United States gubernatorial elections, 1968

United States gubernatorial elections, 1968

1968

Governorships of AZ, AR, DE, IL, IN, IA, KS, MO, MT, NH, NM, NC, ND, RI, SD, TX, UT, VT, WA, WV, WI   Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 26 governorships 24 governorships Seats before 26 24 Seats after 31 19 Seat change 5 5

The 1968 United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1968, concurrent with the 1968 Presidential Election on 5 November 1968. These were the last gubernatorial elections for Arizona, New Mexico, and Wisconsin to take place in a presidential election year, as all would extend their governor's terms from two to four years.

Arizona

Jack Richard Williams won re-election against Samuel Pearson Goddard, Jr., in a 'rematch' election, where Goddard was trying to get his old job back. Basically, a repeat of the 1966 Arizona Governor's Race, with Williams winning.^[1]

Arkansas

Rockefeller had already made his mark in 1966, when he was elected as the first Republican governor since 1872 and having the black vote to boot, not to mention challenging the Faubus empire two years before in 1964. Getting re-elected in 1968 was good, but things for Rockefeller went downhill from there.^[2]

Delaware

Terry not wanting to take the National Guard out of the black communities in Wilmington played a factor in his defeat, not to mention that Peterson had made it. Peterson would go on to be a legend in Delaware politics in a short time, mainly for his 'green' politics.^[3]

Illinois

Samuel H. Shapiro got to be Governor temporarily after Otto Kerner, Jr. resigned to take a job to the federal appellate court.^[4] Shapiro lost the race to get his own full term. As for Kerner, he would become famous for two things: being the head of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, aka the Kerner Commission, and going to jail over various charges stemming from being a stockholder in a racetrack business.^[5]

Indiana

Indiana changed the rules so that governors could have two back-to-back 4-year terms in November 1972.^[6] Thus, Branigin was not eligible for a second term.

Iowa

Harold Hughes resigned on January 1, 1969, to run for the Senate.^[7] Robert D. Fulton would serve as Governor from January 1-January 16, 1969, until the new Governor, Robert D. Ray, could begin.^[8] Ray would go on to a political career,^[9] while Hughes, inspired by his own battles with alcoholism, made drug/alcohol abuse his 'thing' in the Senate, then later left politics to open an alcoholism treatment center and to do religious work.^[10]

Kansas

Docking won re-election. Ultimately, Docking would set a record by winning four two-year terms.^[11] Kansas operated on governors serving 2-year terms until 1974, when a constitutional amendment was added, creating a four-year term system for governors.^[12]

Missouri

In Missouri, during Hearnes' term, the rules were changed so that governors were allowed two back-to-back four-year terms.^[13] Thus, by 1968, Hearnes was eligible for another term.

Montana

Babcock became Governor in 1962 after his predecessor/boss, Gov. Donald Nutter, was killed in a plane crash.^[14][15] Babcock got a full term in the 1964 Governor's Race.^[16]

New Hampshire

King might have run for another term had the 1968 Presidential election not gotten in his way. King was an avid President Lyndon B. Johnson supporter, and a 'hawk' on Vietnam. So, when Senator Eugene McCarthy dropped into New Hampshire, King didn't hold back on the attacks. But the attacks didn't work. President Johnson said good-bye to the 1968 Presidential Race, 'handed' his place to Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who in turn asked King to run for the Senate. King did, losing to Republican Norris Cotton.^[17]

New Mexico

Cargo got re-elected in 1968, but then, being term limited in 1970 (see United States gubernatorial elections, 1970), he tried running for other offices, but "Lonesome Dave" never won again.^[18]

North Carolina

In North Carolina, governors weren't allowed two terms in a row until 1977.^[19]

North Dakota

Governors served two year terms until 1964, when a constitutional amendment changed it to a four-year term.^[20]

West Virginia

In 1970, during Arch Moore's term, an amendment to the West Virginia constitution allowed governors to serve two consecutive terms.^[21] Thus, Hulett Smith was not eligible for a second term.

