1968 United States gubernatorial elections

none January 2025 1968 United States gubernatorial elections United States legislative no 1967 United States gubernatorial elections 1967 1969 United States gubernatorial elections 1969 22 governorships 21 states; 1 territory November 5, 1968 Seats up Seats won Republican Party (United States) 26 31 5 8 13 Democratic Party (United States) 24 19 5 13 8 324px #94C6DF Democratic hold #0272B1 Democratic gain#F48984 Republican hold #CB001A Republican gain#D3D3D3 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. Race summary StateGovernorPartyFirstelectedStatusCandidates ArizonaJack Williams American politician 1966Incumbent re-elected. Republican Party (US) Jack Williams (Republican) 57.8% Democratic Party (US)Sam Goddard Jr. (Democratic) 42.2%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=110188 AZ Governor 16 August 2013 ArkansasWinthrop Rockefeller 1966Incumbent re-elected. Republican Party (US) Winthrop Rockefeller (Republican) 52.4% Democratic Party (US)Marion H. Crank (Democratic) 47.6%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=261823 AR Governor 16 August 2013 DelawareCharles L. Terry Jr. 1964Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Russell W. Peterson (Republican) 50.51% Democratic Party (US) Charles L. Terry Jr. (Democratic) 49.49%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=55240 DE Governor 16 August 2013 IllinoisSamuel H. Shapiro 1968Shapiro became governor on May 21, 1968, when predecessor (Otto Kerner Jr.) resigned.Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Richard B. Ogilvie (Republican) 51.2% Democratic Party (US) Samuel H. Shapiro (Democratic) 48.4% Socialist Labor Party (US) Edward C. Gross (Socialist Labor) 0.4%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=121505 IL Governor 16 August 2013 IndianaRoger D. Branigin1964 Incumbent term-limited.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Edgar Whitcomb (Republican) 52.7% Democratic Party (US) Robert L. Rock (Democratic) 47.1% Prohibition Party (US) Melvin E. Hawk (Prohibition) 0.15%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174226 IN Governor 16 August 2013 IowaHarold Hughes 1962Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Robert D. Ray (Republican) 54.1% Democratic Party (US) Paul Franzenburg (Democratic) 45.9% Prohibition Party (US)Harry Miller (Prohibition) 0.08%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174244 IA Governor 16 August 2013 KansasRobert Docking 1966Incumbent re-elected. Democratic Party (US) Robert Docking (Democratic) 51.9% Republican Party (US)Rick Harman (Republican) 47.6% Prohibition Party (US)Marshall Uncapher (Prohibition) 0.5%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174285 KS Governor 16 August 2013 MissouriWarren E. Hearnes 1964 Incumbent re-elected. Democratic Party (US) Warren E. Hearnes (Democratic) 60.8% Republican Party (US) Lawrence K. Roos (Republican) 39.2%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174334 MO Governor 16 August 2013 MontanaTim Babcock 1962Babcock became governor in 1962 when predecessor (Donald Grant Nutter) died.Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Forrest H. Anderson (Democratic) 54.1% Republican Party (US) Tim Babcock (Republican) 41.9% Independent Wayne Montgomery (New Reform) 4.0%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174146 MT Governor 16 August 2013 New HampshireJohn W. King 1962Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Walter R. Peterson Jr. (Republican) 52.5% Democratic Party (US) Emile R. Bussiere (Democratic) 47.4%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174353 NH Governor 16 August 2013 New MexicoDavid Cargo 1966Incumbent re-elected. Republican Party (US) David Cargo (Republican) 50.21% Democratic Party (US)Fabian Chavez Jr. (Democratic) 49.29% Independent Jose Maestes (People's Constitutional) 0.48%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174482 NM Governor 16 August 2013 North CarolinaDan K. Moore 1964Incumbent term-limited.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Robert W. Scott (Democratic) 52.7% Republican Party (US) Jim Gardner (Republican) 47.3%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=26797 NC Governor 16 August 2013North Dakota William L. Guy Democratic-NPL 1960Incumbent re-elected. North Dakota Democratic-NPL William L. Guy (Democratic-NPL) 54.8% Republican Party (US) Robert P. McCarney (Republican) 43.7% Independent Leo Landsberger (Taxpayers Revival Ticket) 1.5%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174492 ND Governor 16 August 2013 Rhode IslandJohn Chafee 1962Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Frank Licht (Democratic) 51.0% Republican Party (US) John Chafee (Republican) 49.0%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=261832 RI Governor 16 August 2013 South DakotaNils Boe 1964Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Frank Farrar (Republican) 57.7% Democratic Party (US) Robert Chamberlin (Democratic) 42.4%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=261837 SD Governor 16 August 2013 TexasJohn Connally 1962Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Preston Smith (Democratic) 57.0% Republican Party (US) Paul Eggers (Republican) 43.0%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=53875 TX Governor 16 August 2013 UtahCal Rampton 1964Incumbent re-elected Democratic Party (US) Cal Rampton (Democratic) 68.7% Republican Party (US) Carl W. Buehner (Republican) 31.3%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174137 UT Governor 16 August 2013 VermontPhilip H. Hoff 1962Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Deane C. Davis (Republican) 55.5% Democratic Party (US) John J. Daley (Democratic) 44.5%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=144192 VT Governor 16 August 2013 WashingtonDaniel J. Evans 1964Incumbent re-elected. Republican Party (US) Daniel J. Evans (Republican) 54.7% Democratic Party (US) John J. O'Connell (Democratic) 44.3% Conservative Party (US) Ken Chriswell (Conservative) 0.9% Socialist Labor Party (US) Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.1http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=58364 WA Governor 16 August 2013 West VirginiaHulett C. Smith 1964 Incumbent term-limited.