1898 Wisconsin gubernatorial election explained

The 1898 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898.

Incumbent Republican Governor Edward Scofield defeated Democratic nominee Hiram Wilson Sawyer with 52.55% of the vote.

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

• Hiram Wilson Sawyer, Democratic, lawyer^[1]
• Edward Scofield, Republican, incumbent Governor

Other candidates

• Albinus A. Worsley, People's, farmer
• Eugene W. Chafin, Prohibition, Prohibition nominee for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in 1882
• Howard Tuttle, Social Democrat, scenic artist
• Henry Riese, Socialist Labor, farmer

Results by county

Scofield was the first Republican to ever win Marathon County. After this election, Lincoln County and Wood County would not vote Democratic again until 1932 and those counties would also not vote for the losing candidate again until 1940.

County	Edward Scofield Republican		Hiram Wilson Sawyer Democratic		Albinus A. Worsley Populist		Eugene W. Chafin Prohibition		Howard Tuttle Social Democratic		Henry Riese Socialist Labor		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		1,055		68.82%		420		27.40%		17		1.11%		27		1.76%		7		0.46%		2		0.13%		635		41.42%		1,533
	Ashland		1,703		54.78%		1,252		40.27%		46		1.48%		75		2.41%		8		0.26%		25		0.80%		451		14.51%		3,109
	Barron		1,660		64.57%		675		26.25%		118		4.59%		106		4.12%		3		0.12%		6		0.23%		985		38.31%		2.571
	Bayfield		1,235		60.36%		697		34.07%		28		1.37%		68		3.32%		6		0.29%		10		0.49%		538		26.30%		2,046
	Brown		3,476		52.48%		2,929		44.22%		65		0.98%		121		1.83%		13		0.20%		19		0.29%		547		8.26%		6,623
	Buffalo		1,640		59.44%		1,011		36.64%		47		1.70%		51		1.85%		6		0.22%		4		0.14%		629		22.80%		2,759
	Burnett		703		72.77%		54		5.59%		136		14.08%		56		5.80%		3		0.31%		12		1.24%		567		58.69%		966
	Calumet		1,370		47.24%		1.411		48.66%		65		2.24%		30		1.03%		10		0.34%		8		0.28%		-41		-1.41%		2,900
	Chippewa		2,273		49.35%		2,150		46.68%		55		1.19%		120		2.61%		3		0.07%		4		0.09%		123		2.67%		4,606
	Clark		2,048		65.31%		948		30.23%		36		1.15%		95		3.03%		4		0.13%		5		0.16%		1,100		35.08%		3,136
	Columbia		3,526		59.29%		2,143		36.03%		51		0.86%		208		3.50%		12		0.20%		4		0.07%		1,383		23.26%		5,947
	Crawford		1,720		55.00%		1,305		41.73%		44		1.41%		52		1.66%		3		0.10%		2		0.06%		415		13.27%		3,127
	Dane		5,461		44.08%		6,276		50.65%		76		0.61%		496		4.00%		31		0.25%		14		0.11%		-815		-6.58%		12,390
	Dodge		3,534		38.78%		5,384		59.08%		53		0.58%		122		1.34%		12		0.13%		4		0.04%		-1,850		-20.30%		9,113
	Door		1,571		68.13%		648		28.10%		32		1.39%		43		1.86%		5		0.22%		4		0.17%		923		40.03%		2,306
	Douglas		2,862		60.38%		1,578		33.29%		70		1.48%		182		3.84%		17		0.36%		31		0.65%		1,284		27.09%		4,740
	Dunn		1,527		53.62%		1,022		35.88%		152		5.34%		127		4.46%		7		0.25%		7		0.25%		505		17.73%		2,848
	Eau Claire		2,648		56.32%		1,850		39.34%		42		0.89%		133		2.83%		22		0.47%		7		0.15%		798		16.97%		4,702
	Florence		297		68.12%		120		27.52%		10		2.29%		6		1.38%		2		0.46%		1		0.23%		177		40.60%		436
	Fond du Lac		4,201		47.91%		4,194		47.83%		114		1.30%		235		2.68%		17		0.19%		7		0.08%		7		0.08%		8,768
	Forest		185		56.40%		132		40.24%		3		0.91%		7		2.13%		1		0.30%		0		0.00%		53		16.16%		328
	Grant		4,094		56.06%		2,947		40.35%		49		0.67%		188		2.57%		15		0.21%		6		0.08%		1,147		15.71%		7,303
	Green		2,042		53.58%		1,448		38.00%		168		4.41%		129		3.38%		15		0.39%		5		0.13%		594		15.59%		3,811
	Green Lake		1,914		51.31%		1,682		45.09%		51		1.37%		65		1.74%		6		0.16%		12		0.32%		232		6.22%		3,730
	Iowa		2,285		51.65%		1,848		41.77%		33		0.75%		243		5.49%		7		0.16%		5		0.11%		437		9.88%		4,424
	Iron		696		58.10%		473		39.48%		7		0.58%		16		1.34%		5		0.42%		1		0.08%		223		18.61%		1,198
	Jackson		1,575		67.95%		639		27.57%		19		0.82%		78		3.36%		2		0.09%		0		0.00%		936		40.38%		2,318
	Jefferson		2,750		41.88%		3,606		54.91%		46		0.70%		146		2.22%		11		0.17%		8		0.12%		-856		-13.03%		6,567
	Juneau		2,203		55.28%		1,661		41.68%		43		1.08%		69		1.73%		5		0.13%		3		0.08%		542		13.60%		3,985
	Kenosha		2,027		49.78%		1,674		41.11%		128		3.14%		56		1.38%		3		0.07%		6		0.15%		353		8.67%		4,072
	Kewaunee		1,239		41.66%		1,682		56.56%		23		0.77%		22		0.74%		2		0.07%		6		0.20%		-443		-14.90%		2,974
	La Crosse		3,864		59.57%		2,358		36.35%		74		1.14%		173		2.67%		10		0.15%		6		0.09%		1,506		23.22%		6,487
	Lafayette		2,228		51.19%		1,982		45.54%		27		0.62%		109		2.50%		1		0.02%		3		0.07%		246		5.65%		4,352
	Langlade		868		42.84%		1,102		54.39%		20		0.99%		25		1.23%		3		0.15%		8		0.39%		-234		-11.55%		2,026
	Lincoln		1,132		42.91%		1,327		50.30%		108		4.09%		57		2.16%		10		0.38%		4		0.15%		-195		-7.39%		2,638
	Manitowoc		3,265		45.52%		3,707		51.68%		58		0.81%		58		0.81%		68		0.95%		17		0.24%		-442		-6.16%		7,173
	Marathon		3,068		49.62%		2,765		44.72%		269		4.35%		57		0.92%		10		0.16%		14		0.23%		303		4.90%		6,183
	Marinette		3,062		66.21%		1,397		30.21%		41		0.89%		105		2.27%		13		0.28%		7		0.15%		1,665		36.00%		4,625
	Marquette		1,210		57.89%		840		40.19%		10		0.48%		24		1.15%		3		0.14%		3		0.14%		370		17.70%		2,090
	Milwaukee		20,233		44.64%		19,484		42.99%		2,651		5.85%		539		1.19%		1,633		3.60%		779		1.72%		749		1.65%		45,323
	Monroe		2,691		56.76%		1,848		38.98%		44		0.93%		151		3.18%		5		0.11%		2		0.04%		843		17.78%		4,741
	Oconto		1,945		60.31%		1,157		35.88%		50		1.55%		53		1.64%		10		0.31%		10		0.31%		788		24.43%		3,225
	Oneida		1,095		58.49%		708		37.82%		19		1.01%		38		2.03%		7		0.37%		5		0.27%		387		20.67%		1,872
	Outagamie		3,784		53.31%		3,074		43.31%		54		0.76%		159		2.24%		6		0.08%		21		0.30%		710		10.00%		7,098
	Ozaukee		857		35.31%		1,504		61.97%		48		1.98%		6		0.25%		7		0.29%		5		0.21%		-647		-26.66%		2,427
	Pepin		865		64.84%		433		32.46%		6		0.45%		29		2.17%		0		0.00%		1		0.07%		432		32.38%		1,334
	Pierce		1,771		67.72%		621		23.75%		93		3.56%		122		4.67%		1		0.04%		4		0.15%		1,150		43.98%		2,615
	Polk		1,822		74.55%		384		15.71%		135		5.52%		66		2.70%		12		0.49%		22		0.90%		1,438		58.84%		2,444
	Portage		2,219		49.25%		2,137		47.43%		35		0.78%		96		2.13%		7		0.16%		10		0.22%		82		1.82%		4,506
