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1913 New Jersey gubernatorial election

The 1913 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1913. Democratic acting Governor James Fairman Fielder, who resigned a week before the election so that he could succeed himself, defeated Republican former Governor Edward C. Stokes and Progressive former state senator Everett Colby.

1913 New Jersey gubernatorial election
← 1910 November 4, 1913 1916 →
 
Nominee James Fairman Fielder Edward C. Stokes Everett Colby
Party Democratic Republican Progressive
Popular vote 173,148 140,298 41,132
Percentage 46.1% 37.4% 11.0%
County results
Fielder:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Stokes:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Leon Rutherford Taylor (acting)
Democratic

Elected Governor

James Fairman Fielder
Democratic

The state's first-ever direct primary elections for governor were held on September 23,[1] though the contests were largely uneventful. For the Democratic nomination, Fielder defeated former Trenton mayor Frank S. Katzenbach, making his third run for governor. Stokes easily topped a four-man field in the Republican Party, including former U.S. Representative Charles N. Fowler, whom he had defeated in the 1910 primary for U.S. Senate. The Progressive primary was closest, with Colby defeating Montclair industrialist Edmund Burke Osborne by 29 percent of the vote.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Withdrew

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Candidates

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The Democratic nomination was hotly contested between two progressive candidates from Hudson County, acting Governor James Fairman Fielder and H. Otto Wittpenn, the mayor of Jersey City. Fielder prevailed by securing the endorsement of President (and former Governor) Woodrow Wilson on July 23, when President Wilson called on Wittpenn to unite the party behind Fielder, who had "backed [Wilson] so consistently, so intelligently, so frankly and honestly throughout my administration ... that I feel I would have no ground whatever upon which to oppose his candidacy."[4] Wittpenn acquiesced and withdrew from the race.

Fielder, who thus had the support of Wilson and the party machine, easily defeated third-time candidate Frank S. Katzenbach in the September 23 primary.[4]

Results

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1913 Democratic gubernatorial primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James Fairman Fielder (incumbent) 80,414 69.61%
Democratic Frank S. Katzenbach 35,115 30.39%
Total votes 115,529 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Campaign

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Former U.S. Representative Charles N. Fowler ran on a progressive platform favoring a convention to redraw the state constitution and various electoral reforms, including the recall of all officers except judges, initiative, referendum, and making failure to vote in a primary a bar to voting in the general election.[5]

Results

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1916 Republican gubernatorial primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Edward C. Stokes 60,644 70.05%
Republican Charles N. Fowler 10,571 12.21%
Republican Robert Carey 10,336 11.92%
Republican Carlton B. Pierce 5,022 5.80%
Total votes 86,573 100.00%

Progressive primary

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Candidates

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Campaign

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On July 26, both candidates spoke in Ocean Grove at a mass meeting of the New Jersey Men's League for Women's Suffrage, along with George La Monte, Lillian Feickert, and Mina Van Winkle.[7]

Osborne originally requested that Colby tour the state with him, since both candidates were from Essex County, but Colby declined before acquiescing to a debate in Montclair on September 11. The debate was moved to Newark's Kreuger Auditorium at Osborne's request to accommodate a larger audience.[8]

Results

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1916 Progressive gubernatorial primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Everett Colby 6,458 63.91%
Progressive Edmund Burke Osborne 3,647 36.09%
Total votes 10,105 100.00%

General election

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Candidates

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  • John C. Butterworth (Socialist Labor)
  • Everett Colby, former state senator for Essex County (Progressive)
  • Daniel F. Dwyer (Independent)
  • James Fairman Fielder, state senator for Middlesex County, president of the New Jersey Senate, and acting governor (Democratic)
  • James G. Mason (Prohibition)
  • Edward C. Stokes, former governor of New Jersey (Republican)
  • James M. Reilly (Socialist)

Results

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New Jersey gubernatorial election, 1913[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic James Fairman Fielder 173,148 46.13%
Republican Edward C. Stokes 140,298 37.38%
Progressive Everett Colby 41,132 10.96%
Socialist James M. Reilly 13,977 3.72%
Prohibition James G. Mason 3,427 0.91%
Socialist Labor John C. Butterworth 2,460 0.66%
Independent Daniel F. Dwyer 875 0.23%
Majority
Turnout
Democratic hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey". M.R. Dennis & Co. 1914: 194. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e "HEAR 7 CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNORSHIP: Men Seeking Jersey Executive Office Meet on One Platform in Newark". The New York Times. September 5, 1913. p. 10. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "KATZENBACH A CANDIDATE: Ex-Mayor of Trenton Wants to Be Governor of New Jersey". The New York Times. February 12, 1913. p. 24. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Biography of James Fairman Fielder (PDF), New Jersey State Library
  5. ^ a b "HERE'S FOWLER'S PLATFORM". The New York Times. May 30, 1913. p. 7. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  6. ^ Cupper, Dan (2003). "A Working Partner: The Osborne Company". Crossroads of Commerce: The Pennsylvania Railroad Calendar Art of Grif Teller. pp. 44–56. ISBN 9780811729031.
  7. ^ "NEW JERSEY MEN'S LEAGUE FOR WOMEN SUFFRAGE MASS MEETING AT THE OCEAN GROVE AUDITORIUM". Asbury Park Press. July 25, 1913. p. 9. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  8. ^ "Debate Lost to Montclair". The Montclair Times. September 6, 1913. p. 12. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  9. ^ Kalb, Deborah (December 24, 2015). Guide to U.S. Elections. ISBN 9781483380353. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
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