1886 Tennessee gubernatorial election

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.

1886 Tennessee gubernatorial election

November 2, 1886

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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Government

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]