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1892 South Dakota gubernatorial election

1892 South Dakota gubernatorial election

← 1890 November 8, 1892 1894 →

Nominee Charles H. Sheldon Abraham Lincoln Van Osdel Peter Couchman Party Republican Independent Party Democratic Popular vote 33,414 22,524 14,472 Percentage 47.46% 31.99% 20.55%

County results Sheldon:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Van Osdel:      30–40%      40–50% Couchman:      30–40% No Vote:

Governor of South Dakota before election Arthur C. Mellette Republican Elected Governor of South Dakota Charles H. Sheldon 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 2024 Republican 2008 2016 2024 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
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Ballot measures 2006 Amendment C 2008 Measure 9 Measure 10 2020 Amendment A Measure 26 2024 Amendment G
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The 1892 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1892. Incumbent Republican Governor Arthur C. Mellette declined to seek re-election to a third term. Former territorial legislator Charles H. Sheldon was nominated by the Republican Party as Mellette's replacement, and he faced former legislator Abraham Lincoln Van Osdel, a leader in the South Dakota Farmers' Alliance and the nominee of the Independent Party, along with Democratic nominee Peter Couchman, in the general election. The result was largely a replay of the 1890 election, with Sheldon winning by a large margin, but only a plurality, and Van Osdel taking second place over Couchman.

Following the split vote in the 1890 election, some members of the Independent Party pushed for a fusion with the Democratic Party. However, in the lead-up to the June 1892 convention, Independent leaders and convention delegates made clear that they were strongly opposed to fusion and would nominate their own candidates. Their 1890 gubernatorial nominee, Henry L. Loucks, was initially seen as the frontrunner for the nomination,^[1] but former territorial delegate Abraham Lincoln Van Osdel, who was the Party's 1890 lieutenant-gubernatorial nominee, emerged as the nominee.^[2]

At the Republican convention in July 1892, Governor Mellette declined to be a candidate for another term.^[3] To replace him, a crowded field developed:^[4]

• A. E. Clough, Chairman of the Republican Party of South Dakota^[5]
• John P. Davis, State Representative from Kingsbury County^[6]
• Robert Dollard, Attorney General
• George H. Hoffman, Lieutenant Governor
• Edward T. Sheldon, former State Representative from Hand County^[7]
• Charles H. Sheldon, former territorial legislator
• L. C. Taylor, State Auditor
• Seth T. Winslow, State Representative from Sanborn County^[8]

However, before a formal ballot could be taken, the delegates agreed on nominating Charles H. Sheldon for Governor, and he received the nomination by acclamation.^[4]

Just as the Independent Party rejected the idea of fusion, so too did the Democratic Party. At their September 1890 convention, the delegates overwhelmingly voted, 376–36, against forming a coalition and to instead nominate their own candidates for state offices.^[9] The convention nominated Peter Couchman, a former member of the New York State Assembly who moved to South Dakota in 1872 and ran as the 1890 Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor,^[10] by acclamation.^[9]