 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
22 governorships 21 states; 1 territory | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain No election | ||||||||||||||||||||||
United States gubernatorial elections were held on 5 November 1968, in 21 states and one territory, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election. These were the last gubernatorial elections for Arizona, New Mexico, and Wisconsin to take place in a presidential election year, as all would extend their governors' terms from two to four years.
Jack Richard Williams won re-election against Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr., in a "rematch" election, in which Goddard was trying to get his old job back. This was basically a repeat of the 1966 Arizona governor's race, with Williams winning. [1]
Winthrop Rockefeller had already made his mark in 1966, when he was elected as the first Republican governor since 1872 and having the black vote to boot, not to mention challenging the Faubus empire two years before in 1964. Getting re-elected in 1968 was good, but things for Rockefeller went downhill from there. [2]
Terry not wanting to take the National Guard out of the black communities in Wilmington played a factor in his defeat, not to mention that Peterson had made it.[ clarification needed ] Peterson would go on to be a legend in Delaware politics in a short time, mainly for his "green" politics. [3]
Samuel H. Shapiro was governor temporarily after Otto Kerner Jr. resigned in order to accept appointment to the federal appellate court. [4] Shapiro lost the race to get his own full term. Kerner, would become famous for two things: being the head of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, aka the Kerner Commission, and going to jail over various charges stemming from being a stockholder in a racetrack business. [5]
Indiana changed its laws so that governors could have two back-to-back four-year terms beginning in November 1972. [6] Thus, Branigin was not eligible for a second term.
Harold Hughes resigned on January 1, 1969, to run for United States Senate. [7] Robert D. Fulton would serve as governor from January 1 to January 16, 1969, when the new Governor, Robert D. Ray took office. [8] Ray would go on to a political career, [9] while Hughes, inspired by his own battles with alcoholism, made drug/alcohol abuse his focus in the Senate, and later left politics to open an alcoholism treatment center and to do religious work. [10]
George Docking won re-election. Ultimately, he would set a record by winning four two-year terms. [11] Kansas governors served two-year terms until 1974, when a constitutional amendment was added, creating a four-year term system. [12]
In Missouri, during Warren Hearnes' term, the laws were changed so that governors were allowed two back-to-back four-year terms. [13] Thus, by 1968, Hearnes was eligible for another term.
Tim Babcock became governor in January 1962 after his predecessor, Governor Donald Nutter, was killed in a plane crash. [14] [15] Babcock won a full term in the 1964 gubernatorial election. [16]
King might have run for another term had the 1968 presidential election not gotten in his way. He was an avid President Lyndon B. Johnson supporter, and a "hawk" on Vietnam. So, when Senator Eugene McCarthy dropped into New Hampshire, King didn't hold back, but his attacks didn't work. President Johnson dropped out of the presidential race, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey joined the race as a result and asked King to run for the Senate. King did, but lost to Republican Norris Cotton. [17]
David Cargo was re-elected in 1968. Being term-limited in 1970 (see 1970 United States gubernatorial elections), he tried running for other offices, but "Lonesome Dave" never won again. [18]
In North Carolina, governors were not allowed two consecutive terms until 1977. [19]
Governors served two-year terms until 1964, when a constitutional amendment changed it to a four-year term. [20]
In 1970, during Arch Moore’s term, an amendment to the West Virginia constitution allowed governors to serve two consecutive terms. [21] Thus, Hulett Smith was not eligible for a second term.
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Jack Williams | Republican | Re-elected, 57.84% | Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. (Democratic) 42.16% [22] |
| Arkansas | Winthrop Rockefeller | Republican | Re-elected, 52.43% | Marion H. Crank (Democratic) 47.57% [23] |
| Delaware | Charles L. Terry Jr. | Democratic | Defeated, 49.49% | Russell W. Peterson (Republican) 50.51% [24] |
| Illinois | Samuel H. Shapiro | Democratic | Lost election to get his own term, 48.37% | Richard B. Ogilvie (Republican) 51.21% Edward C. Gross (Socialist Labor) 0.43% [25] |
| Indiana | Roger D. Branigin | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Edgar Whitcomb (Republican) 52.72% Robert L. Rock (Democratic) 47.13% Melvin E. Hawk (Prohibition) 0.15% [26] |
| Iowa | Harold Hughes | Democratic | Retired to run for the Senate, [27] Republican victory | Robert D. Ray (Republican) 54.06% Paul Franzenburg (Democratic) 45.86% Harry Miller (Prohibition) 0.08% [28] |
| Kansas | Robert Docking | Democratic | Re-elected, 51.86% | Rick Harman (Republican) 47.62% Marshall Uncapher (Prohibition) 0.53% [29] |
| Missouri | Warren E. Hearnes | Democratic | Re-elected, 60.80% | Lawrence K. Roos (Republican) 39.20% [30] |
| Montana | Tim Babcock | Republican | Defeated, 41.87% | Forrest H. Anderson (Democratic) 54.11% Wayne Montgomery (New Reform) 4.03% [31] |
| New Hampshire | John W. King | Democratic | Retired to run for the Senate, Republican victory | Walter R. Peterson Jr. (Republican) 52.53% Emile R. Bussiere (Democratic) 47.44% Others 0.02% [32] |
| New Mexico | David Cargo | Republican | Re-elected, 50.21% | Fabian Chavez Jr. (Democratic) 49.29% Jose Maestes (People's Constitutional) 0.48% Others 0.02% [33] |
| North Carolina | Dan K. Moore | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Robert W. Scott (Democratic) 52.70% Jim Gardner (Republican) 47.30% [34] |
