The 1884 Texas gubernatorial election was held to elect the Governor of Texas. The incumbent Democratic John Ireland was re-elected over former U.S. Representative George Washington "Wash" Jones, an independent with Greenback support, and Republican newspaper publisher Anthony Banning Norton.
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November 4, 1884
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 County results Ireland: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Jones: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Norton: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80% 80–90% No Data/Vote: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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General election
editAt the time, Texas was a part of the "Solid South" and the Democratic party was overwhelmingly favored in state elections.
In the previous election, a strategy of electoral fusionism was attempted between opposition Republican and Greenback parties. Both parties endorsed the independent campaign of congressman and former lieutenant governor George Washington Jones for governor. The combined ticket only claimed 40% of the popular vote. In the 1884 cycle, Jones announced his candidacy a second time and the diminishing Greenback party continued to support him.[1] The Republican party was split on the issue and while the majority of the group voted to support the Jones campaign, a faction advocating for their own ticket broke away and nominated Anthony B. Norton.[2][3]
The incumbent lieutenant governor, Francis Marion Martin, after having disagreed with policies of the incumbent governor, John Ireland, contemplated challenging Ireland for the gubernatorial nomination instead of running for reelection, but ultimately chose to not run for any office.[4][5]
Candidates
edit- John Ireland, incumbent Governor (Democratic)[6]
- George Washington Jones, former U.S. Representative from Bastrop, former lieutenant governor (Independent, supported by Greenback)[7][8]
- Anthony Banning Norton, newspaper publisher, former postmaster of Dallas, former United States Marshal, candidate for governor in 1878, former state representative (Republican)[2][9]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Ireland (incumbent) | 212,234 | 65.05% |  5.59 | |
| Independent | George W. Jones | 88,450 | 27.11% |  13.30 | |
| Republican | A.B. Norton | 25,557 | 7.83% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 326,241 | 100.00% | |||
References
edit- ↑ Gunn, Jack W. (1952). "The Greenback Movement in Texas: A Historical Overview". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "Norton's Side Show---Wash Jones' Candidacy". The San Antonio Light. p. 1. Retrieved April 24, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Republican Convention". The Galveston Daily News. September 4, 1884. p. 1. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Stale and Flat Falls the Marion Martin Boom on Unwilling Voters". The Fort Worth Gazette. April 10, 1884. p. 3. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Dallas Herald...talk of Marion Martin running as a candidate for governor..." The San Antonio Daily Express. September 30, 1884. p. 2. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Elliot, Claude (1952). "John Ireland: Governor of Texas and Key Historical Figure". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ Cutrer, Thomas W. "TSHA | Jones, George Washington (ca. 1828–1903)". Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ↑ "Wash Jones's Mule". The Galveston Daily News. September 12, 1884. p. 1. Retrieved April 24, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "In the Republican convention..." The Dallas Daily Herald. September 6, 1884. p. 4. Retrieved April 24, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Texas Almanac". Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
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