1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election

none related races 1966 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election Tennessee Presidential no 1962 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1962 1970 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1970 November 8, 1966 President John F. Kennedy with Governor of Tennessee, Buford Ellington (cropped).jpg Buford Ellington Democratic Party (United States) 532,998 81.18% x120px H.L. Crowder Independent (politician) 64,602 9.84% x120px Charlie Moffett Independent (politician) 50,221 7.65% 1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsEllington: #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d056c >90% Governor Frank G. Clement Democratic Party (United States) Buford Ellington Democratic Party (United States) The 1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor Frank G. Clement was term-limited and was prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking another term. Former Democratic governor Buford Ellington defeated both independent candidates H.L. Crowder and Charlie Moffett with 81.2% of the vote. In the primary, Ellington he defeated John Jay Hooker, who was a friend of former governor Gordon Browning, and had been endorsed by the Nashville Tennessean.Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 366-372. Ellington was endorsed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and the Nashville Banner. By this time, Ellington had shifted his position on segregation, and openly supported an end to the long-standing practice.Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012. Tensions grew between Governor Frank G. Clement and Ellington leading up to the general election, as Ellington refused to endorse Clement in his U.S. Senate primary campaign against Ross Bass. Clement attempted to spend the state's budget surplus to ensure the Ellington administration did not inherit it.Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012. Background In early 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Buford Ellington as Director of the Office of Emergency Planning (later integrated into FEMA). During the Selma to Montgomery marches, which took place at the height of the civil rights movement in March of that year, Ellington played a key role in establishing contact and talks between President Johnson and Governor George Wallace of Alabama. The state provided protection for marchers in the last march.Alice Anne Stephens, "The President, the Wildcard, and the Link: President Johnson, Governor Wallace, and Buford Ellington in Selma, Alabama https://web.archive.org/web/20081010175441/http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/exhibit/lbj-governor-wallace-and-buford-ellington-selma-alabama 2008-10-10," Presidential Recordings Program, 2011. Retrieved: 29 December 2012. In September, Ellington helped organize federal relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Betsy.The President's Remarks Upon Arrival at New Orleans Municipal Airport https://web.archive.org/web/20130128142119/http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/AV.hom/Hurricane/audio_transcript.shtm 2013-01-28, 10 September 1965. Accessed at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library website, 29 December 2012. Aftermath In 1967, Buford Ellington appointed African American Hosea T. Lockard to his cabinet as administrative assistant; he was the first black cabinet member in state history.Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012. On April 4, 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis led Ellington to immediately mobilize the National Guard, to prevent rioting in the city. In September 1967, Ellington signed a bill repealing the Butler Act, the 1925 law that had outlawed the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in state schools.Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 366-372. Republican primary The Tennessee Republican Party did not field an official nominee in the general election. Physician Charlie Moffett sought to qualify for the Republican primary but initially had his petition rejected by state party officials on a filing deadline technicality. In Koella v. State (1966), the Tennessee Supreme Court ordered that Moffett’s name be placed on the Republican primary ballot.Koella v. State ex rel. Moffett 405 S.W.2d 184 Tenn. 1966Koella v. State ex rel. Moffett https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/koella-v-state-ex-893505721 2025-09-27 vLex en Despite this ruling, no Republican appeared as a certified nominee in November, and Moffett instead ran as an independent alongside other minor candidates. Analysts note that the absence of a Republican contender reflected both procedural disputes within the party.Cooper Christopher A. The Transformation of Southern Politics University of Georgia Press 2007 242 Democratic primary Primary elections were held on August 4, 1966.https://books.google.com/books?id=nqAaAQAAMAAJ Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc 2005 CQ Press 9781568029818 2019-03-04 32.5% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary.Steed Moreland Baker 1980 22 Democratic primary Candidates Buford Ellington, former governor John Jay Hooker, attorney Results Democratic primary results Buford Ellington Democratic Party (United States) 413,950 53.48% John Jay Hooker Democratic Party (United States) 360,105 46.52% 774,055 100.00% General election Candidates Major party candidate Buford Ellington, Democratic Other candidates H.L. Crowder, Independent Charlie Moffett, Independent Charles Gordon Vick, Independent Results 1966 Tennessee gubernatorial electionhttps://books.google.com/books?id=46A7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA421 America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook 26 October 2017 9781506368993 2019-03-04 Cook Rhodes Democratic Party (United States) Buford Ellington 532,998 81.18% Independent politician H.L. Crowder 64,602 9.84% Independent politician Charlie Moffett 50,221 7.65% Independent politician Charles Gordon Vick 8,407 1.28% Write-in 338 0.05% 532,998 656,566 Democratic Party (United States) See also 1966 United States gubernatorial elections 1966 United States Senate election in Tennessee References Works cited Steed Robert Moreland Laurence Baker Tod Party Politics in the South Praeger Publishers 1980 0030565863 1966 Tennessee Gubernatorial Category:November 1966 in the United States