Kentucky gubernatorial election, 1971

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Kentucky gubernatorial election, 1971
Flag of Kentucky.svg
 1967November 2, 19711975 

  Wendell-H-Ford.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Wendell Ford Thomas Emberton
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote470,420412,653
Percentage50.56%44.35%

Governor before election

Louie B. Nunn
Republican

Elected Governor

Wendell Ford
Democratic

In 1971, Kentucky held their gubernatorial election. The governor at the time, the Republican Louie B. Nunn, was ineligible for a second term due to term limits, a rule that was repealed in 1992. [1]

Republican Party (United States) Major 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.

Contents

In the Democratic primary, Lieutenant Governor Wendell H. Ford ran against former Governor Bert T. Combs and 6 other opponents. Ford would win in an easy victory that wasn't expected. In the Republican primary, Thomas Emberton easily won his primary and was endorsed by Governor Nunn. [2]

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.

Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky position

The office of Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky was created under the state's second constitution, which was ratified in 1799. The inaugural officeholder was Alexander Scott Bullitt, who took office in 1800 following his election to serve under James Garrard in 1799. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency. The current Lieutenant Governor is Republican Jenean Hampton.

Thomas Dale "Tom" Emberton, Sr., is a retired Kentucky politician and judge who was the Republican nominee for his state's governorship in the 1971 election. Of note, Mitch McConnell worked on his campaign.

In the general election, Ford and Emberton were joined by former Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler, running as an Independent, as well as American Party candidate William Smith. The Republicans had hoped that Chandler would help Emberton's chances, but Ford eventually won the general election. [3]

Happy Chandler Governor of Kentucky, Baseball Commissioner

Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler Sr. was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He represented the Commonwealth in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His grandson, Ben Chandler, later served as congressman for Kentucky's Sixth District.

Democratic primary

Kentucky Democratic Party primary, May 25, 1971 [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Wendell H. Ford237,81553.01
Democratic Bert T. Combs195,67843.61
Democratic William Shires3,9340.88
Democratic John E. Knipper3,1280.70
Democratic Earl R. McIntosh2,4960.56
Democratic Robert McCreary Johnson2,0490.46
Democratic Jesse N. R. Cecil1.8380.41
Democratic Wilton Benge Cupp1,7290.39

Republican primary

Kentucky Republican Party Primary, May 25, 1971 [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Thomas Emberton84,86384.07
Republican Reid Martin6,3796.32
Republican Thurman Jerome Hamlin5,4695.42
Republican Samuel Prather4,2344.19

Results

General Election November 2, 1971 [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Wendell H. Ford470,42050.56
Republican Thomas Emberton412,65344.35
Independent A.B. "Happy" Chandler39,4934.24
American William Smith7,9240.85
Democratic gain from Republican

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References

  1. "Kentucky Constitution Section 71" . Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. "Ford Wins Surprising Victory in Kentucky". Sumter Daily Item. 25 May 1971. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  3. "Ford Wins In Kentucky, Carries Dem Slate". Williamson Daily News. 3 November 1971. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  4. "KY Governor - D Runoff". Our Campaign. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  5. "KY Governor - R Runoff". Our Campaign. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  6. "KY Governor - General Election". Our Campaign. Retrieved 16 June 2012.