1895 Salvadoran presidential election explained

Country:El Salvador
Flag Year:1875
Type:presidential
Previous Election:1891 Salvadoran presidential election
Previous Year:1891
Election Date:January 1895
Next Election:1899 Salvadoran presidential election
Next Year:1899
Module:
Embed:yes
Election Name:Presidential election
Party Name:no
Image1:Rafael A. Gutierrez.jpg
Colour1:800000
Candidate1:Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
Party1:Liberal/Military
Popular Vote1:61,080
Percentage1:99.85%
President
Before Election:Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
Before Party:Liberal/Military
Posttitle:Elected President
After Election:Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
After Party:Liberal/Military

Presidential elections were held in El Salvador in January 1895. General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez, who was serving as the country's provisional president during the election, ran unopposed and was elected with over 99 percent of the vote. Concurrent vice presidential elections were held, during which, Prudencio Alfaro defeated Carlos Meléndez and four minor candidates.

Campaign

Presidential elections were scheduled to be held in January 1895 following the Revolution of the 44 which overthrew President Carlos Ezeta in June 1894. General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez, who led the coup and succeeded Ezeta as provisional president, ran for president unopposed. Meanwhile, the vice presidential election was contested by Prudencio Alfaro and Carlos Meléndez, both of whom were leaders of the 1894 revolution. Gutiérrez did not endorse either candidate and allowed them to compete for the vice presidency. Estanislau Pérez and three other minor candidates also participated in the vice presidential election.

Results

In the presidential election, Gutiérrez won 61,080 votes with only 91 votes against. In the vice presidential election, Alfaro and Meléndez both sought to gain a competitive advantage over the other by ensuring that their allied municipal leaders would be in control of polling stations in the country's 248 municipalities. In 176 of the 248 municipalities, the winning candidate won with over 95 percent of the vote, due to the candidates seeking to install allies in charge of polling stations. Additionally, in 96 of the municipalities, the winning candidate won unanimously. Alfaro held an advantage in seven departments—Ahuachapán, La Paz, La Unión, Morazán, San Miguel, Sonsonate, and Usulután—while Meléndez held an advantage in two—Cabañas and San Vicente. Both candidates won by large margins in the departments where they held massive influence. Neither candidate had an outright advantage in the remaining five departments—Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, La Libertad, San Salvador, and Santa Ana—and the results across those departments were not as lopsided. Ultimately, Alfaro was elected vice president with 38,006 votes; Meléndez came in second place with 18,792 votes, and the other four candidates earned around 4,000 votes combined. Gutiérrez and Alfaro both assumed office on 1 March 1895.

Vice president

References

Bibliography

Further reading