1877 Minnesota gubernatorial election
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The 1877 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1877, to elect the governor of Minnesota. Incumbent John S. Pillsbury was reelected to a second term.
November 6, 1877
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 County results Pillsbury: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% 80â90% 90â100% Banning: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% Unknown/No Vote: | |||||||||||||||||
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Candidates
- Rev. Austin Willey, pastor (Prohibition)
- John S. Pillsbury, Incumbent (Republican)
- William L. Banning, Former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (Democrat)
- William Meighen, State Senator (Greenback)
Campaigns
The Democratic State Convention began on October 2, 1877. Edmund Rice was originally thought to be the nominee.[1] However, by the end of the convention it was considered "several hours of wrangling and confusion". One dividing issue in the party was hard money and soft money factions. The eventual nominee, William L. Banning, was in favor of a soft-money policy. Banning was elected in a landslide against Rice and William Meighen, who would then run for the Greenback Party.[2]
Also on September 29th, the Republican State Convention was held. Pillsbury was renominated without issue.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John S. Pillsbury (incumbent) | 57,071 | 57.05 | |
| Democratic | William L. Banning | 39,147 | 39.13 | |
| Greenback | William Meighen | 2,396 | 2.40 | |
| Prohibition | Austin Willey | 1,421 | 1.42 | |
| Total votes | 100,035 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||