James E. Harris Populist Edward A. Gilbert Populist The 1898 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898, and featured Populist and Democratic fusion nominee Edward A. Gilbert defeating Republican nominee George A. Murphy as well as Prohibition nominee Newell S. Lowrie and Socialist Labor nominee J. J.

[1] Early in 1898, there was speculation that incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor James E. Harris might seek the office of Governor of Nebraska in the 1898 election;[2] however, by the fall of 1898, Harris was not running for governor and had become disaffected with the Populist party.

[3] Harris eventually withdrew from being renominated for the office of lieutenant governor in favor of Edward A. Gilbert so that the Silver Republican Party, who supported Gilbert, might have some representation on the Populist/Democratic fusion ticket.

[4] A party calling itself the Liberty Party held a convention on August 2, 1898, and had originally nominated candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.

However, on September 22, both candidates withdrew their names and the Liberty Party decided to endorse the Populist/Democratic fusion candidates, William A. Poynter and Edward A. Gilbert, for governor and lieutenant governor respectively.