1934 California gubernatorial election

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1934 California gubernatorial election
Flag of California (1924-1953).png
  1930 November 6, 1934 1938  
  Governor Frank Merriam votes at a polling place, California, 1934-1939 (cropped).jpg Upton Sinclair, 1935.jpg Raymond Haight, 1930s.jpg
Nominee Frank Merriam Upton Sinclair Raymond L. Haight
Party Republican Democratic Progressive
Popular vote1,138,620879,537302,519
Percentage48.87%37.75%12.99%

1934 California gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Merriam:      30-40%     40–50%     50–60     60-70%     80-90%
Sinclair:      30-40%     40–50%
Haight:      30-40%

Governor before election

Frank Merriam
Republican

Elected Governor

Frank Merriam
Republican

The 1934 California gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1934. Held in the midst of the Great Depression, the 1934 election was amongst the most controversial in the state's political history, pitting conservative Republican Frank Merriam against former Socialist Party member turned Democratic politician Upton Sinclair, author of The Jungle . A strong third party challenge came from Progressive Raymond L. Haight, a Los Angeles lawyer campaigning for the political center. Much of the campaign's emphasis was directed at Sinclair's EPIC movement, proposing interventionist reforms to cure the state's ailing economy. Merriam, who had recently assumed the governorship following the death of James Rolph, characterized Sinclair's proposal as a step towards communism.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Sinclair won the Democratic nomination in what was considered a political upset. [1]

Primary results by county
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Sinclair
Sinclair--70-80%
Sinclair--60-70%
Sinclair--50-60%
Sinclair--40-50%
Sinclair--30-40%
Creel
Creel--60-70%
Creel--50-60%
Creel--40-50%
Creel--30-40% 1934 California gubernatorial election Democratic primary results map by county.svg
Primary results by county
  Sinclair
  •   Sinclair—70-80%
  •   Sinclair—60-70%
  •   Sinclair—50-60%
  •   Sinclair—40-50%
  •   Sinclair—30-40%
  Creel
  •   Creel—60–70%
  •   Creel—50-60%
  •   Creel—40–50%
  •   Creel—30-40%
Democratic primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Upton Sinclair 436,220 51.68%
Democratic George Creel 288,10634.13%
Democratic Justus S. Wardell48,9655.80%
Democratic Milton K. Young41,6094.93%
Democratic James E. Waddell12,5151.48%
Democratic Z. T. Malaby4,4760.53%
Democratic Forest Dowey4,2600.50%
Democratic W. J. McNichols3,6160.43%
Democratic William H. Evans2,4330.29%
Democratic Frank F. Merriam (write-in)1,0350.12%
Democratic Raymond L. Haight (write-in)8820.10%
Total votes844,117 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Frank F. Merriam (incumbent) 346,329 41.94%
Republican C. C. Young 231,43128.03%
Republican John R. Quinn 153,41218.58%
Republican Raymond L. Haight 84,97710.29%
Republican Upton Sinclair (write-in)9,6511.17%
Total votes825,800 100.00%

Minor party primaries

Socialist

Socialist primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Socialist Milen C. Dempster 2,521 100.00%
Total votes2,521 100.00%

Commonwealth

Commonwealth primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Commonwealth Raymond L. Haight 2,421100.00%
Total votes2,421 100.00%

Progressive

Progressive primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Progressive Raymond L. Haight 1,344 100.00%
Total votes1,344 100.00%

Prohibition

Prohibition primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Prohibition Frank F. Merriam (write-in) [lower-alpha 1] 96376.43%
Prohibition Upton Sinclair (write-in)29723.57%
Total votes1,260 100.00%

Communist

Communist primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Communist Sam Darcy 1,072 100.00%
Total votes1,072 100.00%

