This chapter examines how the Ohio gubernatorial election of 1875 became an unlikely venue for political elites to have manipulated public opinion. After losing in the congressional elections of 1874 and the passage of the Specie Resumption Act in 1875, the Republican Party braced for local elections that posed serious questions about their viability in the approaching presidential election of 1876. The Ohio gubernatorial election of 1875 in particular was critical not only for Republicans but also for the Democrats. This chapter explains how the Republicans managed to win the Ohio gubernatorial election of 1875 despite the unpopularity of their financial positions. In particular, it considers how Rutherford B. Hayes exploited voter ignorance and mobilized religious animus to become a viable candidate for the Republican presidential nomination of 1876. It also discusses the national implications of Hayes's victory, especially with regards to the gold standard.