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James H. Budd
19th Governor of California
In office January 11, 1895 – January 4, 1899
Lieutenant	Spencer G. Millard William T. Jeter
Preceded by	Henry Markham
Succeeded by	Henry Gage
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's2nd district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	Horace F. Page
Succeeded by	James A. Louttit
Personal details
Born	James Herbert Budd (1851-05-18)May 18, 1851 Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	July 30, 1908(1908-07-30) (aged 57) Stockton, California, U.S.
Resting place	Stockton Rural Cemetery
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Inez A. Merrill
Profession	Lawyer,politician
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	California National Guard
Years of service	1873–1891
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands	3rd Brigade

James Herbert Budd (May 18, 1851 – July 30, 1908) was an Americanlawyer andpolitician who served as a member of theU.S. House of Representatives forCalifornia's 2nd district from 1883 to 1885 and as the 19thgovernor of California from 1895 to 1899. He was the lastDemocrat to hold the latter office until the election ofCulbert Olson 40 years later.

Budd was born on May 18, 1851, inJanesville, Wisconsin, to Joseph H. and Lucinda (Ash) Budd. While in Wisconsin, Joseph was a lawyer and ran Western Novelty Works, a company which put out farm machinery. When Budd was seven years old, he and his family emigrated to theWest, settling inStockton, California, in 1858. Budd attended local grammar and high schools before attending theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where he was admitted to theZeta Psi fraternity, graduating in 1873.^[1]

Following his graduation, Budd returned to Stockton to study law, being admitted to the California Bar the following year. His public career in the courts began after being appointed theSan Joaquin County deputy district attorney.^[2] He also served in theCalifornia National Guard from 1873 to 1891, rising from the rank ofcadet tobrigadier general in command of the guard's 3rd Brigade.^[3][4] One of his staff officers was future congressmanMarion De Vries.^[5]

During the1882 elections, theDemocratic Party nominated Budd as its candidate for the2nd California district in theU.S. House of Representatives. His campaign for the House was based on fighting railroad corruption, going as far as to refuse any travel on railroads altogether during the campaign, earning Budd the nickname "Buckboard Jim."^[6] Budd won the election, becoming the first Democrat to win the district since theCivil War.

Once in theU.S. Congress, Budd was influential in gaining enough congressional support for appropriating federal money to fund thedredging of theStockton Channel, assisting shipping into thePort of Stockton along theSan Joaquin River.^[2] Budd served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives, refusing the Democratic Party nomination for the1886 elections.

Wasp caricatures

"One More River to Cross," October 13, 1894

"Over the River," October 20, 1894

For the 1894 state general elections, Budd was nominated by the state Democratic convention as the party's nominee for the governorship. During the campaign, Budd targeted the growing influence of theSouthern Pacific Railroad and rail monopolies in general, proposing that the "only solution to the railroad question was that the [state] government own a line" with slightnationalization, as well as reducing railroad fares by 25%.^[7] Budd also advocated a property assessment ceiling cap of 45 cents per $100 in order to save state expenditures with the loomingLong Depression.

During the often bitter campaign for the governorship, Budd faced serious allegations brought forth byRepublican-sympathizing newspapers that he had raped a teenage maid, Nancy Neff, in 1876. The papers alleged that Neff had become pregnant, giving birth to a child that shortly died afterwards. After giving birth, Neff was alleged to have contractedsmallpox and sent by Budd to a hospice to die, but not before Budd had forced her to relinquish all her property to him. Budd fully denied all the allegations, branding his betrayal of Neff as an "infamous falsehood" imagined by Republicanparty machines.^[6] Budd did not deny he knew Neff, yet claimed instead that he had always acted as a brother to Neff and in no way harmed her.^[8]

Despite the serious charges, Budd's campaign remained largely successful. He gained favorable attention during the campaign by personally quieting a runaway team of horses, as well as helping extinguish a fire inWillows.^[9]

In the final results, Budd edged out Republican Party challengerMorris M. Estee by 0.4%, or roughly 1,200 votes.^[10] The strong third place showing of Jonathan V. Webster of thePeople's Party at 18% helped tip the vote balance in Budd's favor. It was the first gubernatorial election where theAustralian ballot was used inCalifornia.

Due in part to his narrow electoral victory, Republicans alleged Budd had engaged in voter fraud. TheCalifornia State Assembly investigated these claims through a special committee. The Assembly committee's findings concluded that no evidence of vote wrongdoing could be found.^[11]

Budd became the 19thGovernor of California on January 11, 1895. In the early stage of his governorship, Budd encouraged improvements to theAustralian ballot, consolidating or eliminating superfluous state departments and positions to save revenue, and amend theConstitution of California in order to create stricter qualification requirements for State Railroad Commission members. Budd desired a Railroad Commission substantially less influenced by theSouthern Pacific and other rail monopolies.^[12]

During his governorship, Budd pushed legislation through theCalifornia State Legislature in 1895 to create the Bureau of Highways, an agency to construct and manage maintenance to the state's growing road network. The Bureau of Highways would later evolve into theCalifornia Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The following year, Budd authorized the purchase of theLake Tahoe Wagon Road, making it the first state highway.^[13]

Budd's push for future legislation, however, was slowed by theLegislature, which was controlled by an increasingly hostileRepublican majority.^[11] Although Budd was able to reduce state expenditures gradually, including closing down the State Printing Office, his reform program for increased railroad oversight was halted by the opposition, limiting his ability to make any long-term political reforms.

With his health failing, Budd decided not to seek re-election in 1898. Budd would be the lastDemocrat to occupy the Governor's Office untilCulbert Olson in 1939.

Ex-Governor Budd campaigns forEdward J. Livernash, 1902

Budd's grave at Stockton Rural Cemetery

Following the end of his first and only term, Budd relocated toSan Francisco, opening a law practice in the city. He served as an attorney to the Board of State Harbor Commissioners. In 1900, Budd was appointed by GovernorHenry Gage as a member of theRegents of the University of California.

Budd died at the age of 57 on July 30, 1908, in Stockton, and is buried in the city's Rural Cemetery.^[14]

The Budd Center and Budd Shops atSan Joaquin Delta College in Stockton are named after the governor.Budd Lake in Yosemite National Park was named for him.

• James Budd Biography and Inauguration SpeechThe Governors' Gallery from theCalifornia State Library

• United States Congress."James Budd (id: B001034)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

• Democratic Party governors of California
• Democratic Party United States representatives from California
• Politicians from Janesville, Wisconsin
• 1851 births
• 1908 deaths
• Politicians from Stockton, California
• 19th-century United States representatives

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