1891 New York state election

The 1891 New York state election was held on November 3, 1891, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state, the state comptroller, the attorney general, the state treasurer and the state engineer, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

History

The Socialist Labor state convention met on May 18 in Albany, New York, and nominated Daniel De Leon for governor; Frank Gesser, of Utica, for lieutenant governor; Frederick Bennets for secretary of state; James Withers, of Brooklyn, for treasurer; Henry Vitalius, of Troy, for comptroller; H. G. Wilshire, of New York City, for attorney general; and Charles Wilson, of New York City, for state engineer.[1]

The Prohibition state convention met on September 2 and 3 at Albany, New York. Henry Clay Bascom was temporary chairman.[2] They nominated Joseph W. Bruce for governor; George W. Hallock for lieutenant governor; William E. Booth, of Geneseo, for secretary of state; Francis Crawford, of Mount Vernon, for treasurer; William W. Smith for comptroller; Henry P. Forbes, of St. Lawrence County, for state engineer; and Calvin S. Grosser, of Buffalo, for attorney general.[3]

The Republican state convention met on September 9 at Rochester, New York. W. W. Goodrich was temporary chairman until the choice of James M. Varnum as permanent chairman. Jacob S. Fassett was nominated for governor on the first ballot (vote: Fassett 514, James W. Wadsworth 85, Stewart L. Woodford 83, Philip Becker 52, Joseph B. Carr 33, Andrew D. White 1). John W. Vrooman for lieutenant governor; Eugene F. O'Connor, of Brooklyn, for secretary of state; Arthur C. Wade, of Jamestown, for comptroller; Ira M. Hedges for treasurer; William A. Sutherland, of Rochester for attorney general; and Verplanck Colvin for state engineer, were nominated by acclamation.[4]

The Democratic state convention met on September 15 and 16 at Saratoga, New York. George Raines was temporary and permanent chairman. Roswell P. Flower was nominated for governor on the first ballot (vote: Flower 334, Alfred C. Chapin 43). William F. Sheehan for lieutenant governor, Secretary of State Frank Rice, Frank Campbell for comptroller, Treasurer Elliott Danforth, Simon W. Rosendale for attorney general and Martin Schenck for state engineer, were nominated by acclamation.[5]

Results

The whole Democratic ticket was elected.

The incumbents Rice and Danforth were re-elected.

Attorney General Simon W. Rosendale was the first Jew elected to a state office in New York.

1891 state election results

Office	Democratic ticket		Republican ticket		Prohibition ticket		Socialist Labor ticket
Governor	Roswell P. Flower	582,893	Jacob S. Fassett	534,956	Joseph W. Bruce[6]	30,353	Daniel De Leon	14,651
Lieutenant Governor	William F. Sheehan	575,012	John W. Vrooman	540,593	George W. Hallock[7]	31,064	Frank Gesser	14,641[8]
Secretary of State	Frank Rice	576,970	Eugene F. O'Connor	538,797	William E. Booth	31,578	Frederick Bennetts[9]	14,684[10]
Comptroller	Frank Campbell	581,110	Arthur C. Wade	535,804	William W. Smith[11]	31,520	Henry Vitalius	14,706
Attorney General	Simon W. Rosendale	580,185	William A. Sutherland	535,205	Calvin S. Crosser	31,465	Henry G. Wilshire	14,536
Treasurer	Elliott Danforth	579,630	Ira M. Hedges[12]	536,348	Francis Crawford	31,490	James Withers[13]	14,824
State Engineer	Martin Schenck	580,337	Verplanck Colvin	538,421	Henry P. Forbes	31,492	Charles F. Wilson[14]	14,755

Notes

1. "The Socialist Convention" in The New York Times on May 19, 1891
2. The Prohibition Convention in The New York Times on September 2, 1891
3. The Prohibitionists Nominate in The New York Times on September 4, 1891
4. Work of the Convention.; How Pltat's Orders Were Carried Out by his Henchmen in The New York Times on September 10, 1891
5. The Convention at Work.; How the Democratic Standard Bearers Were Nominated in The New York Times on September 17, 1891
6. Joseph W. Bruce (b. 1820 Lenox), retired farmer, co-owner of the Bruce Opera House in Canastota, ran also for Treasurer in 1889
7. George W. Hallock (d. 1895), of Orient, Death notice in The New York Times on February 11, 1895
8. This number includes 1,930 votes for "Frederick Gesser", from 12 counties where none for "Frank Gesser" were cast.
9. Frederick Bennetts, of Yonkers, ran also for Attorney General in 1893, and for Lieutenant Governor in 1896
10. This number includes 1,831 votes for "Frederick Bennett", from 18 counties where none for "Frederick Bennetts" were cast.
11. William W. Smith, of Poughkeepsie, ran also for Treasurer in 1887, for Secretary of State in 1895, and for Governor in 1896
12. Ira M. Hedges, of Rockland County, ran also in 1889
13. James Withers, ran also for Comptroller in 1893
14. Charles F. Wilson, ran also in 1893

Sources

• Results in New York Red Book (1892; see pg. 480 for Governor; pg. 481 for Lieutenant Governor; pg. 482 for Secretary of State; and pg. 483 for Comptroller, Treasurer, Attorney General and Engineer)
• Result: The Tribune Almanac 1892
• Result in New York City: As Declared by the Aldermen.; The Official Statement of the Vote of the County of New-York in The New York Times on November 21, 1891
• The Republican candidates: The Candidates in The New York Times on September 10, 1891

See also

New York gubernatorial elections