1952 Maine gubernatorial election

1952 Maine gubernatorial election

←  1950 September 8, 1952 1954  →

Nominee Burton M. Cross James C. Oliver Neil S. Bishop Party Republican Democratic Independent Republican Popular vote 128,532 82,538 35,732 Percentage 52.08% 33.44% 14.48%

County results Cross:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Oliver:     40-50%

Governor before election Nathaniel Haskell Republican Elected Governor Burton M. Cross Republican

The 1952 Maine gubernatorial election took place on September 8, 1952. Incumbent Republican Governor Frederick G. Payne was term limited and seeking election to the United States Senate. Maine Senate President Burton M. Cross faced off against Democratic challenger, former Congressman James C. Oliver (who served in Congress from 1937 to 1941 as a Republican) and Independent Republican Neil S. Bishop (whom Cross had defeated in the Republican primary) in the general election, easily defeating both men. Cross' election was the ninth consecutive victory for the Republicans in Maine gubernatorial races.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Neil S. Bishop, former state senator
• Burton M. Cross, President of the Maine Senate (1948–1952)
• Leroy F. Hussey, Chairman of the Executive Council of Maine

Results

Republican primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Burton M. Cross	54,865	40.38
	Republican	Leroy F. Hussey	44,087	32.44
	Republican	Neil S. Bishop	36,931	27.18
Total votes			135,883	100.00

Democratic primary

Oliver was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Results

1952 Gubernatorial Election, Maine ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Burton M. Cross	128,532	52.08%	−
	Democratic	James C. Oliver	82,538	33.44%	−
	Independent	Neil S. Bishop	35,732	14.48%	−
Majority			45,994	18.64%

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Androscoggin (largest city: Lewiston)

Aftermath

The period after the election itself was rather unusual. Cross actually became Governor about two weeks prior to the start of his elected term of office — the outgoing Governor, Frederick G. Payne, had resigned on December 25, 1952, to prepare for his term in the United States Senate. Cross, as President of the Senate became Governor through constitutional succession. Cross himself resigned as Senate President (and Governor) at 10:00 am January 6, 1953 and was replaced for the next 25 hours by Nathaniel Haskell. At 11:00 am on January 7, 1953, Cross' official elected term of office began.

Oliver would remain active in Maine Democratic politics after his defeat, becoming the Democratic nominee for Maine's 1st congressional district in 1954 and 1956, which would see him narrowly defeated both times by incumbent Republican Robert Hale. Oliver would best Hale in 1958 and return to Congress, but would be defeated for re-election in 1960 by Republican Peter A. Garland.

Bishop would remain in the Republican Party, but would cross party lines to back Democratic gubernatorial candidate Edmund Muskie in 1954. ^[3] After Muskie became a Senator, Bishop would be nominated by the Maine GOP to run against him in the 1970 election — Muskie would defeat Bishop in a landslide.

Cross would be defeated for re-election by Muskie in 1954, becoming the first Republican nominee to lose a Maine gubernatorial election in 20 years. Muskie's victory precipitated the rise of the Maine Democratic Party in what had traditionally been a rock-ribbed Republican state.

Notes and references

1. "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections Division" (PDF). Retrieved August 22, 2025.
2. Guide to US Elections, Fifth Edition, Volume II . CQ Press. 2005. pp.  1497–1499. ISBN   978-1-56802-981-8 . Retrieved May 12, 2009.
3. "Neil Bishop Dead at 86". The Lewiston Journal. March 2, 1989. p. 4A. Retrieved January 22, 2016.