1869 Election Cycle

In January, Republican U.S. Senator Alexander Ramsey was reelected to a second term by the state legislature.

Democrats failed to win any of the seven statewide offices on the ballot this cycle – but came very close in the race for Governor, where former state legislator George Otis lost by just 3.6 points to Sixth Judicial District Judge Horace Austin. Republicans each won the remaining six offices by at least nine points: for Lieutenant Governor (W.H. Yale), Secretary of State (Hans Mattson), Auditor (Charles McIlrath), Attorney General (Francis Cornell), Treasurer (Emil Munch), and Clerk of the Supreme Court (Sherwood Hough). Auditor McIlrath won his fourth and final term.

The 1869 cycle also marked the first time a bonafide third party ran a slate – the Temperance Party (later known as the Prohibition Party). There were Temperance Party nominees for all seven statewide races with the best showing coming from its gubernatorial nominee – Methodist minister Daniel Cobb with 3.2 percent.

Brownsville attorney Charles Ripley was elected Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/02/1869 Treasurer General Emil Munch (Republican) won with 29,691 votes (54.45%) and a winning margin of +11.67
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Emil Munch Incumbent Man Republican 29,691 54.45
Casper Baberich Man Democrat 23,328 42.78
Robert Stewart Man Temperance 1,479 2.71

Treasurer Munch was reelected to a second term.

Baberich was an attorney from St. Peter.

Henry Russell of Ramsey County was initially nominated by the Temperance Party.

This was the first Minnesota gubernatorial election with a third party candidate on the ballot. The Temperance Party was founded in 1868 and held its first convention in St. Paul on October 6, 1869. It would later be known as the Prohibition Party in the state.

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11/02/1869 Supreme Court Chief Justice General Christopher G. Ripley (Nonpartisan) won with 25,899 votes (51.76%) and a winning margin of +7.38
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Christopher G. Ripley Man Nonpartisan 25,899 51.76
Charles E. Flandrau Man Nonpartisan 22,206 44.38
Edward O. (E.O.) Hamlin Man Nonpartisan 1,440 2.88

Appointed Chief Justice James Gilfillan did not run for another term.

Ripley was an attorney from Brownsville and endorsed by the Republican Party. Ripley resigned in March 1874 due to ill health. Governor Cushman Davis appointed Associate Justice Samuel McMillan to fill the vacancy.

Flandrau was an attorney from St. Paul, former territorial Representative (HD 10, 1856-1857), appointed judge on the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court (1857-1858), and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1858-1864). He was endorsed by the Democrats.

Hamlin was an attorney, the first Mayor of St. Cloud, former Judge of the Fourth District Court (1858), Democratic nominee for Governor in 1861, candidate for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1864 and 1871. Hamlin was nominated by the Temperance Party. The Temperance Party was founded in 1868 and held its first convention in St. Paul on October 6, 1869. It would later be known as the Prohibition Party in the state.

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11/02/1869 Clerk of the Supreme Court General Sherwood Hough (Republican) won with 29,815 votes (55.75%) and a winning margin of +12.22
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Sherwood Hough Incumbent Man Republican 29,815 55.75
W.T. Bonniwell Man Democrat 23,279 43.53
Alonzo Putnam (A.P.) Connolly Man Temperance 383 0.72

Clerk of the Supreme Court Hough was reelected to a second term.

Bonniwell was a resident of Hutchinson, and former Wisconsin War Democratic state Assemblyman (1864-1865), and Democratic nominee for Railroad Commissioner in 1875. Bonniwell would also later serve as a state Senator (SD 06, 1871; SD 36, 1878-1883) and state Representative (HD 36, 1877-1878).

Connelly was a resident of St. Paul. The Temperance Party was founded in 1868 and held its first convention in St. Paul on October 6, 1869. It would later be known as the Prohibition Party in the state.

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11/02/1869 State Senate, District 05 General Curtis Hussey (C.H.) Pettit (Republican) won with 1,581 votes (55.83%) and a winning margin of +11.65
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Curtis Hussey (C.H.) Pettit Incumbent Man Republican 1,581 55.83
Osmyn (O.B.) King Man Democrat 1,251 44.17
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11/02/1869 Attorney General General Francis R.E. Cornell (Republican) won with 29,300 votes (53.75%) and a winning margin of +10.07
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Francis R.E. Cornell Incumbent Man Republican 29,300 53.75
Seagrave Smith Man Democrat 23,812 43.68
J. Ham (J.H.) Davidson Man Temperance 1,348 2.47

This was the first Minnesota gubernatorial election with a third party candidate on the ballot. The Temperance Party was founded in 1868 and held its first convention in St. Paul on October 6, 1869. It would later be known as the Prohibition Party in the state.

Attorney General Cornell was reelected to a second term.

Smith was an attorney from Hastings and a state Senator (SD 07, 1868-1870). Smith had previously served in the Connecticut Senate (1855).

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