1883 Election Cycle

In February, the state legislature elected Stillwater Republican state Representative Dwight Sabin to the U.S. Senate.

In November, Republicans scored big victories across all six statewide offices this cycle with Governor Lucius Hubbard, Lieutenant Governor C.A. Gilman, Secretary of State Fred Von Baumbach, Attorney General William Hahn, Treasurer Charles Kittelson, and Railroad Commissioner James Baker all reelected by double-digit margins. This was the last election to the Railroad Commission as an 1885 bill would change the single-member, directly elected Railroad Commission to a three-member, appointed Railroad and Warehouse Commission. The constitutional offices elected in 1883 were for three-year terms for this single cycle and then back to two-year terms beginning with the Election of 1886.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/06/1883 Lieutenant Governor General Charles A. (C.A.) Gilman (Republican) won with 75,021 votes (55.26%) and a winning margin of +14.33
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Charles A. (C.A.) Gilman Incumbent Man Republican 75,021 55.26
Randolph (R.L.) Frazee Man Democrat 55,561 40.93
Cornelius B. (C.B.) Shove Man Democrat-Anti-Monopoly 5,001 3.68
Thomas A. Clark Man Write-In 79 0.06

Lieutenant Governor Gilman was reelected to a third term.

Frazee was owned a sawmill and flourmill in Frazee City.

Shove was an insurance agent from Minneapolis and future Republican State Representative (HD 40, 1903-1905).

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11/06/1883 Governor General Lucius Hubbard (Republican) won with 72,462 votes (53.37%) and a winning margin of +10.47
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Lucius Hubbard Incumbent Man Republican 72,462 53.37
Adolph Biermann Man Democrat 58,251 42.90
Charles Evans Holt Man Prohibition 4,924 3.63
Ignatius Donnelly Man Write-In 79 0.06

Governor Hubbard was reelected to a second term. A constitutional amendment passed in 1883 requiring state elections to be held in even-numbered years; as such, Hubbard's new term was set for three years through December 1886.

Biermann was a resident of Rochester, former Olmsted County Auditor (1875-1880), Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 1875, and 1882 and 1884 nominee for the 1st Congressional District. He later served as state Auditor (1891-1893).

Holt was a resident of Sauk Rapids.

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11/06/1883 State Senate, District 13 Special Erasmus C. (E.C.) Severance (Republican) won with 1,021 votes (56.32%) and a winning margin of +24.32
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Erasmus C. (E.C.) Severance Man Republican 1,021 56.32
John Adams (i) Man Democrat 580 31.99
Henry (H.B.) Lewis Man Prohibition 212 11.69

Special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of state Senator James McLaughlin on February 22, 1883. McLaughlin was the first state Senator to die while the legislature was in session.

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11/06/1883 State Senate, District 03 Special William (W.T.) Wilkins (Republican) won with 1,132 votes (54.06%) and a winning margin of +8.12
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
William (W.T.) Wilkins Man Republican 1,132 54.06
John Frank Man Democrat 962 45.94

Special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of state Senator William L. Hollister in May 1883 after being appointed inspector of internation revenue for Minnesota and Iowa.

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11/06/1883 Railroad Commissioner General James H. Baker (Republican) won with 78,329 votes (58.80%) and a winning margin of +21.40
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
James H. Baker Incumbent Man Republican 78,329 58.80
Axel (A.T.) Lindholm Man Democrat 49,827 37.41
S. Meeker Man Prohibition 4,861 3.65
F. Gueswine Man Write-In 162 0.12

Commissioner Baker was reelected to a second term. This was the last election to the Railroad Commission as an 1885 bill would change the single-member, directly elected Railroad Commission to a three-member, appointed Railroad and Warehouse Commission. The remaining offices were for three-year terms for this single cycle and then two-year terms beginning with the Election of 1886. Elections for the Railroad and Warehouse Commission would commence in 1900.

Lindholm was a resident of St. Paul and nominee for Washington County Treasurer in 1879.

Meeker was a resident of Evansville and hotel keeper.

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