
  12. ^ ACTION OF GOLD DEMOCRATS in NYT on October 1, 1898
  13. ^ The Tribune Almanac 1899
  14. ^ NEW YORK'S OFFICIAL VOTE in NYT on December 30, 1898

Sources

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See also

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New York gubernatorial elections