Alabama gubernatorial election, 1970

Last updated
Alabama gubernatorial election, 1970
Flag of Alabama.svg
←  1966 November 3, 1970 1974  →

  George C Wallace.jpg No image.png No image.png
Nominee George Wallace John L. Cashin Jr. A.C. Walker
Party Democratic National Democratic Independent
Popular vote637,046125,49175,679
Percentage74.5%14.7%8.9%
Alabama Governor 1970.svg
Wallace:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     90–100%
Cashin     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Governor before election

Albert Brewer
Democratic

Elected Governor

George Wallace
Democratic

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1970 was marked by a competitive Democratic primary battle between incumbent moderate Governor Albert Brewer and segregationist former Governor and 1968 independent presidential candidate George Wallace. The Alabama Constitution was amended in 1968, allowing a governor to serve two consecutive terms.

Democratic Party (United States) political party in the United States

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. The Democrats' dominant worldview was once social conservatism and economic liberalism while populism was its leading characteristic in the rural South. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt ran as a third-party candidate in the Progressive Party, beginning a switch of political platforms between the Democratic and Republican Party over the coming decades, and leading to Woodrow Wilson being elected as the first fiscally progressive Democrat. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal coalition in the 1930s, the Democratic Party has also promoted a social liberal platform, supporting social justice.

Albert Brewer 47th Governor of Alabama

Albert Preston Brewer was an American politician who was the 47th Governor of Alabama from May 7, 1968 until January 18, 1971.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Ku Klux Klan American white supremacy group

The Ku Klux Klan, commonly called the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist hate group. The Klan has existed in three distinct eras at different points in time during the history of the United States. Each has advocated extremist reactionary positions such as white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-immigration and—especially in later iterations—Nordicism and anti-Catholicism. Historically, the KKK used terrorism—both physical assault and murder—against groups or individuals whom they opposed. All three movements have called for the "purification" of American society and all are considered right-wing extremist organizations. In each era, membership was secret and estimates of the total were highly exaggerated by both friends and enemies.

Jim Folsom 42nd governor of the U.S. state of Alabama

James Elisha Folsom Sr., commonly known as Jim Folsom or Big Jim Folsom, was an American politician who served as the 42nd governor of the U.S. state of Alabama, having served from 1947 to 1951, and again from 1955 to 1959.

A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for an elected office but seldom wins. The term is not generally extended to incumbent politicians who successfully defend their seats repeatedly.

Campaign

Despite Wallace's popularity, Brewer was seen as an early front-runner. Brewer, who had been elected lieutenant governor in 1966, had become governor after the death of Governor Lurleen Wallace, George's wife. A moderate, he became the first gubernatorial candidate since Reconstruction to openly court black voters. [1] Brewer, hoping to build a broad alliance between blacks and white working class voters, unveiled a progressive platform and accused Wallace of spending too much time outside the state, saying "Alabama needs a full-time governor.". [2]

Lurleen Wallace American politician

Lurleen Burns Wallace was the 46th Governor of Alabama for fifteen months from January 1967 until her death in May 1968. She was the first wife of Alabama Governor George Wallace, whom she succeeded as governor because the Alabama constitution forbade consecutive terms. She was Alabama's first female Governor and was the only female governor to hold the position until Kay Ivey became the second woman to succeed to the office in 2017. She is also the only female governor in U.S. history to have died in office. In 1973, she was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.

Republican President Richard Nixon endorsed Brewer in order to break Wallace's political career and secure Deep South votes for himself in the next presidential election (which could be carried again by Wallace, if he were to run again).

Republican Party (United States) political party in the United States

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major political parties in the United States; the other is its historic rival, the Democratic Party.

President of the United States Head of state and of government of the United States

President of the United States (POTUS) is the title for the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

Richard Nixon 37th president of the United States

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States from 1969 to 1974. He had previously served as the 36th vice president of the United States from 1953 to 1961, and prior to that as both a U.S. representative and senator from California.

Wallace, whose presidential ambitions would have been destroyed with a defeat, ran a very aggressive and dirty campaign using racist rhetoric while proposing few ideas of his own. [3] The Wallace campaign aired TV ads with slogans such as "Do you want the black block electing your governor?" and circulated an ad showing a white girl surrounded by seven black boys, with the slogan "Wake Up Alabama! Blacks vow to take over Alabama." [4] Wallace called Brewer a sissy [5] and promised not to run for president a third time. [6]

Primary results

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Albert Brewer 428,14641.98
Democratic George Wallace 416,44340.84
Democratic Charles Woods 149,98714.71
Democratic Asa Carter 15,4411.51
Democratic Jim Folsom 4,1230.40
Democratic Coleman Brown2,8360.28
Democratic Shorty Price 2,8040.28
Total votes1,019,780100

Runoff

Despite Brewer's victory in the first round, he failed to win a majority and was forced into a runoff with Wallace.