	Price		951		58.63%		515		31.75%		13		0.80%		98		6.04%		12		0.74%		33		2.03%		436		26.88%		1,622
	Racine		3,846		48.97%		2,850		36.29%		926		11.79%		197		2.51%		16		0.20%		19		0.24%		996		12.68%		7,854
	Richland		1,852		51.56%		1,430		39.81%		121		3.37%		178		4.96%		1		0.03%		7		0.19%		422		11.75%		3,592
	Rock		5,427		63.65%		2,676		31.39%		101		1.18%		293		3.44%		11		0.13%		11		0.13%		2,751		32.27%		8,526
	Sauk		2,671		54.01%		1,999		40.42%		32		0.65%		230		4.65%		5		0.10%		7		0.14%		672		13.59%		4,945
	Sawyer		547		57.52%		355		37.33%		11		1.16%		31		3.26%		5		0.53%		2		0.21%		192		20.19%		951
	Shawano		1,863		54.36%		1,451		42.34%		62		1.81%		36		1.05%		3		0.09%		11		0.32%		412		12.02%		3,427
	Sheboygan		4,137		51.65%		3,203		39.99%		210		2.62%		66		0.82%		293		3.66%		89		1.11%		934		11.66%		8,010
	St. Croix		2,111		54.21%		1,481		38.03%		119		3.06%		168		4.31%		5		0.13%		7		0.18%		630		16.18%		3,894
	Taylor		869		46.52%		921		49.30%		34		1.82%		30		1.61%		7		0.37%		7		0.37%		-52		-2.78%		1,868
	Trempealeau		1,994		66.29%		827		27.49%		32		1.06%		135		4.49%		10		0.33%		4		0.13%		1,167		38.80%		3,008
	Vernon		2,440		64.88%		1,111		29.54%		76		2.02%		112		2.98%		7		0.19%		6		0.16%		1,329		35.34%		3,761
	Vilas		695		52.53%		587		44.37%		14		1.06%		13		0.98%		9		0.68%		5		0.38%		108		8.16%		1,323
	Walworth		3,352		66.96%		1,313		26.23%		46		0.92%		283		5.65%		9		0.18%		3		0.06%		2,039		40.73%		5,006
	Washburn		598		67.19%		244		27.42%		23		2.58%		21		2.36%		1		0.11%		3		0.34%		354		39.78%		890
	Washington		2,094		44.22%		2,583		54.55%		24		0.51%		26		0.55%		3		0.06%		5		0.11%		-489		-10.33%		4,735
	Waukesha		3,669		50.61%		3,221		44.43%		50		0.69%		288		3.97%		13		0.18%		9		0.12%		448		6.18%		7,250
	Waupaca		3,274		69.73%		1,189		25.32%		41		0.87%		175		3.73%		7		0.15%		7		0.15%		2,085		44.41%		4,695
	Waushara		2,340		79.62%		389		13.24%		88		2.99%		98		3.33%		6		0.20%		18		0.61%		1,951		66.38%		2,939
	Winnebago		5,293		47.96%		4,471		40.51%		875		7.93%		301		2.73%		40		0.36%		56		0.51%		822		7.45%		11,036
	Wood		1,615		44.82%		1,850		51.35%		51		1.42%		60		1.67%		12		0.33%		15		0.42%		-235		-6.52%		3,603
Total	173,137	52.56%	135,353	41.09%	8,518	2.59%	8,078	2.45%	2,544	0.77%	1,473	0.45%	37,784	11.47%	329,430

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Marathon

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Dane
• Dodge
• Jefferson
• Kewaunee
• Langlade
• Manitowoc
• Taylor
• Washington
• Wood

Bibliography

• Book: Glashan, Roy R. . American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 . Meckler Books . 1979 . 0-930466-17-9 .
• Book: Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C. . Congressional Quarterly Inc. . 1998 . 1-56802-396-0 . .
• Book: Froehlich . Wm. H. . 1899 . The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin . Northwestern Litho. Co. . Milwaukee . .

Notes and References

1. News: . List of Nominations . Eagle River review . Eagle River, Wis. . October 27, 1898 . 8 . 4 August 2021 .