1916 South Dakota gubernatorial election

1916 South Dakota gubernatorial election

←  1914 November 7, 1916 1918  →

Nominee Peter Norbeck Orville V. Rinehart Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 72,789 50,545 Percentage 56.64% 39.33%

County results Norbeck:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Rinehart:     40–50%     50–60%     70–80%

Governor before election Frank M. Byrne Republican Elected Governor Peter Norbeck Republican

The 1916 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916. Incumbent Republican Governor Frank M. Byrne declined to seek re-election to a third term. Lieutenant Governor Peter Norbeck won the Republican primary to succeed him, and in the general election faced State Representative Orville V. Rinehart. Norbeck won his first term as Governor in a landslide over Rinehart.

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on May 23, 1916.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Orville V. Rinehart, former State Representative from Pennington County ^[1]
• Edmund D. Morcom, businessman ^[2]

Results

Democratic primary results ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Orville V. Rinehart	6,529	53.33%
	Democratic	Edmund D. Morcom	5,714	46.67%
Total votes			12,243	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Peter Norbeck, Lieutenant Governor
• George W. Egan, disbarred attorney, 1912 Republican candidate for Governor, 1910 Republican candidate for Governor
• Richard Olsen Richards, perennial candidate ^[5]

Results

Republican primary results ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Peter Norbeck	31,987	59.37%
	Republican	George W. Egan	11,442	21.24%
	Republican	Richard O. Richards	10,449	19.39%
Total votes			53,878	100.00%

Prohibition primary

Candidates

• C. K. Thompson, Prohibition candidate for Governor in 1914

Results

Prohibition primary results ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Prohibition	C. K. Thompson	526	100.00%
Total votes			526	100.00%

Socialist primary

Candidates

• Fred L. Fairchild, Socialist candidate for South Dakota's 3rd congressional district in 1914

Results

Socialist primary results ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Fred L. Fairchild	699	100.00%
Total votes			699	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Orville V. Rinehart, Democratic
• Peter Norbeck, Republican
• C. K. Thompson, Prohibition
• Fred L. Fairchild, Socialist

Results

1916 South Dakota gubernatorial election ^{[3] [4] [6] [7]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Peter Norbeck	72,789	56.64%	+6.57%
	Democratic	Orville V. Rinehart	50,545	39.33%	+4.13%
	Socialist	Fred L. Fairchild	3,556	2.77%	+0.05%
	Prohibition	C. K. Thompson	1,630	1.27%	−0.84%
Majority			22,244	17.31%	+2.44%
Turnout			128,520	100.00%
	Republican hold

References

1. "Orville V. Rinehart". Historical Listing. South Dakota Legislature Legislative Research Council. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
2. "City Briefs". Argus Leader . Sioux Falls, S.D. July 6, 1915. p. 3. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
3. "1916–1918 Election Returns" (PDF). South Dakota Secretary of State. Pierre, South Dakota. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
4. Elections (PDF). pp. 622–623. Retrieved March 6, 2021.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
5. Otto, Kathryn (1979). "The Richard Olsen Richards Papers at the South Dakota Historical Resource Center" (PDF). South Dakota History. 9 (2): 153–56. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
6. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 79.
7. "SD Governor, 1916". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 6, 2021.

Bibliography

• Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN   1-56802-396-0.