General election

Campaign

Negative campaigning funded by the film industry was used against Sinclair to favor the Merriam campaign, as depicted in the 2020 American biographical drama film Mank . [3] Hollywood studio bosses unanimously opposed Sinclair and their involvement in the campaign has been described as Hollywood's first intervention in electoral politics. [4] They pressured their employees to assist and vote for Merriam's campaign, and made false propaganda films attacking Sinclair, giving him no opportunity to respond. [5] Joseph M. Schenck threatened to move Twentieth Century Fox to Florida should Sinclair be elected. [6]

Louis B. Mayer's MGM and other film studios deducted a days pay from their employees to raise an anti-Sinclair fund that amounted to $500,000. Irving Thalberg was to lead MGM's anti-Sinclair campaign and the studio recruited Carey Wilson to create a series of anti-Sinclair propaganda films. These films, directed by Felix E. Feist, included fake newsreels of Sinclair supporters who were portrayed as bums and criminals. They were shown in Californian movie theaters, with one episode featuring hired actors as Sinclair supporters speaking with foreign accents. [7]

Big corporations in California were strongly opposed to Sinclair. Both Standard Oil of California and Pacific Mutual sent out a letter to their stockholders encouraging them to oppose Sinclair. Various corporations created front organisations to oppose his campaign, for instance the California Real Estate Association formed the 'Merriam for Governor Committee'. [8]

Upton Sinclair later stated that there was a "campaign of lying" against him during the campaign which was "ordered by the biggest businessmen in California and paid for with millions of dollars" that was carried out by newspapers, politicians, advertisers, and the film industry. [9] One survey of over 500 Californian newspapers found that over 90% supported Merriam, 5% supported Raymond Haight and the rest made no endorsement. The only newspaper surveyed which endorsed Sinclair was his own outlet Epic News. [6]

However, Sinclair did have support from some public figures. For instance the 'Author's League for Sinclair' was founded by Dorothy Thompson and Gene Fowler. Progressives like Charlie Chaplin, [10] Dorothy Parker, Donald Ogden Stewart, Lillian Hellman and Groucho Marx were also Sinclair supporters. [4]

Candidates

Results

1934 California gubernatorial election [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Frank F. Merriam (incumbent) 1,138,620 48.87% −23.28%
Democratic Upton Sinclair 879,53737.75%+13.64%
Progressive Raymond L. Haight 302,51912.99%+12.99%
Communist Sam Darcy 5,8260.25%+0.25%
Socialist Milen C. Dempster2,9470.13%−3.52%
Scattering2730.01%
Majority259,08311.12%
Total votes2,329,458 100.00%
Republican hold Swing -36.93%

