The 1918 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1918. Incumbent Republican Governor Peter Norbeck ran for re-election to a second term. He won the Republican primary unopposed and faced Nonpartisan League candidate Mark P. Bates, a farmer, and Democratic nominee James E. Bird in the general election. Norbeck's share of the vote decreased from 1916 to 53%, but he benefited from the split field. Bates placed second with 26% of the vote, while Bird placed third with 19% of the vote.
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 County results Norbeck: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Bates: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80% Bird: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Primary elections
editPrimary elections were held on May 28, 1918.
Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- James E. Bird, businessman, 1916 Democratic nominee for Secretary of State[1]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James E. Bird | 8,361 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 8,361 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- Peter Norbeck, incumbent Governor
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Peter Norbeck (inc.) | 35,752 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 35,752 | 100.00% | ||
Socialist primary
editCandidates
edit- Orville Anderson, farmer and prisoner[4]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socialist | Orville Anderson | 241 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 241 | 100.00% | ||
General election
editCandidates
edit- James E. Bird, Democratic
- Peter Norbeck, Republican
- Orville Anderson, Socialist
- Mark P. Bates, Independent (Nonpartisan League candidate[5][6]), stockman[7]
- Knute Lewis, Independent, Prohibition candidate for Governor in 1898 and 1906
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Peter Norbeck (inc.) | 51,175 | 53.22% | −3.42% | |
| Nonpartisan League | Mark P. Bates | 25,118 | 26.12% | — | |
| Democratic | James E. Bird | 17,858 | 18.57% | −20.76% | |
| Independent | Knute Lewis | 1,268 | 1.32% | — | |
| Socialist | Orville Anderson | 741 | 0.77% | −2.00% | |
| Majority | 26,057 | 27.10% | +9.79% | ||
| Turnout | 96,160 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ "A Democratic Candidate for Governor of S. Dak". Daily Deadwood Pioneer-Times. Deadwood, S.D. April 10, 1918. pp. 1, 1. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "1916–1918 Election Returns" (PDF). South Dakota Secretary of State. Pierre, South Dakota. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Elections (PDF). pp. 623–624. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ Kohn, Stephen M. (1994). American Political Prisoners: Prosecutions under the Espionage and Sedition Acts. Westport, CT.: Praeger Publishers. p. 85. ISBN 0-275-94415-8.
- ^ "League Loses South Dakota" (PDF). The Bismarck Tribune. Bismarck, North Dakota. November 7, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ "A. C. Townley Driven From Town When He Attempts Speech". Grand Forks Herald. Grand Forks, North Dakota. September 25, 1918. p. 7. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Tingley, Ralph R. (Fall 1979). "The Crowded Field: Eight Men for the Senate" (PDF). South Dakota History. 9 (4): 316–336. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 79.
- ^ "SD Governor, 1918". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
Bibliography
edit- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.