1972 Louisiana gubernatorial election

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1972 Louisiana gubernatorial election
Flag of Louisiana (1912-2006).svg
  1968 February 1, 1972 1975  
  Edwin Edwards.jpg Dave Treen.jpg
Nominee Edwin Edwards David Treen
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote641,146480,424
Percentage57.2%42.8%

1972 Louisiana gubernatorial election results map by parish.svg
Parish results
Edwards:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Treen:      50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

John McKeithen
Democratic

Elected Governor

Edwin Edwards
Democratic

The 1972 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held on February 1, 1972. Edwin Edwards defeated Republican candidate David Treen to become Governor of Louisiana.

Contents

Party primaries were held on November 6, 1971, and a run-off was held for the Democratic nomination on December 18, 1971. These were the last closed primaries for Governor of Louisiana before the state adopted its current primary election system.

This was also the last gubernatorial election not to take place in an off-year, as all elections starting from 1975 would take place 1 year before a presidential election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Early in the campaign, conventional wisdom of many political analysts predicted that the race's top candidates would be Gillis Long, Jimmie Davis, and C.C. "Taddy" Aycock. [1] However, the two candidates to make the runoff, Edwin Edwards and J. Bennett Johnston, were relative newcomers to the Louisiana political scene, despite Edwards' Congressional tenure. [2]

Cousins Gillis and Speedy Long both ran in a rematch of their 1964 primary race for Congress when Speedy unseated Gillis. Ironically, Gillis reclaimed that House seat the next year when Speedy retired after Edwards and the Louisiana Legislature redistricted him into the same district as longtime incumbent Otto Passman.

Results

1971 Democratic gubernatorial primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Edwin Edwards 276,39723.54%
Democratic J. Bennett Johnston 208,83017.79%
Democratic Gillis William Long 164,27613.99%
Democratic Jimmie H. Davis 138,75611.82%
Democratic John G. Schwegmann92,0727.84%
Democratic Taddy Aycock 88,4657.54%
Democratic Samuel Bell Sr.72,4866.17%
Democratic Speedy Long 61,3595.23%
Democratic Frank T. Salter Jr.32,2032.74%
Democratic James Moore9,4080.80%
Democratic Warren J. "Puggy" Moity8,9650.76%
Democratic David L. Chandler7,2440.62%
Democratic Huey P. Coleman4,8330.41%
Democratic Harold Lee Bethune II3,0320.26%
Democratic Wilford L. Thompson Sr.2,5350.21%
Democratic Addison Roswell Thompson 1,9240.16%
Democratic Jimmy Strain 1,2580.11%
Total votes1,182,043 100.00%

Run-off

1971 Democratic gubernatorial run-off
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Edwin Edwards 584,262 50.19% Increase2.svg26.65
Democratic J. Bennett Johnston 579,77449.81%Increase2.svg32.02
Total votes1,164,036 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

1971 Republican gubernatorial primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dave Treen 9,73292.06%
Republican Robert Max Ross8397.94%
Total votes10,571 100.00%

General election

1972 Louisiana gubernatorial election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Edwin Edwards 641,146 57.2% Decrease2.svg42.8
Republican Dave Treen 480,42442.8%N/A
Total votes1,121,570 100.00%

Sources

Louisiana Secretary of State. Primary Election Returns, 1971

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References

  1. "2 New Faces Top Primary In Louisiana". Toledo Blade. November 8, 1971. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  2. "New Faces Winning In Louisiana". Miami News. November 8, 1971. Retrieved June 28, 2012.