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Arch A. Moore Jr. (Republican) 50.9% Democratic Party (US) James Marshall Sprouse (Democratic) 49.1%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=261844 WV Governor 16 August 2013 WisconsinWarren P. Knowles 1964Incumbent re-elected. Republican Party (US) Warren P. Knowles (Republican) 52.9% Democratic Party (US) Bronson La Follette (Democratic) 46.8% Socialist Labor Party Adolf Wiggert (Socialist Labor) 0.2% Socialist Workers Party (US) Robert Wilkinson (Socialist Workers) 0.1%http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=261815 WI Governor 16 August 2013 Closest races States where the margin of victory was under 5%: New Mexico, 0.92% Delaware, 1.02% West Virginia, 1.08% Rhode Island, 2.04% Illinois, 2.84% Kansas, 4.24% Arkansas, 4.86% States where the margin of victory was under 10%: New Hampshire, 5.09% North Carolina, 5.40% Indiana, 5.59% Wisconsin, 6.06% Iowa, 8.20% Red denotes states won by Republicans. Blue denotes states won by Democrats. Arizona 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.http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=110189 AZ Governor 16 August 2013 Arkansas 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.http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=122 Winthrop Rockefeller (1912–1973) 16 August 2013 Delaware 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.September 2018 Peterson would go on to be a legend in Delaware politics in a short time, mainly for his "green" politics.http://www.delawaretoday.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=7958&url=%2FDelaware-Today%2FOctober-2009%2FIn-Praise-of-Peterson%2F&mode=print In Praise of Peterson Doug Donovan 16 August 2013 23 February 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140223105540/http://www.delawaretoday.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=7958&url=%2FDelaware-Today%2FOctober-2009%2FIn-Praise-of-Peterson%2F&mode=print dead Illinois Samuel H. Shapiro was governor temporarily after Otto Kerner Jr. resigned in order to accept appointment to the federal appellate court.http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_illinois/col2-content/main-content-list/title_shapiro_samuel.html Illinois Governor Samuel H. Shapiro 16 August 2013 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, a.k.a. the Kerner Commission, and going to jail over various charges stemming from being a stockholder in a racetrack business.http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_illinois/col2-content/main-content-list/title_kerner_otto.html Illinois Governor Otto Kerner 16 August 2013 Indiana Indiana changed its laws so that governors could have two back-to-back four-year terms beginning in November 1972.http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/inconst/art-5.html Article 5. Executive 4 July 2012 10 March 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090310200401/http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/inconst/art-5.html dead Thus, Branigin was not eligible for a second term. Iowa Harold Hughes resigned on January 1, 1969, to run for United States Senate.http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_iowa/col2-content/main-content-list/title_hughes_harold.html Iowa Governor Harold Everett Hughes 16 August 2013 Robert D. Fulton would serve as governor from January 1 to January 16, 1969, when the new Governor, Robert D. Ray took office.http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_iowa/col2-content/main-content-list/title_fulton_robert.html Iowa Governor Robert David Fulton 16 August 2013 Ray would go on to a political career,http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_iowa/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ray_robert.html Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray 16 August 2013 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.https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/25/us/harold-hughes-iowa-trucker-turned-politician-dies-at-74.html Harold Hughes, Iowa Trucker Turned Politician, Dies at 74 Eric Pace October 25, 1996 16 August 2013 Kansas George Docking won re-election. Ultimately, he would set a record by winning four two-year terms.http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/robert-docking/17124 Robert Docking 16 August 2013 Kansas governors served two-year terms until 1974, when a constitutional amendment was added, creating a four-year term system.Kansas Politics and Government: The Clash of Political Cultures (Google eBook) H. Edward Flentje Joseph Aistrup 2010 University of Nebraska Press 9780803269194 109 September 3, 2012 https://books.google.com/books?id=QB8iJb9N33gC&q=1974+amendment Missouri In Missouri, during Warren Hearnes' term, the laws were changed so that governors were allowed two back-to-back four-year terms.http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_missouri/col2-content/main-content-list/title_hearnes_warren.html Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes 4 July 2012 Thus, by 1968, Hearnes was eligible for another term. Montana Tim Babcock became governor in January 1962 after his predecessor, Governor Donald Nutter, was killed in a plane crash.http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_nutter_donald.html Montana Governor Donald Grant Nutter 16 August 2013http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_babcock_tim.html Montana Governor Tim M. Babcock 16 August 2013 Babcock won a full term in the 1964 gubernatorial election.http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174145 MT Governor 16 August 2013 New Hampshire 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.https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/14/us/john-w-king-79-governor-who-instituted-state-lottery.html John W. King, 79, Governor Who Instituted State Lottery Robert McG Thomas Jr. August 14, 1996 16 August 2013 New Mexico 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.http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_a934c39f-e5c1-55da-b20f-8947f4f30550.html Former New Mexico Gov. David Cargo dead at 84 Steve Terrell 5 July 2013 16 August 2013 North Carolina In North Carolina, governors were not allowed two consecutive terms until 1977.http://www.civics.unc.edu/teacherresources/documents/NorthCarolinaataGlance2-14-07_000.pdf North Carolina State and Local Government at a Glance 4 July 2012 North Dakota Governors served two-year terms until 1964, when a constitutional amendment changed it to a four-year term.http://history.nd.gov/archives/stateagencies/governor.html Archives – State Agencies – Governor 8 February 2014 West Virginia In 1970, during Arch Moore’s term, an amendment to the West Virginia constitution allowed governors to serve two consecutive terms.http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/2138 Governor's Succession Amendment 16 August 2013 Thus, Hulett Smith was not eligible for a second term. Notes See also 1968 United States elections 1968 United States presidential election 1968 United States Senate elections 1968 United States House of Representatives elections References 30emcollapsed Category:November 1968 in the United States