1908 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election

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The 1908 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908, and featured incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Melville R. Hopewell, a Republican, defeating Democratic nominee Erasmus O. Garrett as well as Prohibition Party nominee Frank E. Linch and Socialist Party nominee Thomas Jorgenson.^[1]

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

1908 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election

â 1906

November 3, 1908

1910 â


Nominee	Melville R. Hopewell	Erasmus O. Garrett
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	127,805	127,575
Percentage	48.4%	48.3%

Lieutenant Governor before election

Melville R. Hopewell
Republican

Elected Lieutenant Governor

Melville R. Hopewell
Republican

Close

Democratic primary

Candidates

Erasmus O. Garrett, former superintendent of schools and general agent for the American Book Company from Fremont, Nebraska^[2]^[3]^[4]
James A. Grimison, district judge and former county attorney of Colfax County from Schuyler, Nebraska^[2]^[5]
Addison S. Tibbets, judge and vice president of the state prison association from Lincoln, Nebraska^[6]^[7]^[8]

Results

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Democratic primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Erasmus O. Garrett	15,552	51.60
	Democratic	Addison S. Tibbets	8,420	27.94
	Democratic	James A. Grimison	6,167	20.46

Close

People's Independent primary

Candidates

The People's Independent Party, a remnant of the earlier populist movement, chose between two of the democratic candidates for lieutenant governor since the Democratic Party and the Populist Party had run on "fusion" tickets in past elections.^[9]

Results

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People's Independent primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Populist	Erasmus O. Garrett	2,573	75.30
	Populist	James A. Grimison	844	24.70

Close

Prohibition primary

Candidates

Frank E. Linch ran unopposed for the Prohibition Party nomination. He was a businessman and insurance agent from Lincoln, Nebraska,^[9]^[2] and a prominent Methodist who was involved in religious and charitable organizations.^[10]^[11]

Results

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Prohibition primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Prohibition	Frank E. Linch	715	100.0

Close

Republican primary

Candidates

Melville R. Hopewell, the incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor from Tekamah, Nebraska, ran unopposed for the Republican Party nomination.^[9]

Results

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Republican primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Melville R. Hopewell (incumbent)	48,032	100.0

Close

Socialist primary

Candidates

Thomas Jorgenson from Florence, Nebraska^[2]
W. C. Rodgers from Wahoo, Nebraska^[2]

Results

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Socialist primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Thomas Jorgenson	245	60.0
	Socialist	W. C. Rodgers	164	40.0

Close

General election

The result of the general election was extremely close, the separation between Melville Hopewell and Erasmus O. Garrett being only 230 votes.^[1] In the gubernatorial race, Democratic candidate Ashton Shallenberger defeated Republican incumbent George L. Sheldon by a few thousand votes,^[12] leading many to think that the same would happen in the race for lieutenant governor. In fact, some newspapers called the election for Garrett after most of the results had come in.^[13]^[14] However, the election took weeks to resolve.^[15] When the election had been declared for Hopewell, Garrett initially stated he would ask the Nebraska Legislature for a recount.^[16] However, Garrett later decided not to request a recount and to concede the election to Hopewell.^[17]^[18] He wrote an open letter explaining his decision and thanking his supporters, saying that some thought enough errors could be discovered to give him the victory, but he would not challenge the result.^[19]^[20]

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...

Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election, 1908^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Melville R. Hopewell (incumbent)	127,805^[a]	48.35
	Democratic	Erasmus O. Garrett^[b]	127,575^[c]	48.26
	Prohibition	Frank E. Linch	5,469	2.07
	Socialist	Thomas Jorgenson	3,484	1.32
Total votes			264,333	100.00
	Republican hold

Close

[a]
While the 1909 Senate Journal of the Legislature of the State of Nebraska gives Hopewell's total as 127,805,^[1] several newspaper sources list his total as 127,705.^[21]^[22]^[23]
[b]
Cross-endorsed by the People's Independent (Populist) Party.
[c]
While the 1909 Senate Journal of the Legislature of the State of Nebraska gives Garrett's total as 127,575,^[1] several newspaper sources list his total as 127,503.^[21]^[22]^[23]

