The Prohibition state convention met on September 5 at Binghamton, New York. They nominated Capt. Henry M. Randall, of Port Jefferson, for governor; Freeman H. Bettys, of Rochester, for lieutenant governor; Charles Richards, of Oswego, for secretary of state; Levi Hoag, of Binghamton, for comptroller; Robert L. Stokes, of Brooklyn, for treasurer; Walter Farrington for attorney general; and Victor C. Mott, of Buffalo, for state engineer.[2]
The Independence League state convention met on September 11 and 12 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.[3] They nominated William Randolph Hearst for governor; Lewis S. Chanler for lieutenant governor; John S. Whalen for secretary of state; John Ford for attorney general; Dr. C. H. W. Auel for comptroller; Frank L. Getman for state engineer; and did not nominate anybody for treasurer. After the nomination of Hearst, Chanler and Whalen by the Democratic state convention, the other nominees retired, and on September 29, the Independence League's Executive Committee substituted the Democratic nominees Jackson, Glynn, and Skene on the ticket, and added Hauser for treasurer.[4]
The Republican state convention met on September 25 and 26 at Saratoga Springs, New York. Boss Benjamin B. Odell Jr. favored Ex-Governor Frank S. Black, Governor Frank W. Higgins favored his Lt. Gov. Bruce, but after the intervention of President Theodore Roosevelt, the convention nominated Charles E. Hughes for governor. Merton E. Lewis was nominated for comptroller, and all the other incumbent state officers were re-nominated, all by acclamation.[5]
The Democratic state convention met on September 25, 26 and 27 at Buffalo, New York. Lewis Nixon was Temporary and Permanent Chairman.[6] William Randolph Hearst was nominated for governor on the first ballot (vote: Hearst 309, William Sulzer 124, John Alden Dix 17). All other candidates were nominated by acclamation, among them the Independence League nominees Chanler and Whalen.[7]
Result
The Democratic/Independence League fusion ticket was elected with exception of Hearst who was rejected by a large part of the Democratic voters, especially in New York City. Although Republican Hughes was elected governor, this election ended a Republican era in state politics which had lasted a dozen years.
The incumbents Bruce, O'Brien, Mayer, Wallenmeier and Van Alstyne were defeated.
The Republican, Democratic, Socialist and Prohibition parties maintained automatic ballot status (necessary 10,000 votes), the Independence League attained it, and the Socialist Labor Party did not re-attain it.
^John C. Chase (b. 1870), Mayor of Haverhill, Massachusetts 1899 (first Socialist mayor in the United States), Chairman of the Social Democratic National Convention 1900
^Gustave A. Strebel, tailor, of Syracuse, ran also for lieutenant governor in 1908, 1910 and 1912; and for governor in 1914
^Walter Farrington (ca. 1830 - Nov 25., 1920), of Poughkeepsie, lawyer, ran also for attorney general in 1879; for the Court of Appeals in 1881, 1884 and 1889; and for chief judge in 1892
Johnston, Charles. "Charles Evans Hughes: And the Contest in New York State." The North American Review 183.602 (1906): 897-905. online
McCormick, Richard L. From Realignment to Reform: Political Change in New York State 1893-1910 (Cornell University Press, 1981).
Procter, Ben H. William Randolph Hearst: the early years, 1863-1910. Vol. 1 (Oxford UP, 1998).
Wesser, Robert F. Charles Evans Hughes: Politics and Reform in New York, 1905-1910 (Cornell UP, 2009).
Wesser, Robert F. "Theodore Roosevelt: Reform and Reorganization of the Republican Party in New York, 1901-1906." New York History 46.3 (1965): 230-252 online.
