1879 Gubernatorial General Election Results

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Data for this Contest was Contributed by on 2024-01-05

Gubernatorial
Candidate

Political
Party

Popular Vote

George C. Perkins

Republican

67,965

42.42%

Hugh J. Glenn

Democratic

47,647

29.74%

William F. White

Workingmen's

44,482

27.76%

Other (+)

122

0.08%

Turnout

Maps

$Per Vote Workingmen\'s Button$

Election Notes:

The statewide totals are those recorded by the Secretary of State's canvass and reported in newspapers in October 1879; for instance, the 10/20/1879 Sacramento Daily Record-Union. The state legislature canvassed different totals (except for White) and these are listed in the 1880 Journal of the Proceedings of the Assembly: Perkins 67,966, Glenn 47,665, White 44,482, Clark & Scattering 117. The book History of Political Conventions in California, 1849-1892, by Winfield J. Davis gives the newspaper-reported totals, except for Clark (given as 119).
The microfilmed records at the State Archives in Sacramento do not contain a single statewide canvass for the election of 1879. The figures are drawn from the individual county returns. For the three major party candidates, the figures from those returns add up to the newspaper-reported totals. Clark's county figures add up to 119 and there are 2 scattered votes.
Candidates' party affiliations sourced from 9/3/1879 Daily Morning Times (of San Jose). https://www.cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DMT18790903.2.29.3&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------

Election Data and Statistics:

Election Tools

Data Sources:

Source for Popular Vote data: California State Archives, "Governor," Abstract Statement of the Vote of California, polled at the General Election, held September 3d, A.D. 1879 (Sacramento, 1879)

Results for and Individual County: