1938 California gubernatorial election

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1938 California gubernatorial election
Flag of California (1924-1953).png
  1934 November 8, 1938 1942  
  Culbert L. Olson at a convention for the California Federation of Democratic Women's Clubs (cropped).jpg Frank Finley Merriam (cropped).jpg
Nominee Culbert Olson Frank Merriam
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,391,7341,171,019
Percentage52.49%44.17%

1938 California gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Olson:      40–50%     50–60%
Merriam:      40–50%     50–60%     70–80%

Governor before election

Frank Merriam
Republican

Elected Governor

Culbert Olson
Democratic

The 1938 California gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938. This was the first election since 1894 in which a Democrat was elected Governor of California, as well as the first election since 1882 in which a Democrat won with more than 50% of the vote. Culbert L. Olson had defeated John F. Dockweiler and James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor for the Democratic nomination, while Frank F. Merriam defeated George J. Hatfield for the Republican nomination. This was the last time until Gray Davis in 1998 that a Democrat who was not a member of the Brown family won the governorship.

General election results

1938 gubernatorial election, California
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Culbert L. Olson 1,391,734 52.49 +14.74
Republican Frank F. Merriam (incumbent)1,171,01944.17-4.70
Progressive Raymond L. Haight 64,4182.43-10.56
Commonwealth PartyRobert Noble23,7870.90N/A
Total votes2,650,958 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

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