| North Dakota | William L. Guy | Democratic-NPL | Re-elected, 54.82% | Robert P. McCarney (Republican) 43.70% Leo Landsberger (Taxpayers Revival Ticket) 1.48% [35] |
| Rhode Island | John Chafee | Republican | Defeated, 48.98% | Frank Licht (Democratic) 51.02% [36] |
| South Dakota | Nils Boe | Republican | Retired, Republican victory | Frank Farrar (Republican) 57.65% Robert Chamberlin (Democratic) 42.35% [37] |
| Texas | John Connally | Democratic | Retired, Democratic victory | Preston Smith (Democratic) 56.99% Paul Eggers (Republican) 43.01% [38] |
| Utah | Cal Rampton | Democratic | Re-elected, 68.71% | Carl W. Buehner (Republican) 31.29% [39] |
| Vermont | Philip H. Hoff | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Deane C. Davis (Republican) 55.49% John J. Daley (Democratic) 44.48% [40] |
| Washington | Daniel J. Evans | Republican | Re-elected, 54.72% | John J. O'Connell (Democratic) 44.28% Ken Chriswell (Conservative) 0.91% Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.09% [41] |
| West Virginia | Hulett C. Smith | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Arch A. Moore Jr. (Republican) 50.86% James Marshall Sprouse (Democratic) 49.14% [42] |
| Wisconsin | Warren P. Knowles | Republican | Re-elected, 52.88% | Bronson La Follette (Democratic) 46.82% Adolf Wiggert (Socialist Labor) 0.19% Robert Wilkinson (Socialist Workers) 0.11% [43] |
The 1968 United States presidential election was the 46th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1968. The Republican nominee, former vice president Richard Nixon, defeated the Democratic nominee, incumbent vice president Hubert Humphrey, and the American Independent Party nominee, former Alabama Governor George Wallace.
Arch Alfred Moore Jr. was an American lawyer and Republican politician from West Virginia. He began his political career as a state legislator in 1952. He was elected the 28th and 30th governor of West Virginia, serving from 1969 until 1977 and again from 1985 until 1989, he is the longest-serving West Virginia Governor in state history with 12 years of service. He is the father of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
Warren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician who served as the 46th governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first officeholder eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms.
The Alaska State Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.
The 1968 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the presidential election of the same year. Although Richard Nixon won the presidential election narrowly, the Republicans picked up five net seats in the Senate. Republicans would gain another seat after the election when Alaska Republican Ted Stevens was appointed to replace Democrat Bob Bartlett.
Robert David Fulton is an American politician who briefly served as the 37th governor of Iowa during the first 16 days of 1969. He also served as the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1965 to 1969.
The Democratic Party of Arkansas is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Arkansas. The current party chair is Grant Tennille.
The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Iowa.
In the United States, a governor serves as the chief executive and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories, functioning as head of government therein. As such, governors are responsible for implementing state laws and overseeing the operation of the state executive branch. As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. Governors carry out their management and leadership responsibilities and objectives with the support and assistance of department and agency heads, many of whom they are empowered to appoint. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, in most cases from a list of names submitted by a nominations committee.
The 2010 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the governor and lieutenant governor, to serve a four-year term beginning on January 14, 2011. In Iowa, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ballot.
Some type of election in Connecticut occurs annually in each of the state's cities and towns, the exact type of which is dependent on the year. Elections for federal and statewide offices occur in even-numbered years, while municipal elections occur in odd-numbered ones. The office of the Connecticut Secretary of State oversees the election process, including voting and vote counting.
The 1964 United States Elections were held on November 3, and elected the members of the 89th United States Congress, as well as the 45th Presidential Election. The Democratic party retained the presidency and added to their majorities in both chambers of Congress. This was the first presidential election after the ratification of the 23rd Amendment, which granted electoral votes to Washington, D.C.
United States gubernatorial elections were held 7 November 1972 in 18 states and two territories, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on 3 November 1970, in 35 states and two territories.
Marion Harland Crank was an American Democratic politician from Foreman in Little River County in the U.S. state of Arkansas. He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1951 to 1968. He was the Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1963 to 1964 and his party's gubernatorial nominee in 1968, but he was narrowly defeated by the incumbent Republican Winthrop Rockefeller.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 1966, in 35 states. 12 Democrats and 23 Republicans won election, bringing the partisan reflection of the nation's states to 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans. This election coincided with the Senate and the House elections.
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 5, 1968.
United States gubernatorial elections will be held on November 5, 2024, in 11 states and two territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2020, except in New Hampshire and Vermont where governors only serve two-year terms and will elect their governors in 2022.
