1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1966 United States gubernatorial elections.

1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election

←  1962 November 8, 1966 1970  →

Nominee Buford Ellington H.L. Crowder Charlie Moffett Party Democratic Independent Independent Popular vote 532,998 64,602 50,221 Percentage 81.18% 9.84% 7.65%

County results Ellington:      60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%

Governor before election Frank G. Clement Democratic Elected Governor Buford Ellington Democratic

The 1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor Frank G. Clement was term-limited and was prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking another term. Former Democratic governor Buford Ellington defeated both independent candidates H.L. Crowder and Charlie Moffett with 81.2% of the vote.

In the primary, Ellington he defeated John Jay Hooker, who was a friend of former governor Gordon Browning, and had been endorsed by the Nashville Tennessean . ^[1] Ellington was endorsed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and the Nashville Banner . By this time, Ellington had shifted his position on segregation, and openly supported an end to the long-standing practice. ^[2]

Tensions grew between Governor Frank G. Clement and Ellington leading up to the general election, as Ellington refused to endorse Clement in his U.S. Senate primary campaign against Ross Bass. ^[1] Clement attempted to spend the state's budget surplus to ensure the Ellington administration did not inherit it. ^[3]

Background

In early 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Buford Ellington as Director of the Office of Emergency Planning (later integrated into FEMA). During the Selma to Montgomery marches, which took place at the height of the civil rights movement in March of that year, Ellington played a key role in establishing contact and talks between President Johnson and Governor George Wallace of Alabama. The state provided protection for marchers in the last march. ^[4] In September, Ellington helped organize federal relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Betsy. ^[5]

Aftermath

In 1967, Buford Ellington appointed African American Hosea T. Lockard to his cabinet as administrative assistant; he was the first black cabinet member in state history. ^[6] On April 4, 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis led Ellington to immediately mobilize the National Guard, to prevent rioting in the city.

In September 1967, Ellington signed a bill repealing the Butler Act, the 1925 law that had outlawed the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in state schools. ^[7]

Republican primary

The Tennessee Republican Party did not field an official nominee in the general election. Physician Charlie Moffett sought to qualify for the Republican primary but initially had his petition rejected by state party officials on a filing deadline technicality. In Koella v. State (1966), the Tennessee Supreme Court ordered that Moffett’s name be placed on the Republican primary ballot. ^{[8] [9]} Despite this ruling, no Republican appeared as a certified nominee in November, and Moffett instead ran as an independent alongside other minor candidates. Analysts note that the absence of a Republican contender reflected both procedural disputes within the party. ^[10]

Democratic primary

Primary elections were held on August 4, 1966. ^[11] 32.5% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary. ^[12]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Buford Ellington, former governor
• John Jay Hooker, attorney

Results

Democratic primary results ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Buford Ellington	413,950	53.48%
	Democratic	John Jay Hooker	360,105	46.52%
Total votes			774,055	100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major party candidate

• Buford Ellington, Democratic

Other candidates

• H.L. Crowder, Independent
• Charlie Moffett, Independent
• Charles Gordon Vick, Independent

Results

1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Buford Ellington	532,998	81.18%
	Independent	H.L. Crowder	64,602	9.84%
	Independent	Charlie Moffett	50,221	7.65%
	Independent	Charles Gordon Vick	8,407	1.28%
	Write-in		338	0.05%
Majority			532,998
Turnout			656,566
	Democratic hold		Swing

See also

• 1966 United States gubernatorial elections
• 1966 United States Senate election in Tennessee

References

1. Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 366-372.
2. Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012.
3. Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012.
4. Alice Anne Stephens, "The President, the Wildcard, and the Link: President Johnson, Governor Wallace, and Buford Ellington in Selma, Alabama Archived 2008-10-10 at the Wayback Machine ," Presidential Recordings Program, 2011. Retrieved: 29 December 2012.
5. The President's Remarks Upon Arrival at New Orleans Municipal Airport Archived 2013-01-28 at the Wayback Machine , 10 September 1965. Accessed at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library website, 29 December 2012.
6. Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012.
7. Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 366-372.
8. Koella v. State ex rel. Moffett,405S.W.2d184(Tenn.1966).
9. "Koella v. State ex rel. Moffett". vLex. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
10. Cooper, Christopher A. (2007). The Transformation of Southern Politics. University of Georgia Press. p. 242.
11. Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN   9781568029818 . Retrieved March 4, 2019.
12. Steed, Moreland & Baker 1980, p. 22.
13. Cook, Rhodes (October 26, 2017). America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook. ISBN   9781506368993 . Retrieved March 4, 2019.

Works cited

• Steed, Robert; Moreland, Laurence; Baker, Tod, eds. (1980). Party Politics in the South. Praeger Publishers. ISBN   0030565863.