Results by county

CountyFrank F. Merriam
Republican
Upton Sinclair
Democratic
Raymond L. Haight
Progressive
Sam Darcy
Communist
Milen C. Dempster
Socialist
Scattering
Write-in
MarginTotal votes cast [11]
# %# %# %# %# %# %# %
Alameda 102,32852.68%73,23337.70%17,7589.14%5810.30%2910.15%410.02%29,09514.98%194,232
Alpine 15887.29%137.18%105.52%00.00%00.00%00.00%14580.11%181
Amador 1,94652.00%98126.22%80221.43%90.24%40.11%00.00%96525.79%3,742
Butte 8,04147.82%5,93235.28%2,79516.62%290.17%180.11%00.00%2,10912.54%16,815
Calaveras 1,52445.83%1,23237.05%55316.63%80.24%50.15%30.09%2928.78%3,325
Colusa 2,58455.70%86118.56%1,17925.41%80.17%70.15%00.00%1,405 [lower-alpha 2] 30.29%4,639
Contra Costa 15,54045.52%15,59145.67%2,8948.48%800.23%280.08%70.02%-51-0.15%34,140
Del Norte 1,22149.39%1,10644.74%1295.22%40.16%120.49%00.00%1154.65%2,472
El Dorado 1,74433.37%1,68132.17%1,76633.79%230.44%120.23%00.00%-22-0.42%5,226
Fresno 15,33830.46%15,50930.80%19,29638.33%1010.20%1010.20%20.00%-3,787 [lower-alpha 3] -7.53%50,347
Glenn 2,34246.00%1,45628.60%1,28625.26%20.04%50.10%00.00%88617.40%5,091
Humboldt 9,17950.95%6,44835.79%2,27112.61%790.44%380.21%00.00%2,73115.16%18,015
Imperial 7,25352.01%5,63740.42%1,0017.18%170.12%380.27%00.00%1,61611.59%13,946
Inyo 1,51457.39%87733.24%2328.79%110.42%40.15%00.00%63724.15%2,638
Kern 14,79848.59%11,34837.26%4,19713.78%490.16%600.20%20.01%3.45011.33%30,454
Kings 3,63341.18%2,32626.37%2,84832.28%50.06%90.10%10.01%785 [lower-alpha 2] 8.90%8,822
Lake 2,31756.54%1,33832.65%43310.57%10.02%90.22%00.00%97923.89%4,098
Lassen 1,69733.09%2,02339.44%1,38226.94%60.12%210.41%00.00%-326-6.36%5,129
Los Angeles 457,75547.45%405,33142.02%98,34810.20%2,2380.23%8220.09%1420.01%52,4245.43%964,636
Madera 2,20432.84%2,44136.37%2,04330.44%160.24%80.12%00.00%-237-3.53%6,712
Marin 9,75654.50%6,49436.28%1,5558.69%430.24%490.27%50.03%3,26218.22%17,902
Mariposa 1,08946.80%86537.17%35415.21%70.30%120.52%00.00%2249.63%2,327
Mendocino 6,17862.87%2,76328.12%7948.08%680.69%230.23%10.01%3,41534.75%9,827
Merced 4,12335.52%3,72732.10%3,72732.10%180.16%130.11%10.01%3963.41%11,609
Modoc 1,45249.39%83628.44%63721.67%50.17%100.34%00.00%61620.95%2,940
Mono 52063.11%23428.40%647.77%10.12%50.61%00.00%28634.71%824
Monterey 11,08361.53%5,58531.01%1,2857.13%400.22%160.09%40.02%5,49830.52%18,013
Napa 5,75058.96%2,80628.77%1,17512.05%110.11%110.11%00.00%2,94430.19%9,753
Nevada 3,16345.33%2,16531.03%1,60222.96%280.40%190.27%00.00%99814.30%6,977
Orange 27,09953.73%14,09227.94%9,14218.13%590.12%420.08%40.01%13,00725.79%50,438
Placer 3,33734.23%3,11331.93%3,27133.55%160.16%130.13%00.00%66 [lower-alpha 2] 0.68%9,750
Plumas 1,21336.64%1,22637.03%85825.91%20.06%120.36%00.00%-13-0.39%3,311
Riverside 19,89262.33%9,89631.01%2,0726.49%310.10%240.08%00.00%9,99631.32%31,915
Sacramento 19,36035.75%16,29130.09%18,31033.81%1330.25%510.09%30.01%1,050 [lower-alpha 2] 1.94%54,148
San Benito 2,93165.25%1,25127.85%2966.59%60.13%80.18%00.00%1,68037.40%4,492
San Bernardino 30,28556.76%19,15735.90%3,7747.07%800.15%570.11%60.01%11,12820.85%53,359
San Diego 44,42250.76%32,07336.65%10,75912.29%1850.21%690.08%00.00%12,34914.11%87,508
San Francisco 115,04750.91%87,85038.88%21,4999.51%1,1160.49%4330.19%320.01%27,19712.04%225,977
San Joaquin 17,61246.64%13,72036.33%6,25516.56%700.19%1040.28%00.00%3,89210.31%37,761
San Luis Obispo 6,42247.11%5,09337.36%2,06315.13%340.25%190.14%00.00%1,3299.75%13,631
San Mateo 18,44852.29%13,02236.91%3,66910.40%920.26%400.11%60.02%5,42615.38%35,277
Santa Barbara 14,42960.29%7,73532.32%1,7027.11%530.22%110.05%20.01%6,69427.97%23,932
Santa Clara 37,15660.06%19,28131.17%5,2158.43%1070.17%1000.16%20.00%17,87528.90%61,861
Santa Cruz 10,90563.17%5,15529.86%1,1196.48%740.43%80.05%30.02%5,75033.31%17,264
Shasta 3,28342.75%2,81936.71%1,54320.09%70.09%280.36%00.00%4646.04%7,680
Sierra 67645.19%47131.48%33922.66%20.13%70.47%10.07%20513.70%1,496
Siskiyou 4,20239.19%3,51432.77%2,95327.54%160.15%370.35%00.00%6886.42%10,722
Solano 6,72844.57%5,11233.87%3,20621.24%290.19%190.13%00.00%1,61610.71%15,094
Sonoma 15,32957.41%8,16430.58%3,07011.50%900.34%430.16%30.01%7,16526.84%26,699
Stanislaus 7,85334.46%6,26027.47%8,59237.70%180.08%640.28%10.00%-739-3.24%22,788
Sutter 2,87247.01%1,98032.41%1,24420.36%80.13%50.08%00.00%89214.60%6,109
Tehama 2,86544.34%1,81628.10%1,76327.28%70.11%110.17%00.00%1,04916.23%6,462
Trinity 88940.21%99344.91%30813.93%130.59%80.36%00.00%-104-4.70%2,211
Tulare 9,85037.46%6,86726.12%9,51236.18%460.17%180.07%10.00%338 [lower-alpha 2] 1.29%26,294
Tuolumne 1,58036.62%1,94044.96%78518.19%00.00%100.23%00.00%-360-8.34%4,315
Ventura 11,01554.07%6,56032.20%2,74013.45%290.14%260.13%00.00%4,45521.87%20,370
Yolo 4,08746.44%1,64618.70%3,04134.56%120.14%140.16%00.00%1,046 [lower-alpha 2] 11.89%8,800
Yuba 2,60349.81%1,60130.64%1,00319.19%30.06%160.31%00.00%1,00219.17%5,226
Total1,138,62048.87%879,53737.75%302,51912.99%5,8260.25%2,9470.13%2730.01%259,08311.12%2,329,722

