1922 Oregon gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 1922 Oregon gubernatorial election Oregon File:Flag of Oregon (1900–1925).gif presidential no 1918 Oregon gubernatorial election 1918 1926 Oregon gubernatorial election 1926 November 7, 1922 File:Walter M. Pierce Oregon.jpg 150x150px Walter M. Pierce Democratic Party (United States) 133,392 57.36% File:Ben W Olcott.jpg Ben W. Olcott Republican Party (United States) 99,164 42.64% 1922 Oregon gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 250px County results Pierce: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80%Olcott: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Governor Ben W. Olcott Republican Party (United States) Walter M. Pierce Democratic Party (United States) The 1922 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1922, to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Oregon. The election matched incumbent Republican Ben W. Olcott against Democrat Walter M. Pierce. With the support of the Ku Klux Klan, then a powerful political force in the state, Pierce won the election by a wide margin. Primary election Oregon held primary elections on May 19, 1922. Republican party In March 1919, Oregon governor James Withycombe died in office, just two months into his second term. As prescribed by Oregon law, Oregon Secretary of State Ben Olcott succeeded Withycombe in office. In 1922, Olcott announced that he would seek a full term in office. In the early 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had become a powerful political force in Oregon.ku_klux_klan Ku Klux Klan Toy, Eckard Olcott refused to endorse the Klan, and shortly before the Republican primary, issued an executive proclamation against the organization for terrorist acts conducted by its members which included mock hangings.http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=CC091558-DB15-08CB-583F21043E8F36FF Proclamation Against the Ku Klux Klan, 1922 Oregon Historical Society July 18, 2011 Olcott's actions nearly cost him the Republican nomination to the Klan-backed candidate, state senator Charles Hall.http://www.oregonlive.com/century/1920_intro.html Roaring with the 1920s OregonLive.com July 18, 2011 Olcott ultimately won a narrow victory in the primary but would face a general election campaign without the Klan's support. Candidates Louis E. Bean, Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives Charles Hall, member of Oregon State Senate J. D. Lee, former member of Oregon House of RepresentativesCandidates And Platforms https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042444/1922-05-01/ed-1/seq-6/ 10 April 2026 Oregon Daily Journal 1 May 1922 6 Ben W. Olcott, incumbent governor I. L. Patterson, member of Oregon State Senate George A. White, journalist and military officer Results Republican primary resultsPrimary Vote Counted https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1922-06-10/ed-1/seq-12/ 10 April 2026 Morning Oregonian 10 June 1922 Portland 12 Republican Party (United States) Ben W. Olcott (inc.) 43,032 37.53% Republican Party (United States) Charles Hall 42,511 37.08% Republican Party (United States) I. L. Patterson 13,019 11.36% Republican Party (United States) George A. White 10,156 8.86% Republican Party (United States) Louis E. Bean 3,870 3.38% Republican Party (United States) J. D. Lee 2,066 1.80% 114,654 100.00% Democratic party In a rematch of the 1918 gubernatorial primary, Walter M. Pierce again defeated Harvey G. Starkweather to secure the Democratic nomination. Candidates Webster Holmes, attorney and judge from Tillamook Walter M. Pierce, former member of Oregon State Senate and Democratic nominee for governor in 1918 Will E. Purdy, independent candidate for governor in 1914 Harvey G. Starkweather, former superintendent of schools in Clackmas County and La Grande Results Democratic