1970 Georgia gubernatorial election

none related races 1970 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1970 Georgia gubernatorial election Georgia (U.S. state) presidential no 1966 Georgia gubernatorial election 1966 1974 Georgia gubernatorial election 1974 November 3, 1970 1956 File:Jimmy Carter official portrait as Governor (cropped).jpg 150x150px Jimmy Carter Democratic Party (United States) 620,419 59.35% 3x4.svg Hal Suit Republican Party (United States) 424,983 40.65% 1970 Georgia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 250px County resultsCarter: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d0596 >90%Suit: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Governor Lester Maddox Democratic Party (United States) Jimmy Carter Democratic Party (United States) The 1970 Georgia gubernatorial election was held in the U.S. state on November 3, 1970. It was marked by the election as Governor of Georgia of the relatively little-known former state senator Jimmy Carter after a hard battle in the Democratic primary. This election is famous because Carter, who was often regarded as one of the New South Governors, later ran for president in 1976 on his gubernatorial record and won. As of , this was the last time Fulton County was carried by the Republican candidate in a gubernatorial election, the only time it failed to back Carter, and the last time a Democrat in any race won without carrying it. It is also the last time that Clarke County voted for the Republican candidate for governor. Background Under the Georgia constitution of 1945, incumbent Democratic governor Lester Maddox was prohibited from seeking re-election. Democratic primary Initially the strongest candidate was former governor Carl E. Sanders. Sanders was a moderate, who worked to improve education, the environment and led the transition away from racial segregation with cooperation with the United States Federal Government. He left office at the peak of his popularity.April 2021 His main opponent was former state senator and candidate for the gubernatorial nomination in 1966 Jimmy Carter. Candidates Nominee Jimmy Carter, former state senator (1963–1967) and candidate for governor in 1966 Eliminated in runoff Carl Sanders, former governor (1963–1967) Eliminated in primary McKee Hargett Thomas J. Irwin Chevene Bowers King, founder of the Albany Movement and candidate for state representative in 1964 Adam B. Matthews J. B. Stoner, white supremacist Democratic primary election results Democratic primary resultshttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=382409 GA Governor D Primary Race - September 9, 1970 Our Campaigns Democratic Party (United States) Jimmy Carter 388,280 48.62 Democratic Party (United States) Carl Sanders 301,659 37.77 Democratic Party (United States) Chevene Bowers King 70,424 8.82 Democratic Party (United States) J. B. Stoner 17,663 2.21 Democratic Party (United States) McKee Hargett 9,440 1.18 Democratic Party (United States) Thomas J. Irwin 4,184 0.52 Democratic Party (United States) Adam B. Matthews 3,332 0.42 none|thumb|297x297px Runoff A runoff was held on September 23. Despite Sanders's initial front-runner status and popularity, Carter won by nearly 20 points. Democratic runoff resultshttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=376041 GA Governor D Primary Race - September 23, 1970 Our Campaigns Democratic Party (United States) Jimmy Carter 506,462 59.42 Democratic Party (United States) Carl Sanders 345,906 40.58 Lieutenant governor Governor Maddox ran for lieutenant governor and won the nomination. Although Maddox was elected as a Democratic candidate at the same time as Jimmy Carter's election as governor as a Democratic candidate, the two were not running mates; in Georgia, particularly in that era of Democratic dominance, the winners of the primary elections went on to easy victories in the general elections without campaigning together as an official ticket or as running mates. Republican primary At this time, Georgia was still regarded as a part of the Democratic Party's Solid South, despite the Republican plurality in the 1966 gubernatorial race. The Democratic position in 1970 was again regarded as safe. TV newsman Hal Suit faced Comptroller James L. Bentley, who had been elected as a Democrat but joined the Republican party in 1968. Candidates Nominee Hal Suit, TV news presenter Eliminated in the primary James L. Bentley, comptroller of Georgia (1963–1971) Republican primary Republican primary resultshttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=400534 GA Governor R Primary Race - September 9, 1970 Our Campaigns Republican Party (United States) Hal Suit 62,868 60.97 Republican Party (United States) James L. Bentley 40,251 39.03 General election Carter ran on a populist platform. While he refused to join the