Governor, 1902 Election
General
| Candidate | Gender | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel R. (S.R.) Van Sant Incumbent | Man | Republican | 155,849 | 57.53 | +20.85 |
| Leonard A. (L.A.) Rosing | Man | Democrat | 99,362 | 36.68 | |
| Charles Scanlon | Man | Prohibition | 5,765 | 2.13 | |
| Thomas J. Meighen | Man | People's | 4,821 | 1.78 | |
| Thomas Van Lear | Man | Socialist Labor | 2,570 | 0.95 | |
| Jay E. (J.E.) Nash | Man | Socialist | 2,521 | 0.93 |
Governor Van Sant was reelected to a second term.
Rosing was a former Democratic State Party Chair and former private secretary to Governor John Lind.
Scanlon was a Presbyterian minister and former professor at Macalestor College.
Meighen was a storeowner from Forestville, People's nominee for the 1st CD in 1894, and Democratic-People's nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1900, Democratic nominee for Auditor in 1910, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 1922, and Farmer-Labor nominee for Treasurer in 1926.
Van Lear was a Minneapolis resident who would later get elected mayor (1916-1918).
Nash was a hardware store owner from Robbinsdale, co-founder of the Social Democratic Party of Minnesota and the Public Ownership (Socialist) Party of Minnesota, Democratic nominee for SD 44 in 1898, Public Ownership gubernatorial nominee in 1904, and Socialist nominee for Treasurer in 1912 and 1914. Nash's name appeared on the ballot without party designation because the Socialist Labor Party successfully sued to have the label dropped due to an election law that prohibited the use of any part of a name of a previously existing political party. The Socialist Labor Party was founded in 1896. The state Supreme Court ordered the Socialist designation be removed from the ballot next to Nash's name on October 10, 1902. However, several Socialist nominees on the ballot in 1902 (including nominees for Lieutnant Governor, Secretary of State, and Auditor) were able to keep the 'Socialist' designation next to their name as no Socialist Labor nominee was on the ballot for those offices. Following the 1902 election, however, the Socialist Party was known as the Public Ownership Party in Minnesota through the 1912 election. The Socialist Labor Party did not field a statewide nominee that cycle and the Public Ownership Party reverted back to the Socialist Party thereafter.
Sources
- The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota, 1903 (p. 513).