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 County results Clauson: 50–60% 60–70% Hildreth: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1958 Maine gubernatorial election took place on September 8, 1958. Incumbent Democratic Governor Edmund Muskie, was term limited and seeking election to the United States Senate, thus did not run. Democrat Clinton Clauson, then mayor of Waterville, unexpectedly defeated Muskie's chosen Democratic candidate in the primary, Maynard Dolloff, and faced off against the popular previous two term Republican governor, Horace Hildreth in the general election. Hildreth was the heavy favorite to win, however Clauson was able to narrowly defeat him, retaining the Blaine House for the Democrats.
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The election was also the last time that Maine would hold its election in September. Traditionally, Maine had held its elections two months before the rest of the nation, which had help give birth to the phrase "As Maine goes, so goes the nation" and its status as a bellwether state. However, following a 1957 referendum, the state constitution was amended to hold all elections after 1958 in November and shift from two-year to four-year terms. Thus, Clauson became the first Governor elected to a four-year term, with the next election being scheduled for November 1962. However, Clauson died in December of 1959, forcing a special election to be held in 1960 to elected a governor to serve the balance of Clauson's term.
