1920 Texas gubernatorial election

1920 Texas gubernatorial election

←  1918 November 2, 1920 1922  →
Turnout	68.3% [1]
Nominee Pat Morris Neff J. G. Culbertson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 289,188 90,217 Percentage 60.0% 18.7%   Nominee T. H. McGregor Hickerson Capers Party American Black-and-Tan Republican Popular vote 69,380 26,091 Percentage 14.4% 5.4%
County results Neff:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%      70–80%     80–90%     90-100% Culberson:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60% McGregor:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60-70%
Governor before election William P. Hobby Democratic Elected Governor Pat Morris Neff Democratic

The 1920 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920 in order to elect the Governor of Texas. Former Democratic state representative Pat Morris Neff won comfortably in a four-way race against Republican nominee J. G. Culbertson, American Party of Texas nominee T. H. McGregor, and Black and Tan Republican nominee Hickerson Capers. ^[2]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Joseph W. Bailey, former U.S. Senator
• Benjmain F. Looney
• Pat Morris Neff, McLennan County prosectuor and former Speaker of the Texas House
• R. Ewing Thomason

Results

In the primary, held on July 24, 1920, former Senator Joseph W. Bailey won the most votes, with Neff in second place; with neither candidate achieving 50%, a runoff was required. ^[3]

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joseph W. Bailey	152,340	33.87
	Democratic	Patrick Morris Neff	149,818	33.31
	Democratic	R. Ewing Thomason	99,002	22.01
	Democratic	Benjamin F. Looney	48,640	10.81
Total votes			449,800	100.00

Runoff results

In the runoff, Neff won by just under 18 percentage points against Bailey, or 79,373 raw votes, making him the Democratic nominee and the presumptive governor; Texas — in this era — was a Democratic-dominated southern state in which the primary was almost always the deciding race in the election. ^[4]

Democratic runoff results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patrick Morris Neff	264,075	58.84
	Democratic	Joseph W. Bailey	184,702	41.16
Total votes			448,777	100.00

General election

Neff faced numerous opponents in the general election, including T.H. McGregor of the American Party, a party established by formerly impeached and convicted Texas governor "James "Pa" Ferguson for the purposes of running for president in the concurrent presidential election. ^[5] Neff received 60.0% of the vote, a lower share than usual for most Democrats in Texas at the time, but this was due large, multi-candidate field rather than the more typical 1-on-1 between a Democrat and a Republican. ^[6]

Candidates

• Pat Morris Neff (Democratic), former County Attorney for McLennan County. ^[7]
• John G. Culbertston (Republican), businessman and president of the Witchita Falls Motor Company. ^{[8] [9]}
• Temple H. McGregor (American), former member of the Texas Senate ^{[10] [11]}
• Lee Lightfoot Rhodes (Socialist), former member of the Texas House of Representatives. ^[12]
• Hickson C. Capers (Black and Tan Republican), printer. ^{[13] [14]}

Results

Texas Gubernatorial Election, 1920
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Democratic	Pat Morris Neff	289,188	60.03%
	Republican	J. G. Culbertson	90,217	18.73%
	American	T.H. McGregor	69,380	14.40%
	Black and Tan Republican	Hickson Capers	26,091	5.42%
	Socialist	Lee Lightfoot Rhodes	6,796	1.41%
	Others		59	0.01%
Total Votes			481,731	100.00%
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide 1925". Portal to Texas History. October 2010.
2. "Election of Texas Governors, 1900-1948 | TX Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
3. "Our Campaigns - TX Governor - D Primary Race - Jul 24, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
4. "Our Campaigns - TX Governor - D Runoff Race - Aug 28, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
5. "Texas Politics - Governors: James E. Ferguson". texaspolitics.utexas.edu. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
6. "Our Campaigns - TX Governor Race - Nov 02, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
7. Turner, Thomas E. (February 17, 2022). "Neff, Pat Morris (1871–1952)". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
8. "Business Leader in Plan to Stimulate Buying" . Miami Daily Record-Herald . March 20, 1921. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
9. "Republicans Have Two Conventions". Temple Daily Telegram . Vol. 13, no. 266. August 11, 1920. pp. 1 & 3. Retrieved March 27, 2024– via University of North Texas.
10. Ness, Immanuel; Ciment, James, eds. (2000). "American Party 1919-1920". The Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America . Vol. 1. Armonk, New York: Sharpe Reference. p. 153. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
11. "Another Richmond in the Field". The Houston Post. April 18, 1920. p. 34. Retrieved November 26, 2023– via The Portal to Texas History at the University of North Texas. the announcement of Mr. Temple H. McGregor for governor on the American party ticket
12. Green, Michael (April 15, 2015). "Rhodes, Lee Lightfoot (1864–1936)". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
13. "Color Line Splits, Republican Party in Texas Again; Two Tickets Named" . El Paso Herald. August 11, 1920. Retrieved November 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Neff Big Victor Sweeps All Texas". The Austin American. November 3, 1920. Retrieved November 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com. H. C. Capers of the Black and Tan Republican party