1962 Maine gubernatorial election

1962 Maine gubernatorial election

←  1960 (special) November 6, 1962 1966  →

Nominee John H. Reed Maynard Dolloff Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 146,604 146,121 Percentage 50.1% 49.9%

County results Reed:      50–60%     60–70% Dolloff:      50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election John H. Reed Republican Elected Governor John H. Reed Republican

The 1962 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Republican Governor John Reed, had been elected in 1960 in a special election to finish the final two years of Clinton Clauson's term following his death, and was seeking a full term of his own. He faced off against Democratic challenger Maynard C. Dolloff. Reed was re-elected by one of the narrowest margins in Maine history — a mere 483 votes. As of the 2022 election, this is the most recent time a Republican won a majority of the popular vote in a Maine gubernatorial election. ^[1]

Republican primary

Governor Reed was unopposed in the GOP primary.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Maynard C. Dolloff, former State Grange Master and candidate for governor in 1958
• Richard Dubord, Democratic National Committee member, former mayor of Waterville

Results

Dolloff won the Democratic nomination by a narrow margin, defeating DNC member Richard Dubord by 227 votes.

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Maynard C. Dolloff	18,234	50.31
	Democratic	Richard Dubord	18,007	49.69
Total votes			36,241	100.00

Results

Maine gubernatorial results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	John H. Reed (Incumbent)	146,604	50.08%	−
	Democratic	Maynard C. Dolloff	146,121	49.92%	−
Majority			483	0.17%
	Republican hold		Swing

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Kennebec (largest city: Augusta)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Oxford (largest town: Rumford)

Notes

1. "Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, June 19, 1962, Image 2". June 19, 1962. pp. A. ISSN   2331-9968 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
2. Guide to US Elections, Fifth Edition, Volume II . CQ Press. 2005. pp.  1497–1499. ISBN   978-1-56802-981-8 . Retrieved May 11, 2009.