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 County results Taylor: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tillman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Tennessee |
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 Government |
The 1896 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896. Former Democratic governor Robert Love Taylor narrowly defeated Republican nominee G. N. Tillman with 48.75% of the vote.[1]
The Democratic Party was concerned about Republicans' chances of winning the governor's office and believed that the incumbent, Peter Turney, had won the office by using questionable tactics two years earlier. When several Democratic leaders invited Taylor to run, he reluctantly agreed and defeated Turney for the party's nomination in August 1896.[2]
After Taylor narrowly won in the fierce general election campaign, Republicans suggested voting irregularities had helped Taylor win. However, the Democratic-dominated state legislature obstructed any attempt at an investigation.[2]