See also

1908 Nebraska gubernatorial election

References

[1]
William H. Smith; Horace M. Davis; E. A. Walrath (1909). Senate Journal of the Legislature of the State of Nebraska: Thirty-First Session. York Blank Book Co. pp. 62â65.
[2]
"Filings Are Made: Democrats and Republicans Have Full State Tickets". The Oconto Register. August 21, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[3]
"E. O. Garrett, Former Cedar Rapids Man And Noted Educator, Dies". Cedar Rapids Gazette. October 31, 1937. p. 20. Retrieved June 20, 2023. Word was received here Saturday of the death of Erasmus O. Garrett, 69, resident of Cedar Rapids from 1915 to 1926.... Mr. Garrett ran for lieutenant governor of Nebraska on the democratic populist ticket in 1908.
[4]
"Who's Who and How They Look---Democratic State Ticket". Omaha World-Herald. October 18, 1908. p. 25. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[5]
"Sixth District: Judge J. A. Grimison". Omaha World-Herald. May 8, 1899. p. 15. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[6]
"Resolutions On Death of Judge A. S. Tibbets". Lincoln Star. October 15, 1915. p. 7. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[7]
"Passing of A. S. Tibbets". Lincoln Evening Journal. September 25, 1915. p. 7. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[8]
"A. S. Tibbets Dead After Long Illness". Nebraska State Journal. September 25, 1915. p. 5. Retrieved June 20, 2023. Addison S. Tibbets, temporary postmaster of Lincoln, died this morning....
[9]
"Vote of Primaries". Nebraska State Democrat. September 26, 1908. p. 7. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
[10]
"Frank E. Linch dies following a long illness". Nebraska State Journal. October 29, 1945. pp. 1â2. Retrieved June 20, 2023. Linch had been a member of Trinity Methodist church for nearly 50 years and had become known as one of the leading Methodists in the state.
[11]
"More of Less Personal: Frank E. Linch". Lincoln Evening Journal. October 30, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[12]
Sheldon, Addison E., ed. (December 1918). The Nebraska Blue Book and Historical Register 1918. Lincoln, Nebraska: Nebraska Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 483â484.
[13]
"Result of Vote in Nebraska". The Bayard Transcript. November 28, 1908. p. 3. Retrieved February 25, 2024. Garrett is elected lieutenant governor over Hopewell by a comfortable plurality. With ten counties missing, the vote stands Hopewell 116,547; Garrett, 117,944.
[14]
"Result of Vote in Nebraska". Springview Herald. November 19, 1908. p. 3. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
[15]
"News of Election: Items Concerning National and State Tickets". The Adams Weekly Globe. November 12, 1908. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2024. Considerable doubt still shrouds the contest between Hopewell and Garrett for lieutenant governor.
[16]
"Garrett Lacked Three Votes of Election". Pierce County Call. November 19, 1908. p. 6. Retrieved February 25, 2024. As it is, Mr. Garrett is going to have the legislature go to all the trouble and expense of a recount.
[17]
"Garrett Gives Up: Candidate Concedes He's Beaten for Lieutenant Governor". The Fremont Tri-Weekly Tribune. November 17, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved February 25, 2024. E. O. Garrett, near-elected candidate for lieutenant governor on the democratic ticket, has about decided to toss the sponge into blue atmosphere. Mr. Garrett has concluded that after all he has been defeated.... Mr. Garrett came home last night from Omaha, where he went to make a final summary of the figures.... He will probably not resort to a contest, tho[ugh] he believes that the fact that the figures are so close would almost warrant it. ...[He] was compelled to wait nearly two weeks in anxious suspense while the election returns showed first himself and then his opponent a few points to the good.
[18]
"Who's Who In Nebraska". The Lincoln Star. December 21, 1908. p. 6. Retrieved February 25, 2024. E. O. Garrett, who was defeated by a margin of only 300 votes for the lieutenant governor's office, appears to have given up his notion of contesting for the place.
[19]
Garrett, Erasmus O. (December 11, 1908). "A Letter From E. O. Garrett". Boyd County Register. p. 1. Retrieved February 25, 2024. After a delay of more than three weeks the official count of the votes cast in the general election of Nov. 3 has been tabulated and gives my opponent Hon. M. R. Hopewell... a majority in his favor of 202 votes. The unofficial returns indicated that I had a majority of over 1000 votes and my election was conceded by all for two weeks after the vote was taken.... My friends are convinced that should I go before the legislature and obtain a recount enough errors would be discovered to award me the certificate of election. This I will not do. I cheerfully accept the result as given by the figures of the official canvassing board.
[20]
"Nebraska News and Notes". The Elmcreek Beacon. December 18, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved February 25, 2024. E. O. Garrett, whom the official canvass shows to have been defeated for lieutenant governor by 202 votes, will not comply with the wish of his friends that he take the matter before the legislature for a recount. Mr. Garrett's unofficial majority was over 1,000 votes. This statement of intentions is given out in a letter issued to friends....
[21]
"State Legislature: Complete Roll of Upper and Lower Houses". The Crete News. November 28, 1908. p. 7. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[22]
"State Legislature: Complete Roll of Upper and Lower Houses". The Overton Herald. November 27, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
[23]
"State Legislature: Complete Roll of Upper and Lower Houses". Wymore Arbor State. November 27, 1908. p. 6. Retrieved June 20, 2023.

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