1886 Tennessee gubernatorial election | ← 1884 | November 2, 1886 | 1888 → |
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| |  |  | | Nominee | Robert Love Taylor | Alfred A. Taylor | | | Party | Democratic | Republican | | Popular vote | 126,491 | 109,842 | | Percentage | 53.52% | 46.48% | |
Governor before election
William B. Bate
Democratic | Elected Governor
Robert Love Taylor
Democratic | |
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The 1886 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1886. Democratic nominee Robert Love Taylor defeated his brother, Republican nominee Alfred A. Taylor with 53.52% of the vote.
The gubernatorial campaign is remembered for the Taylor brothers' relatively light-hearted political banter and entertaining speeches. Canvassing together, they spent the first part of each campaign stop "cussing out each other's politics" and telling stories and the second part playing fiddle tunes while the crowd danced.[1] At a stop in Madisonville, Robert suggested that both he and Alfred were roses, but he was a white rose while Alfred was a red rose. As their respective supporters subsequently wore white and red roses, the campaign became known as the "War of the Roses" (the name also referred to the 15th-century English conflict). Their campaign stops drew massive crowds, ranging from around 6,000 in smaller towns to 25,000 in Nashville.[1]
There was record turnout on election day, when Robert Taylor defeated Alfred by around 16,000 votes.[2]
General election
Candidates
- Robert Love Taylor, Democratic
- Alfred A. Taylor, Republican
Results
References
- ^ a b Paul Deresco Augsburg, Bob and Alf Taylor: Their Lives and Lectures (Morristown, Tenn.: Morristown Book Company, 1925).
- ^ Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 213-228.
- ^ Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
