| Election Name: | 1896 North Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Country: | North Carolina |
| Flag Year: | 1885 |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1892 North Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1892 |
| Next Election: | 1900 North Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1900 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1896 |
| Image1: | File:Daniel Lindsay Russell.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Daniel Lindsay Russell |
| Party1: | Fusion |
| Popular Vote1: | 154,025 |
| Percentage1: | 46.5% |
| Nominee2: | Cyrus B. Watson |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 145,286 |
| Percentage2: | 43.9% |
| Image3: | File:William A. Guthrie.png |
| Nominee3: | William A. Guthrie |
| Party3: | People's Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote3: | 30,943 |
| Percentage3: | 9.4% |
| Map Size: | 305px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Elias Carr |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Daniel Lindsay Russell |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 1896 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896. Republican nominee Daniel Lindsay Russell defeated Democratic nominee Cyrus B. Watson with 46.52% of the vote. This was the only election in North Carolina between 1872 and 1972 in which the Republican nominee won the governor's office,[1] and the only one until 2016 in which no candidate received over 50% of the vote.
The state Democratic Party convention was held on June 25, 1896.[2]
The state Republican Party convention was held on May 15, 1896.[2]
Major party candidates
Other candidates