1962 New York gubernatorial election

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1962 New York gubernatorial election
Flag of New York (1909-2020).svg
  1958 November 6, 1962 1966  
  Nelson Rockefeller 1960 (cropped).jpg Robert Morgenthau 1962 (cropped).jpg
Nominee Nelson Rockefeller Robert Morgenthau
Party Republican Democratic
Alliance Liberal
Running mate Malcolm Wilson John J. Burns
Popular vote3,081,5872,552,418
Percentage53.1%44.0%

1962 New York gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Rockefeller:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%
Morgenthau:     50-60%

Governor before election

Nelson Rockefeller
Republican

Elected Governor

Nelson Rockefeller
Republican

The 1962 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1962 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Incumbent Republican governor Nelson Rockefeller won re-election to a second term in office over U.S. Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

Contents

Democratic nomination

Candidates

Withdrew

Campaign

Robert Morgenthau began exploring campaign only thirty-three days before the Democratic convention, when President John F. Kennedy and mayor of New York City Robert F. Wagner Jr. met in Washington. With only two weeks before the convention, Morgenthau publicly acknowledged his candidacy and resigned as United States Attorney to actively campaign. [1] Wagner staked his political prestige on the Morgenthau campaign. [1]

Results

The Democratic state convention met in Syracuse from September 16 to 18. [2] [1] The convention opened with a keynote speech from mayor Wagner, who attacked Governor Rockefeller as a reactionary and compared him to Barry Goldwater. [1] Other speakers attacking Rockefeller included former governors Herbert H. Lehman and W. Averell Harriman, who called Rockefeller a "part-time governor" more interested in being President in 1964. [1] The convention delegates nominated Morgenthau for governor on the unanimously on the second ballot, after he fell seven votes short on the first ballot. [1]

At the opening of the convention, Morgenthau appeared likely to win a first-ballot majority with the support of both the Bronx, where party boss Charles A. Buckley announced he would lead at least 106 of the 110 delegates to support Morgenthau, and Brooklyn, which abandoned favorite son Abraham Beame on the first ballot. Buckley's endorsement was considered particularly decisive, since Wagner had supported a primary challenge to Buckley earlier in 1962 and sought to unseat him as Bronx party boss. [1]

However, when the roll was called, Morgenthau's base of support in Manhattan and Westchester County was less solid than expected, and the first ballot left him seven votes short. In Manhattan, reformist delegates had voted for Samuels or Stratton, while in Westchester, O'Connor had captured fifteen of the forty-five delegates. [1]

1962 New York Democratic convention, first ballot [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Robert Morgenthau 56349.47%
Democratic Frank D. O'Connor 37532.95%
Democratic Samuel S. Stratton 1039.05%
Democratic Howard J. Samuels 746.50%
Democratic James A. Farley 221.93%
Democratic Abraham Beame (withdrawn)10.09%
Total votes1,138 100.00%

After the second ballot showed Morgenthau making inroads in Queen, O'Connors base, support for O'Connor collapsed. Morgenthau ultimately won fifty delegates in Queens before the vote was made unanimous. [1]

Aftermath

The Liberal Party met on September 19 and endorsed the Democratic ticket.

General election

Candidates

Results

1962 New York gubernatorial election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Nelson Rockefeller (incumbent) 3,081,587 53.08% Decrease2.svg 2.06
Democratic Robert Morgenthau 2,309,74339.78%Decrease2.svg 0.25
Liberal Robert Morgenthau 242,6754.18%Decrease2.svg 0.10
Total Robert Morgenthau 2,552,41843.96%Decrease2.svg 0.35
Conservative David H. Jaquith141,8772.44%N/A
Socialist Workers Richard Garza19,9680.34%N/A
Socialist Labor Eric Hass 9,7620.17%N/A
Total votes5,805,612 100.00%

References

Works cited