Races

State	Incumbent	Party	Status	Opposing Candidates
Arizona	Jack Richard Williams	Republican	Re-elected, 57.84%	Samuel Pearson Goddard, Jr. (Democratic) 42.16%[22]
Arkansas	Winthrop Rockefeller	Republican	Re-elected, 52.43%	Marion Crank (Democratic) 47.57%[23]
Delaware	Charles L. Terry, Jr.	Democratic	Defeated, 49.49%	Russell W. Peterson (Republican) 50.51%[24]
Illinois	Samuel H. Shapiro	Democratic	Lost election to get his own term, 48.37%	Richard B. Ogilvie (Republican) 51.21% Edward C. Gross (Socialist Labor) 0.43%[25]
Indiana	Roger D. Branigin	Democratic	Term-limited, Republican victory	Edgar Whitcomb (Republican) 52.72% Robert L. Rock (Democratic) 47.13% Melvin E. Hawk (Prohibition) 0.15%[26]
Iowa	Harold Hughes	Democratic	Retired to run for the Senate,[27] Republican victory	Robert D. Ray (Republican) 54.06% Paul Franzenburg (Democratic) 45.86% Harry Miller (Prohibition) 0.08%[28]
Kansas	Robert Docking	Democratic	Re-elected, 51.86%	Rick Harman (Republican) 47.62% Marshall Uncapher (Prohibition) 0.53%[29]
Missouri	Warren E. Hearnes	Democratic	Re-elected, 60.80%	Lawrence K. Roos (Republican) 39.20%[30]
Montana	Tim M. Babcock	Republican	Defeated, 41.87%	Forrest H. Anderson (Democratic) 54.11% Wayne Montgomery (New Reform) 4.03%[31]
New Hampshire	John W. King	Democratic	Retired, Republican victory	Walter R. Peterson, Jr. (Republican) 52.53% Emile R. Bussiere (Democratic) 47.44% Others 0.02%[32]
New Mexico	David Cargo	Republican	Re-elected, 50.21%	Fabian Chavez, Jr. (Democratic) 49.29% Jose Maestes (People's Constitutional) 0.48% Others 0.02%[33]
North Carolina	Dan K. Moore	Democratic	Term-limited, Democratic victory	Robert W. Scott (Democratic) 52.70% James Carson Gardner (Republican) 47.30%[34]
North Dakota	William L. Guy	Democratic-NPL	Re-elected, 54.82%	Robert P. McCarney (Republican) 43.70% Leo Landsberger (Taxpayers Revival Ticket) 1.48%[35]
Rhode Island	John Chafee	Republican	Defeated, 48.98%	Frank Licht (Democratic) 51.02%[36]
South Dakota	Nils Boe	Republican	Retired, Republican victory	Frank Farrar (Republican) 57.65% Robert Chamberlin (Democratic) 42.35%[37]
Texas	John Connally	Democratic	Retired, Democratic victory	Preston Smith (Democratic) 56.99% Paul Eggers (Republican) 43.01%[38]
Utah	Calvin L. Rampton	Democratic	Re-elected, 68.71%	Carl W. Buehner (Republican) 31.29%[39]
Vermont	Philip H. Hoff	Democratic	Retired, Republican victory	Deane C. Davis (Republican) 55.49% John J. Daley (Democratic) 44.48%[40]
Washington	Daniel J. Evans	Republican	Re-elected, 54.72%	John J. O'Connell (Democratic) 44.28% Ken Chriswell (Conservative) 0.91% Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.09%[41]
West Virginia	Hulett C. Smith	Democratic	Term-limited, Republican victory	Arch A. Moore, Jr. (Republican) 50.86% James Marshall Sprouse (Democratic) 49.14%[42]
Wisconsin	Warren P. Knowles	Republican	Re-elected, 52.88%	Bronson Cutting La Follette (Democratic) 46.82% Adolf Wiggert (Socialist Labor) 0.19% Robert Wilkinson (Socialist Workers) 0.11%[43]

References

1. "AZ Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
2. "Winthrop Rockefeller (1912–1973)". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
3. Doug Donovan. "In Praise of Peterson". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
4. "Illinois Governor Samuel H. Shapiro". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
5. "Illinois Governor Otto Kerner". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
6. "Article 5. Executive". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
7. "Iowa Governor Harold Everett Hughes". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
8. "Iowa Governor Robert David Fulton". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
9. "Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
10. Eric Pace (October 25, 1996). "Harold Hughes, Iowa Trucker Turned Politician, Dies at 74". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
11. "Robert Docking". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
12. H. Edward Flentje and Joseph Aistrup (2010). Kansas Politics and Government: The Clash of Political Cultures (Google eBook). University of Nebraska Press. p. 109. ISBN 9780803269194. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
13. "Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
14. "Montana Governor Donald Grant Nutter". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
15. "Montana Governor Tim M. Babcock". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
16. "MT Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
17. Robert McG Thomas Jr. (August 14, 1996). "John W. King, 79, Governor Who Instituted State Lottery". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
18. Steve Terrell (5 July 2013). "Former New Mexico Gov. David Cargo dead at 84". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
19. "North Carolina State and Local Government at a Glance" (PDF). Retrieved 4 July 2012.
20. "Archives – State Agencies – Governor". Retrieved 8 February 2014.
21. "Governor's Succession Amendment". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
22. "AZ Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
23. "AR Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
24. "DE Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
25. "IL Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
26. "IN Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
27. "HUGHES, Harold Everett, (1922 - 1996)". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
28. "IA Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
29. "KS Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
30. "MO Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
31. "MT Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
32. "NH Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
33. "NM Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
34. "NC Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
35. "ND Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
36. "RI Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
37. "SD Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
38. "TX Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
39. "UT Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
40. "VT Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
41. "WA Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
42. "WV Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.
43. "WI Governor". Retrieved 16 August 2013.