The 1940 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940.
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Incumbent Democratic Governor W. Lee O'Daniel defeated Republican nominee George C. Hopkins with 94.42% of the vote.
Nominations
editDemocratic primary
editThe Democratic primary election was held on July 27, 1940. By winning over 50% of the vote, O'Daniel avoided a run-off.
Candidates
edit- Arlon Barton "Cyclone" Davis, son of James Harvey "Cyclone" Davis[1][2]
- Miriam A. Ferguson, former Governor
- Harry Hines, incumbent Highway Commissioner[3]
- W. Lee O'Daniel, incumbent Governor
- Jerry Sadler, incumbent Railroad Commissioner
- Ernest O. Thompson, incumbent Railroad Commissioner and unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for Governor in 1938
Withdrawn
edit- R. P. "Rip" Condron, theater owner from La Feria (endorsed Thompson).[4][5]
- Albert L. Derden, incumbent member of the Texas House of Representatives from Falls County (endorsed Hines).[5]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | W. Lee O'Daniel (incumbent) | 645,646 | 54.29 | |
| Democratic | Ernest O. Thompson | 256,923 | 21.60 | |
| Democratic | Harry Hines | 119,121 | 10.02 | |
| Democratic | Miriam A. Ferguson | 100,578 | 8.46 | |
| Democratic | Jerry Sadler | 61,396 | 5.16 | |
| Democratic | Arlon B. Davis | 3,623 | 0.31 | |
| Democratic | R. P. Condron | 2,003 | 0.17 | |
| Total votes | 1,189,290 | 100.00 | ||
Republican nomination
editThe Republican state convention was held at Beaumont on August 13, 1940.[9][10]
George C. Hopkins, businessman, was nominated for Governor.[11]
General election
editCandidates
edit- W. Lee O'Daniel, Democratic
- George C. Hopkins, Republican
- Ben H. Lauderdale, Communist, nominee for Agriculture Commissioner in 1938[12]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | W. Lee O'Daniel (incumbent) | 1,019,338 | 94.42% | ||
| Republican | George C. Hopkins | 59,895 | 5.55% | ||
| Communist | Ben H. Lauderdale | 202 | 0.02% | ||
| Scattering | 113 | 0.01% | |||
| Majority | 959,453 | 88.87% | |||
| Turnout | 1,079,538 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Texas: Pappy Over Cyclone". Time. New York City: Time Inc. August 5, 1940. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Texas 'Cyclone' Stilled By Death After Fiery Career". El Paso Herald-Post. El Paso, Texas. February 1, 1940. p. 12. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Former Commissioners". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Condron Drops Out". Box Office. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. July 8, 1940. p. 77. Retrieved November 18, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b Sims, Archie A. (August 1940). The Texas Gubernatorial Campaign of 1940 (PDF) (Master of Arts). Lubbock, Texas: Texas Technological College. p. 46. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "TX Governor, 1940 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 145.
- ^ a b Texas Almanac & 1954-1955, p. 348.
- ^ "Republicans Name State Ticket". The Citizens Journal. Atlanta, Tex. August 15, 1940. p. 8. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Dallas Man G.O.P. Choice For Governor". The Whitewright Sun. Whitewright, Tex. August 15, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Nominee". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. August 25, 1940. p. 6. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ Free Texas From Monopoly Control! (PDF). Communist Party of Texas. 1938. p. 4.
- ^ "TX Governor, 1940". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Forty-Seventh Legislature (PDF). Austin, Texas: Capital Printing Company, Inc. 1941. p. 47.
- ^ Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1932-1952: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-7034-1.
Bibliography
edit- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Texas Almanac, 1954-1955. Dallas, Texas: A. H. Belo Corporation. 1953.