William A. Guthrie

Shortly thereafter, Populist leaders reached a deal with North Carolina Republicans to combine their state tickets in a Fusionist coalition to defeat Democrats.

Guthrie was opposed to Fusion and focused his campaign around support for free silver and other national issues, largely resembling the style of the Democratic candidate in the race.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he enlisted in the Confederate States Army to fight in the American Civil War.

[3] Within North Carolina and nationally, the Populist Party had risen out of discontent among struggling farmers who sought government action to redress their grievances.

[4] Guthrie later explained that he left the Republican Party because he believed its best qualities were gone and he supported election law reforms, saying, "The interests of the black man and the white men are identical.

"[5] During the Populists' first statewide convention in 1892 he was nominated as a candidate for an associate justice's seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

The Fusionist coalition of Republicans and Populists won a majority in the North Carolina General Assembly and used their power to liberalize election laws, thus expanding suffrage in the state.

[4] Despite their joint support of certain reforms, the Republican and Populist coalition was strained by differences between the two parties which became more acute in anticipation of the 1896 United States presidential election.

Senator Marion Butler, Guthrie was given the gubernatorial nomination with the hope that he could attract the votes of free silver Democrats.

[16] With Russell and Guthrie remaining in the contest, the gubernatorial election evolved into a three-way race between the two of them and Democratic nominee Cyrus B. Watson.

[13] Seeking to avoid the election of a Republican, on October 27 he endorsed Watson and urged Populists to pursue Fusion with Democrats.