primary resultsPierce's Majority Over Field Is 5563 https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042444/1922-06-11/ed-1/seq-1/ 10 April 2026 Oregon Daily Journal 11 June 1922 Portland 1 Democratic Party (United States) Walter M. Pierce 15,144 61.25% Democratic Party (United States) Harvey G. Starkweather 6,325 25.58% Democratic Party (United States) Webster Holmes 1,995 8.07% Democratic Party (United States) Will E. Purdy 1,261 5.10% 24,725 100.00% General election Campaign With their original candidate's defeat, the Klan threw their support behind Democratic candidate Walter M. Pierce, who also agreed to back the Klan's Compulsory Education Act, which would require all students to attend public, rather than private schools, a deliberate attack on Roman Catholic private schools. Both Pierce and the education initiative won wide, but short-lived victories in November: the education law was struck down by the United States Supreme Court in their 1925 Pierce v. Society of Sisters decision, and Pierce lost re-election in 1926. Results 1922 Oregon gubernatorial electionKozer Sam A. State of Oregon Blue Book and Official Directory 1923-1924 1923 State Printing Department Salem 168 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000091790869&view=page&seq=172 10 April 2026 Democratic Party (United States) Walter M. Pierce 133,392 57.36% +14.58% Republican Party (United States) Ben W. Olcott (inc.) 99,164 42.64% -10.35% 232,556 100.00% 34,228 14.72% Democratic Party (United States) Republican Party (United States) +24.93% Results by county Pierce was the first Democrat since E. M. Barnum in 1858 to carry Washington County in a gubernatorial election. That county, along with Marion County and Yamhill County would not vote Democratic again until 1974 while Grant County would not do the same again until 1970. Additionally Columbia County voted Democratic for the first time since 1886. County Walter M. PierceDemocratic Ben W. OlcottRepublican Margin Total votes cast # % # % # %Baker3,18065.89%1,64634.11%1,53431.79%4,826Benton2,23346.59%2,56053.41%-327-6.82%4,793Clackamas7,11461.51%4,45138.49%2,66323.03%11,565Clatsop3,01951.09%2,89048.91%1292.18%5,909Columbia1,69752.34%1,54547.66%1524.69%3,242Coos3,84661.71%2,38638.29%1,46023.43%6,232Crook53253.09%47046.91%626.19%1,002Curry35142.70%47157.30%-120-14.60%822Deschutes1,56354.73%1,29345.27%2709.45%2,856Douglas4,52263.02%2,65436.98%1,86826.03%7,176Gilliam47843.89%61156.11%-133-12.21%1,089Grant73250.31%72349.69%90.62%1,455Harney56457.55%41642.45%14815.10%980Hood River92647.78%1,01252.22%-86-4.44%1,938Jackson4,67058.37%3,33141.63%1,33916.74%8,001Jefferson36050.85%34849.15%121.69%708Josephine1,84166.99%90733.01%93433.99%2,748Klamath1,21236.76%2,08563.24%-873-26.48%3,297Lake47933.29%96066.71%-481-33.43%1,439Lane8,68767.24%4,23332.76%4,45434.47%12,920Lincoln99951.42%94448.58%552.83%1,943Linn5,04563.40%2,91336.60%2,13226.79%7,958Malheur1,14146.05%1,33753.95%-196-7.91%2,478Marion8,52256.64%6,52543.36%1,99713.27%15,047Morrow72951.45%68848.55%412.89%1,417Multnomah43,77155.36%35,29544.64%8,47610.72%79,066Polk2,96866.32%1,50733.68%1,46132.65%4,475Sherman53751.29%51048.71%272.58%1,047Tillamook2,22071.41%88928.59%1,33142.81%3,109Umatilla4,73360.79%3,05339.21%1,68021.58%7,786Union3,15370.10%1,34529.90%1,80840.20%4,498Wallowa1,34469.60%58730.40%75739.20%1,931Wasco2,09553.04%1,85546.96%2406.08%3,950Washington3,76850.41%3,70749.59%610.82%7,475Wheeler31335.17%57764.83%-264-29.66%890Yamhill4,04862.39%2,44037.61%1,60824.78%6,488Total133,39257.36%99,16442.64%34,22814.72%232,556 Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Baker Clackamas Clatsop Columbia Coos Crook Deschutes Grant Jackson Jefferson Josephine Lane Lincoln Morrow Multnomah Polk Sherman Tillamook Umatilla Wallowa Wasco Washington Yamhill References Gubernatorial 1922 Oregon Category:November 1922 in the United States