The 1923 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1923, in order to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Democrat Lee M. Russell was term-limited, and could not run for reelection to a second term. As was common at the time, the Democratic candidate ran unopposed in the general election so therefore the Democratic primary was the real contest, and winning the primary was considered tantamount to election.
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This gubernatorial election was the first in Mississippi that allowed women the right to vote.
Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Percy Bell
- Theodore Bilbo, former Governor of Mississippi (1916–20)
- Martin S. Conner, State Representative from Covington County
- Lester C. Franklin, President of the Mississippi Yazoo Delta Levee Board and former State Senator from Clarksdale
- Henry L. Whitfield, president of the Mississippi State College for Women and former Mississippi Superintendent of Education
Results
editNo candidate received a majority in the Democratic primary, which featured 5 contenders, so a runoff was held between the top two candidates.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Henry L. Whitfield | 85,328 | 33.58 | |
Democratic | Theodore G. Bilbo | 65,105 | 25.62 | |
Democratic | Martin S. Conner | 48,739 | 19.18 | |
Democratic | Lester C. Franklin | 37,245 | 14.66 | |
Democratic | Percy Bell | 17,724 | 6.97 | |
Total votes | 254,141 | 100.00 |
Runoff
editThe runoff election was won by former Superintendent of Education Henry L. Whitfield, who defeated former Governor Theodore G. Bilbo.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Henry L. Whitfield | 134,715 | 53.28 | |
Democratic | Theodore G. Bilbo | 118,143 | 46.72 | |
Total votes | 252,858 | 100.00 |
General election
editIn the general election, Whitfield ran unopposed.
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Henry L. Whitfield | 29,138 | 100.00 | |
Total votes | 29,138 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
References
edit- ^ "MS Governor D Primary 1923". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "MS Governor D Primary Runoff 1923". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "MS Governor 1923". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 8, 2016.