The 1890 Texas gubernatorial election was held to elect the Governor of Texas. Attorney General Jim Hogg was elected over Republican Webster Flanagan. Hogg was the first governor of Texas to be born in the state.[1]

General election

During this period, Texas was a part of the "Solid South" and the Democratic party was highly favored in statewide elections.

The railroad industry had rapidly expanded since the end of the civil war, and they were now in possession of large amounts of property across the state. The farmers and ranchers in the state also relied on the railroads to transport their agricultural goods to market and unregulated railroads could extract more money from them by rate fixing and other monopolistic practices. In 1887, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act which created a national regulatory agency to combat these practices. Jim Hogg, who had spent a lot of effort in legal battles against railroads as the state's Attorney General, advocated the creation of a similar agency at the state level. The main issue of the campaign became whether this agency should exist and what its scope and powers should be.[1]

Candidates

Results

1890 Texas gubernatorial election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jim Hogg 262,432 76.45% Increase4.68
Republican Webster Flanagan 77,742 22.65% N/A
Prohibition E.C. Heath 2,463 0.72% Decrease27.51
Write-in 633 0.18% N/A
Total votes 343,270 100.00%

Aftermath

In 1891, the state legislature created the Texas Railroad Commission, the state's first regulatory agency. The three member body was given jurisdiction over the operations of railroads, terminals, wharves, and express companies.[9] It could set rates, issue rules on how to classify freight, require adequate railroad reports, and prohibit and punish discrimination and extortion by corporations. Though it faced many challenges in its early years, it was successful at lowering rates in the state. In 1891, a typical rate was 1.403 cents per ton mile. By 1907, the rate was 1.039 cents—a decline of 25%.[10]

Hogg's first appointments to the Commission were United States Senator John H. Reagan, former Speaker of the Texas House Lafayette L. Foster, and former congressman William P. McLean. In 1894, the agency became an elected position with each member serving a staggered 6 year term.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cotner, Robert (1952). "James Stephen Hogg: The First Native Governor of Texas". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  2. ↑ Watkins, Myrtis (1976). "David Webster Flanagan: A Prominent Republican Leader in Texas History". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  3. ↑ Lang, Herbert H. (1952). "Richard Moore Hall: Lawyer, Public Servant, and Rancher". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ "It is rumored that Land Commissioner Hall is to be a candidate for governor". The Fort Worth Weekly Gazette. May 22, 1890. p. 4. Retrieved May 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Bass, Elizabeth Lee (1952). "TSHA | Heath, Ephraim Charles (1850–1924)". Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "To the People of Texas:". The Fort Worth Weekly Gazette. p. 4. Retrieved May 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Minor, David (1952). "James Webb Throckmorton: Life and Legacy of a Texas Governor". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Texas Almanac". Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  9. ↑ "RRC History". www.rrc.texas.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ Nash, Gerald "The Reformer Reformed: John H. Reagan and Railroad Regulation." Business History Review 1955 29(2): 189–196. ISSN 0007-6805 in Jstor; Ben H. Procter, "Reagan, John Henninger," Handbook of Texas Online (2008)
  11. ↑ Prindle, David F. (1976). "The Texas Railroad Commission: A Historical Overview of Its Regulatory Role". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1890_Texas_gubernatorial_election