1898 New Jersey gubernatorial election

1898 New Jersey gubernatorial election

November 8, 1898

Nominee Foster McGowan Voorhees Elvin W. Crane Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 164,051 158,552 Percentage 48.9% 47.3%

County results Voorhees:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70% Crane:      50–60%

Governor before election David Ogden Watkins (acting) Republican Elected Governor Foster McGowan Voorhees Republican

The 1898 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898. Republican nominee Foster McGowan Voorhees defeated Democratic nominee Elvin W. Crane with 48.91% of the vote.

Democratic nomination

Essex County convention

Elvin W. Crane and James M. Seymour contested the convention to elect delegates to the state convention. Crane won 132 of the 163 delegates, and Seymour withdrew as a candidate, releasing his delegates to support Crane.

State convention

The Democratic convention in Trenton on September 29 was controversial and chaotic. First, proceedings were disrupted by free silver supporters. A large number of names were placed in nomination, and after a ballot was taken, Robert Davis of Hudson County rose to change the county's 165 votes to Elvin Crane, securing his nomination without a second ballot. The rest of the delegates soon followed, making his nomination formally unanimous.

Candidates

• Clarence T. Atkinson, Camden attorney and free silver activist
• Christian Braun, State Senator for Passaic County and former mayor of Paterson
• Howard Carrow, Camden attorney
• Elvin W. Crane, Essex County Prosecutor
• William D. Daly, former U.S. Representative from Hoboken
• Richard Grant Augustus Donnelly, Quartermaster General of New Jersey and former mayor of Trenton
• James M. Seymour, mayor of Newark (not nominated)

Results

1898 Democratic convention, informal ballot

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Elvin W. Crane	441	41.60%
	Democratic	William D. Daly	364	34.34%
	Democratic	Clarence T. Atkinson	75	7.08%
	Democratic	Richard Grant Augustus Donnelly	73	6.89%
	Democratic	Christian Braun	72	6.79%
	Democratic	James M. Seymour (draft)	19	1.79%
	Democratic	Howard Carrow	11	1.04%
	Democratic	Lee	2	0.19%
	Democratic	Blank	3	0.28%
Total votes			1,060	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Elvin W. Crane, Essex County Prosecutor (Democratic)
• Thomas H. Landon (Prohibition)
• Matthew Maguire, machinist and nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1896 (Socialist Labor)
• Frederick Schrayshuen (Populist)
• Foster McGowan Voorhees, State Senator for Union County (Republican)

Results

New Jersey gubernatorial election, 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Foster McGowan Voorhees	164,051	48.91%	3.37
	Democratic	Elvin W. Crane	158,552	47.27%	3.63
	Prohibition	Thomas H. Landon	6,893	2.06%	0.08
	Socialist Labor	Matthew Maguire	5,458	1.63%	0.30
	Populist	Frederick Schrayshuen	491	0.15%	0.46
Majority
Total votes			335,445	100.00%
	Republican hold		Swing