segregationist White Citizens' Council, he ran a campaign specifically designed to win over the segregationist vote that had made Maddox governor four years earlier. In winning the governorship back in 1970, he courted the right wing, particularly the large constituency of Lester Maddox, the fiery segregationist Governor ... At one point, he called Mr. Maddox "the essence of the Democratic Party" and added that he was "proud" to be on the ticket with him.https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/26/archives/1976-surprise-carter-is-running-well-carter-is-running-well-for.html 1976 Surprise: Carter is Running Well The New York Times 26 December 1975 Carter's true feelings about race might be better indicated by the fact that his had been one of only two families which voted to admit blacks to the Plains Baptist Church,The Claremont Institute - Malaise Forever https://web.archive.org/web/20071111055626/http://www.claremont.org/publications/crb/id.977/article_detail.asp 2007-11-11 but that was not something advertised in the 1970 race for governor. Results Carter won the governorship easily.Our Campaigns - GA Governor Race - Nov 03, 1970 General election results Democratic Party (United States) Jimmy Carter 620,419 59.28% Republican Party (United States) Hal Suit 424,983 40.60% Controversy Civil rights Prior to this campaign, Jimmy Carter appeared to be a proponent of civil rights and desegregation. In 1954 he refused to join the White Citizens Council despite immense pressure2015-09-03 Op-Ed: How Jimmy Carter championed civil rights — and Ronald Reagan didn't https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0906-berman-carter-civil-rights-20150906-story.html live 2021-03-04 Los Angeles Times en-US https://web.archive.org/web/20150905055422/http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0906-berman-carter-civil-rights-20150906-story.html 2015-09-05 and went on to vote against segregation for his church in 1965.Times Wayne King Special to The New York 1976-11-15 Carter's Church to Admit Blacks and Keep Minister (Published 1976) en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/15/archives/carters-church-to-admit-blacks-and-keep-minister-carters-church-to.html 2021-03-04 0362-4331 However, after failing to run as a moderate in the Georgia Gubernatorial Election of 1966, Carter's new strategy in 1970 was designed to attract the pro-segregationist vote.Sanders Randy Mighty Peculiar Elections: The New South Gubernatorial Campaigns of 1970 and the Changing Politics of Race Poll data suggested that the appearance of a pro-segregationist position could be critical to winning the race, even if it was never overtly stated. In order to shore up segregationist support, Carter made overtures to numerous racial organizations, and even personally called the cofounder of the White Citizens Council.Alter Jonathan 2020-09-18 When Jimmy Carter Was Silent on Civil Rights en-US Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-jimmy-carter-was-silent-on-civil-rights-11600437234 2021-03-04 0099-9660 Carter's apparent support for segregation sparked animosity with his opponent Carl Sanders.Torpy Bill Journal-Constitution The Atlanta The political grudge Carl Sanders takes to his grave https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/the-political-grudge-carl-sanders-takes-his-grave/pkv07kyoXFdg3rEI9OrlwI/ 2021-03-04 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution English Sanders claims that when his own campaign had presented the same poll data, he refused to pursue a strategy on it for moral reasons. Furthermore, Carter's campaign printed numerous pamphlets insinuating Sanders was too "chummy" with Black Americans.A Legacy of Leadership: Governors and American History July 16, 2008 Ultimately, Carter himself has expressed embarrassment and regret over his strategy. After being elected, he reversed his position on segregation prominently, stating in his 1971 gubernatorial inaugural address "The time for racial discrimination is over." Though attendees could be heard booing, this declaration was hardly controversial even for a Southern governor, as many had already made similar statements by that time.Alter Jonathan His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A LifeSanders Randy "The Sad Duty of Politics": Jimmy Carter and the Issue of Race in His 1970 Gubernatorial Campaign The Georgia Historical Quarterly 1 Carter won praise for his strategy from Leroy Johnson, who stated "I understand why he ran that kind of ultra-conservative campaign. You have to do that to win. And that is the main thing. I don't believe you can win [Georgia] without being a racist." References Gubernatorial Category:1970 controversies in the United States 1970 Georgia Category:November 1970 elections in the United States Category:Jimmy Carter