Democratic runoff results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic George Wallace 559,83251.56
Democratic Albert Brewer 525,95148.44
Total votes1,085,783100

General election

At the time, the Democratic primary in Alabama was regarded as more important than the general election, as Alabama was still essentially a one-party state. The Republican Party did not field a candidate, and Wallace easily won the general election.

Alabama gubernatorial election, 1970
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic George Wallace 637,04674.51
NDPA John L. Cashin, Jr. 125,49114.68
IndependentA.C. Walker75,6798.85
Prohibition Jerome B. Couch9,7051.14
IndependentMenter G. Walker3,5340.41
WhigJohn Watts3,4970.41
Total votes854,952100
Democratic hold

See also

Related Research Articles

1964 United States presidential election 45th presidential election in the united states

The 1964 United States presidential election was the 45th quadrennial American presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. Incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee. With 61.1% of the popular vote, Johnson won the largest share of the popular vote of any candidate since the largely uncontested 1820 election.

George Wallace 45th Governor of Alabama

George Corley Wallace Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, a position he occupied for four terms, during which he promoted "low-grade industrial development, low taxes, and trade schools". He sought the United States presidency as a Democrat three times, and once as an American Independent Party candidate, unsuccessfully each time. He is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and populist views. Wallace was known as "the most dangerous racist in America" and notoriously opposed desegregation and supported the policies of "Jim Crow" during the Civil Rights Movement, declaring in his 1963 inaugural address that he stood for "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever".

James D. Martin American politician and businessman

James Douglas Martin was an American businessman and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Alabama, who served a single term in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. His 1962 campaign for the United States Senate against the Democrat J. Lister Hill was the first serious showing by a member of his party in Alabama since Reconstruction.

Charles Woods was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He was a decorated pilot with the Air Corps.

The Alabama Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Nancy Worley.

1958 Alabama gubernatorial election

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1958 was held on November 3, 1958. Incumbent Democrat Jim Folsom was term limited and could not seek a second consecutive term.

1996 United States Senate election in Alabama

The 1996 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Howell Heflin decided to retire. Republican Jeff Sessions won the open seat, becoming just the second Republican U.S. Senator elected to represent Alabama since Reconstruction.

1966 Arkansas gubernatorial election

The Arkansas gubernatorial election of November 8, 1966 was the first time since Reconstruction that a member of the Republican Party was elected governor.

1968 United States elections Election in the United States on 1968

The 1968 United States elections was held on November 5, and elected members of the 91st United States Congress. The election took place during the Vietnam War, in the same year as the Tet Offensive, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the protests of 1968. The Republican Party won control of the presidency and picked up seats in the House and Senate, although the Democratic Party retained control of Congress.

Elections in Alabama

Elections in Alabama are authorized under the Alabama State Constitution, which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature, and the election of county-level officers, including members of school boards.

Elections in the Southern United States are a composite or summary of elections is each of its component states.

1968 United States presidential election in New Mexico

The 1968 United States presidential election in New Mexico took place on November 5, 1968. All fifty states and The District of Columbia, were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. New Mexico voters chose four electors to represent them in the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1968 United States presidential election in New Hampshire

The 1968 United States presidential election in New Hampshire took place on November 5, 1968, as part of the 1968 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Voters chose 4 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1968 United States presidential election in Virginia


The 1968 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 5, 1968. All fifty states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose twelve electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.

1978 Alabama gubernatorial election

The 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the Governor of Alabama. Incumbent Democratic Governor George Wallace did not run for re-election. Fob James, a businessman who had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and campaigned as a "born-again Democrat", won the Democratic primary in an upset over Attorney General Bill Baxley. He went on to defeat Guy Hunt in a landslide in the general election. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a third consecutive term.

1966 Alabama gubernatorial election

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1966 took place on November 8, 1966, and saw the election of Lurleen Wallace as Governor over U.S. Representative James D. Martin. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a second consecutive term.

1968 United States presidential election in Florida

The 1968 United States presidential election in Florida was held on November 5, 1968. Florida voters chose fourteen electors, or representatives to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1964 United States presidential election in Indiana

The 1964 United States presidential election in Indiana took place on November 3, 1964, as part of the 1964 United States presidential election. Indiana voters chose thirteen representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

References

  1. ↑ Rogers, William Warren, et al. Alabama: The History of a Deep South State. Tuscaloosa; The University of Alabama Press, 1994, 576.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-10-25. Flowers, Steve, "Steve Flowers Inside the Statehouse", October 12, 2005
  3. ↑ Warren, 576
  4. ↑ http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060305/wallace.shtml%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D Rawls, Phillip, "Book Rates George Wallace's '70 campaign as the nastiest", Decatur Daily, March 5, 2006
  5. ↑ Rawls, March 5, 2005
  6. ↑ Flowers, 2005
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.