Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1885, in seven states.
Mississippi and Virginia at this time held their gubernatorial elections in odd numbered years, every 4 years, following the United States presidential election year. New York at this time elected its governors to a three-year term. Massachusetts and Rhode Island both elected its governors to a single-year term, which they would abandon in 1920 and 1912, respectively. Iowa and Ohio at this time held gubernatorial elections in every odd numbered year.
William Larrabee (Republican) 50.76% Charles E. Whiting (Democratic) 48.73% James Mickelwatt (Prohibition) 0.41% Elias Doty (Greenback) 0.09% Scattering 0.01% [1][2][3]
Ira Davenport (Republican) 47.78% Henry Clay Bascom (Prohibition) 3.01% George O. Jones (Greenback) 0.21% Defective and scattering 0.14% [8][9][10][11]
Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN0-930466-17-9.
Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN1-56802-396-0.
Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN978-0-7864-4722-0.