1890 South Dakota gubernatorial election

November 4, 1890

Nominee Arthur C. Mellette Henry Loucks Maris Taylor Party Republican Independent Party Democratic Popular vote 34,487 24,591 18,484 Percentage 44.46% 31.70% 23.83%

County results Mellette:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Loucks:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Taylor:      40–50% No Vote:

Governor of South Dakota before election Arthur C. Mellette Republican Elected Governor of South Dakota Arthur C. Mellette Republican

Elections in South Dakota
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2016 U.S. Senate elections 1889 1891 1894 1897 1901 1903 1903 sp 1907 1909 1913 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 1938 sp 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 U.S. House elections 1889 1890 1891 AL sp 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 AL sp 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 AL sp 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
State government General elections 2010 2014 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2018 2022 Senate elections 2020 2022 House of Representatives elections 2020 2022
Ballot measures 2006 Amendment C 2008 Measure 9 Measure 10 2020 Amendment A Measure 26

The 1890 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1890. Incumbent Republican Governor Arthur C. Mellette ran for re-election to a second term. He was challenged in the general election by State Surveyor General Maris Taylor, the Democratic nominee, and Henry A. Loucks, the President of the South Dakota Farmers' Alliance and the Independent Party nominee. In part because the left-leaning vote was split, Mellette won re-election, but by a significantly reduced margin, winning a weak plurality with just 44% of the vote. Loucks beat out Maris for second place, receiving 32% of the vote to Taylor's 24%.

Party conventions

At the Democratic convention in June 1890, many convention delegates wanted to nominate Bartlett Tripp, the former Chief Justice of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court. However, Tripp had declined to be a candidate several weeks prior, and State Surveyor General Maris Taylor was nominated by acclamation.^[1] Similarly, at the Republican convention in August, Governor Arthur C. Mellette received the gubernatorial nomination by acclamation.^[2]

Separately, the South Dakota Farmers' Alliance held a convention in 1890 and delegates voted to form the Independent Party and to contest the state elections.^[3] When the delegates reconvened at their nominating convention in July, Henry L. Loucks, the President of the Alliance, who had been seen as the frontrunner for the Independent Party's nomination in June, faced a challenge from Abraham Lincoln Van Osdel,^[3]: 78 a former territorial legislator.^[4] A close race developed between Loucks and Van Osdel, with just two votes separating them on the first, informal ballot and Loucks leading, 127–125. On the second, formal ballot, Loucks defeated Van Osdel by a wider margin, 134–115, and Van Osdel was subsequently nominated for Lieutenant Governor.^[3]: 80

General election

References