Editing Thomas R. Marshall (section)

===Campaign===

In 1906, Marshall declined his party's nomination to run for Congress. He hinted, however, to state party leaders that he would be interested in running for Indiana governor in the 1908 election.<ref>Bennett 2007, p. 64.</ref> He soon gained the support of several key [[labor union]]s, and was endorsed by Louis Ludlow, a reporter for the ''[[Indianapolis Star]]''. Despite this support, Marshall was a [[dark horse candidate]] at the state convention.<ref>Gray 1977, p. 287.</ref> Initially, [[Thomas Taggart]], Indiana Democratic Party boss, did not support him because of Marshall's support of [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]].<ref>Bennett 2007, p. 66.</ref> Taggart wanted the party to nominate anti-prohibitionist [[Samuel Ralston]], but the prohibitionist and anti-Taggart factions united with Marshall's supporters. To oppose L. Ert Slack, a temperance candidate, Taggart persuaded Ralston's delegates to support Marshall and give him the votes he needed to win the nomination.<ref>Gugin and St. Clair, eds., 2006, pp. 235–236.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Bennett|2007|pp=69–71}}</ref><ref name = g288>Gray 1977, p. 288.</ref>

[[File:StateCapitolIndiana.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A view looking down on a large building made of limestone. It is three stories high with two wings sweeping out from a central atrium with a domed stained glass roof|The [[Indiana Statehouse]] in Indianapolis]]

Marshall's opponent in the general election was Republican Congressman [[James E. Watson]], and the campaign focused on temperance and prohibition.<ref name = g288/><ref name = b80>{{harvnb|Bennett|2007|p=80}}</ref> Just as it began, the Republican-controlled state government passed a local-option law that allowed counties to ban the sale of liquor. The law became the central point of debate between the parties and their gubernatorial candidates. The Democrats proposed that the local-option law be changed so that the decision to ban liquor sales could be made at the city and township level.<ref name = g236>Gugin and St. Clair, eds., 2006, p. 236.</ref> This drew support from anti-prohibitionists, who saw it as an opportunity to roll back prohibition in some areas, and as the only alternative available to the total prohibition which the Republican Party advocated. The Democratic position also helped to retain prohibitionists' support by allowing prohibition to remain enacted in communities where a majority supported it.<ref name = b80/> The Republican Party was in the midst of a period of instability, splitting along progressive and conservative lines.<ref name = b80/> Their internal problems proved to be the deciding factor in the election, giving Marshall a narrow victory: he received 48.1 percent of the vote to Watson's 48.0 percent.<ref name="Congressional Quarterly 1976, p. 406">Congressional Quarterly 1976, p. 406.</ref> Democrats also came to power in the [[Indiana House of Representatives]] by a small margin, though Republicans retained control of the [[Indiana Senate]].<ref name = g288/><ref name = g236/>