| Election Name: | 1897 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Country: | United States |
| Flag Year: | 1896 |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1896 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Previous Year: | 1896 |
| Next Election: | 1898 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Next Year: | 1898 |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Seats won |
| Seats For Election: | 5 governorships |
| Election Date: | November 2, 1897; April 7, 1897 (RI) |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats Before1: | 24 |
| Seats After1: | 24 |
| 1Data1: | 4 |
| 2Data1: | 4 |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Seats Before2: | 16 |
| Seats After2: | 16 |
| 1Data2: | 1 |
| 2Data2: | 1 |
| Party4: | Populist Party (United States) |
| Seats Before4: | 4 |
| Seats After4: | 4 |
| 1Data4: | 0 |
| 2Data4: | 0 |
| Party5: | Silver Party |
| Seats Before5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| 1Data5: | 0 |
| 2Data5: | 0 |
| Map Size: | 324px |
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1897, in five states.
Virginia holds its gubernatorial elections in odd numbered years, every 4 years, following the United States presidential election year. Massachusetts and Rhode Island at this time held gubernatorial elections every year. They would abandon this practice in 1920 and 1912, respectively. Iowa and Ohio at this time held gubernatorial elections in every odd numbered year.
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Francis M. Drake | Republican | Retired, Republican victory | Leslie M. Shaw (Republican) 51.27% Frederick Edward White (Democratic) 44.46% S. P. Leland (Prohibition) 1.88% Charles A. Lloyd (Midroad-Populist) 1.21% John Cliggett (National Democratic) 0.98% M. J. Kremer (Socialist Labor) 0.20% [1] | |
| Massachusetts | Roger Wolcott | Republican | Re-elected, 61.19% | George F. Williams (Democratic) 29.49% William Everett (National Democratic) 5.14% Thomas C. Brophy (Socialist Labor) 2.34% John A. Bascom (Prohibition) 1.83% Scattering 0.01% [2] | |
| Ohio | Asa S. Bushnell | Republican | Re-elected, 50.28% | Horace L. Chapman (Democratic) 46.99% John C. Holiday (Prohibition) 0.88% Jacob S. Coxey Sr. (Populist) 0.73% William Watkins (Socialist Labor) 0.50% John Richardson (Liberty) 0.36% Julius Dexter (National Democratic) 0.19% Samuel J. Lewis (Negro Protection) 0.06% [3] | |
| Rhode Island (held, 7 April 1897) | Charles W. Lippitt | Republican | Retired, Republican victory | Elisha Dyer Jr. (Republican) 58.11% Daniel T. Church (Democratic) 32.69% Thomas H. Peabody (Prohibition) 5.01% Franklin E. Burton (Socialist Labor) 3.31% John H. Larry (National Liberty) 0.88% [4] | |
| Virginia | Charles Triplett O'Ferrall | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | James Hoge Tyler (Democratic) 64.43% Patrick H. McCaull (Republican) 33.40% L. A. Cutler (Prohibition) 1.61% John J. Quantz (Socialist Labor) 0.31% James Seldon Cowden (Independent) 0.24% [5] [6] |