1940 Arizona gubernatorial election

The 1940 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Governor Robert Taylor Jones ran for reelection but was defeated in the Democratic primary by former Secretary of State Sidney Preston Osborn, whom Jones had previously defeated in 1938.

1940 Arizona gubernatorial election

← 1938 November 5, 1940 1942 →
 
Nominee Sidney Preston Osborn Jerrie W. Lee
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 97,606 50,358
Percentage 65.52% 33.81%

Election results by county
Osborn:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Robert Taylor Jones
Democratic

Elected Governor

Sidney Preston Osborn
Democratic

Sidney Preston Osborn defeated Jerrie W. Lee in the general election, and was sworn into his first term as Governor on January 6, 1941, becoming Arizona's seventh Governor.

Democratic primary

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The Democratic primary took place on September 10, 1940. Incumbent Governor Robert Taylor Jones ran for reelection, but he was defeated by former Secretary of State Sidney Preston Osborn. Osborn previously ran against Jones in 1938, but was defeated due to the race being a three-way with Secretary of State James H. Kerby. C. M. Menderson, Ernest Carleton, George E. Shields, and Howard Sprouse also ran but presented only token opposition.[1]

Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sidney Preston Osborn 54,737 46.30%
Democratic Robert Taylor Jones (incumbent) 49,466 41.84%
Democratic C. M. Menderson 10,950 9.26%
Democratic Ernest Carleton 1,834 1.55%
Democratic George E. Shields 860 0.73%
Democratic Howard Sprouse 383 0.32%
Total votes 118,230 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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  • Jerrie W. Lee, 1938 Republican gubernatorial nominee

General election

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Arizona gubernatorial election, 1940[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Sidney Preston Osborn 97,606 65.52% −3.05%
Republican Jerrie W. Lee 50,358 33.80% +6.48%
Prohibition Charles R. Osburn 1,003 0.67% +0.67%
Majority 47,248 31.72%
Turnout 148,967 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing -9.52%

Results by county

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County Sidney P. Osborn
Democratic
Jerrie W. Lee
Republican
Charles R. Osburn
Prohibition
Margin Total votes cast[3]
# % # % # % # %
Apache 2,180 75.85% 691 24.04% 3 0.10% 1,489 51.81% 2,874
Cochise 9,007 75.97% 2,806 23.67% 43 0.36% 6,201 52.30% 11,856
Coconino 3,264 66.98% 1,591 32.65% 18 0.37% 1,673 34.33% 4,873
Gila 5,885 70.29% 2,453 29.30% 34 0.41% 3,432 40.99% 8,372
Graham 3,076 71.40% 1,200 27.86% 32 0.74% 1,876 43.55% 4,308
Greenlee 2,324 84.39% 419 15.21% 11 0.40% 1,905 69.17% 2,754
Maricopa 33,883 58.64% 23,408 40.51% 488 0.84% 10,475 18.13% 57,779
Mohave 2,292 73.41% 816 26.14% 14 0.45% 1,476 47.28% 3,122
Navajo 3,252 71.61% 1,271 27.99% 18 0.40% 1,981 43.62% 4,541
Pima 15,288 65.43% 7,916 33.88% 163 0.70% 7,372 31.55% 23,367
Pinal 4,525 70.64% 1,861 29.05% 20 0.31% 2,664 41.59% 6,406
Santa Cruz 1,928 75.73% 613 24.08% 5 0.20% 1,315 51.65% 2,546
Yavapai 6,288 62.02% 3,731 36.80% 120 1.18% 2,557 25.22% 10,139
Yuma 4,414 73.20% 1,582 26.24% 34 0.56% 2,832 46.97% 6,030
Totals 97,606 65.52% 50,358 33.80% 1,003 0.67% 47,248 31.72% 148,967

References

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  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - AZ Governor - D Primary Race - Sep 10, 1940".
  2. ^ "Official Canvass Primary Election Returns, State of Arizona, September 10, 1940". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "General Election Returns, State of Arizona, November 5, 1940". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved July 12, 2024.