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Republican to Progressive

Notes

  1. Was not listed under Prohibition in the general election
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Margin over Haight
  3. Margin over Sinclair

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References

  1. Manchel, Frank (1990). Film Study An Analytical Bibliography · Volume 1. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 226.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote at Primary Election held on August 28, 1934 in the State of California. Sacramento, California: State Printing Office. pp. 5–7. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  3. Mitchell, Greg. ‘Mank’ and Politics: What Really Happened in 1934 California. New York Times, Dec. 7, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Saverio, Giovacchini (2001). Hollywood Modernism Film and Politics in the Age of the New Deal. Temple University Press. p. 44.
  5. Cohen, Harvey G. (2015). "The Struggle to Fashion the NRA Code: The Triumph of Studio Power in 1933 Hollywood". Journal of American Studies. 50 (4): 1039–1066. doi:10.1017/S002187581500122X. ISSN   0021-8758. S2CID   147499614.
  6. 1 2 Singer, Donald L. (Winter 1974). "Upton Sinclair and the California Gubernatorial Campaign of 1934". Southern California Quarterly. 56 (4): 375–406. doi:10.2307/41171421. JSTOR   41171421.
  7. Critchlow, Donald T. (2013). When Hollywood Was Right How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics. Cambridge University Press. pp. 26–27.
  8. American Fascism and the New Deal The Associated Farmers of California and the Pro-Industrial Movement. Lexington Books. 2013. pp. 58–9.
  9. Sinclair, Upton (2023). I, Candidate for Governor And How I Got Licked. University of California Press. p. 99.
  10. Maland, Charles J. (2021). Chaplin and American Culture The Evolution of a Star Image. Princeton University Press. pp. 135–6.
  11. 1 2 California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote at General Election held on November 6, 1934 in the State of California. Sacramento, California: State Printing Office. p. 5. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

Further reading