When Ladd first ran for governor in 1889, he was little-known in the state. In a three-way race, he received fewer votes than Democrat
John W. Davis. The third candidate, with the fewest votes, ran under the
Prohibition Party. Under the rules of the time, if no candidate received an outright majority, the result was decided by the
General Assembly. The Republican-controlled Assembly chose Ladd. In fact, Davis received more votes than Ladd three times, in 1889, 1890, and 1891, without winning a majority in any of the three races. The Assembly decided in favor of Ladd twice (1889 and 1891) and for Davis in 1890. The majority requirement was amended in November 1893 by the adoption of Amendment X to the Rhode Island Constitution, which allowed for a winner by plurality vote. In later years, several governors would win the office with a plurality, including:
Lincoln Almond in 1994 with 47%;
Lincoln Chafee in 2010 with 36%; and
Gina Raimondo in 2014 with 41%.
State House commission In Ladd's first address as governor, he advocated for building a new State House. Ladd was named chairman of the State House Commission. The General Assembly announced an architectural competition for designs; however, Ladd and commission advisor
Richard Morris Hunt decided they wanted
Charles Follen McKim for the job, and made sure that he "won" the competition. It was reported that Ladd paid a "considerable amount of money" out of his own pocket to help pay for the construction when the state was low on funds, and was never reimbursed for the monies.
Good roads Ladd, whose official State House portrait depicts him with a
bicycle, was a supporter of the
Good Roads Movement, a national road improvement initiative led by bicyclists. In 1892, Ladd wrote an essay for a
League of American Wheelmen publication
Good Roads outlining his belief that expanding and paving streets was as important to Rhode Island as having good railroads.
Other achievements • During the summer of 1889, Ladd hosted
president Harrison and
ex-president Cleveland in Newport. • In fall of 1889, Ladd invited business leaders to Providence to discuss the location of the
upcoming World's Fair. • Ladd authorized new uniforms for the Rhode Island
state militia. ==Post-Governorship==