William E. Smith Republican
Jeremiah McLain Rusk Republican
The 1881 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1881.
Republican nominee Jeremiah McLain Rusk defeated Democratic nominee Nicholas D. Fratt and two other nominees with 47.57% of the vote.
This was the last Wisconsin gubernatorial election held in an odd-numbered year. In 1882, a constitutional amendment was carried moving gubernatorial elections to even-numbered years.
Major party candidates
Other candidates