1962 New York gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 1962 New York gubernatorial election New York Flag of New York (1909–2020).svg presidential no 1958 New York gubernatorial election 1958 1966 New York gubernatorial election 1966 November 6, 1962 File:Nelson Rockefeller 1960 (cropped).jpg 150x150px Nelson Rockefeller Republican Party (United States) Malcolm Wilson 3,081,587 53.08% File:Robert Morgenthau 1962 (cropped).jpg Robert Morgenthau Democratic Party (United States) Liberal John J. Burns 2,552,418 43.96% 1962 New York gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsRockefeller: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80%Morgenthau: #7996e2 50–60% Governor Nelson Rockefeller Republican Party (United States) Nelson Rockefeller Republican Party (United States) The 1962 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1962, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Incumbent Republican governor Nelson Rockefeller won re-election to a second term in office over U.S. Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Democratic nomination Candidates James Farley, former Postmaster General of the United States and chair of the Democratic National Committee Robert Morgenthau, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and son of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. Frank D. O'Connor, District Attorney of Queens County Samuel S. Stratton, U.S. Representative from Schenectady Howard J. Samuels, industrialist and philanthropist Withdrew Abraham Beame, New York City Comptroller (at convention) Campaign Robert Morgenthau began exploring campaign only thirty-three days before the Democratic convention, when President John F. Kennedy and mayor of New York City Robert F. Wagner Jr. met in Washington. With only two weeks before the convention, Morgenthau publicly acknowledged his candidacy and resigned as United States Attorney to actively campaign.MORGENTHAU NOMINATED TO OPPOSE ROCKEFELLER; VICTOR ON SECOND BALLOT in NYT on September 18, 1962 (subscription required) Wagner staked his political prestige on the Morgenthau campaign. Results The Democratic state convention met in Syracuse from September 16 to 18.DEMOCRATS NAME DUDLEY, A NEGRO, TO STATE TICKET; DONOVAN TO OPPOSE JAVITS; LEVITT IS CHOSEN in NYT on September 19, 1962 (subscription required) The convention opened with a keynote speech from mayor Wagner, who attacked Governor Rockefeller as a reactionary and compared him to Barry Goldwater. Other speakers attacking Rockefeller included former governors Herbert H. Lehman and W. Averell Harriman, who called Rockefeller a "part-time governor" more interested in being President in 1964. The convention delegates nominated Morgenthau for governor on the unanimously on the second ballot, after he fell seven votes short on the first ballot. At the opening of the convention, Morgenthau appeared likely to win a first-ballot majority with the support of both the Bronx, where party boss Charles A. Buckley announced he would lead at least 106 of the 110 delegates to support Morgenthau, and Brooklyn, which abandoned favorite son Abraham Beame on the first ballot. Buckley's endorsement was considered particularly decisive, since Wagner had supported a primary challenge to Buckley earlier in 1962 and sought to unseat him as Bronx party boss. However, when the roll was called, Morgenthau's base of support in Manhattan and Westchester County was less solid than expected, and the first ballot left him seven votes short. In Manhattan, reformist delegates had voted for Samuels or Stratton, while in Westchester, O'Connor had captured fifteen of the forty-five delegates. 1962 New York Democratic convention, first ballot Robert Morgenthau Democratic Party (US) 563 49.47% Frank D. O'Connor Democratic Party (US) 375 32.95% Samuel S. Stratton Democratic Party (US) 103 9.05% Howard J. Samuels Democratic Party (US) 74 6.50% James A. Farley Democratic Party (US) 22 1.93% Abraham Beame (withdrawn) Democratic Party (US) 1 0.09% 1,138 100.00% After the second ballot showed Morgenthau making inroads in Queens, O'Connors base, support for O'Connor collapsed. Morgenthau ultimately won fifty delegates in Queens before the vote was made unanimous. Aftermath The Liberal Party met on September 19 and endorsed the Democratic ticket. General election Candidates Richard Garza, restaurant employee, seaman, and candidate for Mayor of New York City in 1961 (Socialist Workers) Eric Hass, perennial candidate (Socialist Labor) David H. Jaquith, industrialist (Conservative) Robert Morgenthau, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Democratic and Liberal) Nelson Rockefeller, incumbent Governor since 1959 (Republican) Results 1962 New York gubernatorial election Nelson Rockefeller (incumbent) Republican Party (US) 3,081,587 53.08% 2.06 Robert Morgenthau Democratic Party (US) 2,309,743 39.78% 0.25 Robert Morgenthau Liberal Party of New York 242,675 4.18% 0.10 Robert Morgenthau Total 2,552,418 43.96% 0.35 David H. Jaquith Conservative Party of New York 141,877 2.44% N/A Richard Garza Socialist Workers Party (US) 19,968 0.34% N/A Eric Hass Socialist Labor Party (US) 9,762 0.17% N/A 5,805,612 100.00% References Works cited Benjamin Gerald Catalano Michael Beyond Donkeys and Elephants: Minor Political Parties in Contemporary American Politics University Press of Kansas 2020 10.2307/j.ctv15tt76n https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv15tt76n 978-0-7006-2929-9 Soyer Daniel Left in the Center: The Liberal Party of New York and the Rise and Fall of American Social Democracy https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctv1hw3x50.2 Cornell University Press 2021 10.7591/j.ctv1hw3x50.2 9781501759888 1962 Gubernatorial New York Category:November 1962 in the United States Category:Nelson Rockefeller