1974 Tennessee gubernatorial election

none related races 1974 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1974 Tennessee gubernatorial election Tennessee Presidential no 1970 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1970 1978 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1978 November 5, 1974 File:Ray Blanton.jpg 150x150px Ray Blanton Democratic Party (United States) 576,833 55.43% File:Lamar Alexander (TN) (cropped).png Lamar Alexander Republican Party (United States) 455,467 43.77% 1974 Tennessee gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsBlanton: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% Alexander: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Governor Winfield Dunn Republican Party (United States) Ray Blanton Democratic Party (United States) The 1974 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican governor Winfield Dunn was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Tennessee prohibited governors from serving consecutive terms at the time. Democratic nominee Ray Blanton defeated Republican opponent Lamar Alexander with 55.4% of the vote. With this win, Blanton flipped the state back into Democratic control, with the state legislature also being controlled by Democrats. Background Republican candidate Lamar Alexander worked as a legislative assistant for Senator Howard Baker. While a staffer, he was briefly roommates with future U.S. Senator Trent Lott. In 1969, he worked for Bryce Harlow, President Richard Nixon's executive assistant.Lamar Alexander (1991–1993): Secretary of Education http://millercenter.org/president/bush/essays/cabinet/689 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150317142805/http://millercenter.org/president/bush/essays/cabinet/689 March 17, 2015 January 3, 2013 Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia., In 1970, he moved back to Tennessee, serving as campaign manager for Memphis dentist Winfield Dunn's successful gubernatorial bid.Finding Aid for Governor Lamar Alexander Papers https://web.archive.org/web/20130616142500/http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/govpapers/findingaids/gp53.pdf June 16, 2013, 1991. Retrieved: January 3, 2013. Alexander faced the Democratic nominee, Ray Blanton, a former congressman and unsuccessful 1972 Senate candidate. Blanton attacked Alexander for his service under Richard Nixon, who had resigned in disgrace several months earlier as a result of the Watergate scandal.Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 370–381, 370–393. Aftermath Following Ray Blanton's inauguration, Blanton called for a state income tax, but the state legislature, fearing a revolt from voters, refused to consider it, and instead raised the state sales tax.Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 375–387. Blanton overhauled the state's excise and franchise tax laws, and revised the state's Hall income tax to provide relief for the state's elderly residents. He also elevated the state's Office of Tourism to a cabinet-level department, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to do so,Fred Rolater, "Leonard Ray Blanton", Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: December 31, 2012. and upgraded the state's retirement system. Primary elections Primary elections were held on August 1, 1974.https://books.google.com/books?id=nqAaAQAAMAAJ Guide to U.S. elections – CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc 2005 CQ Press 9781568029818 2019-01-26 Democratic primary 21.9% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary.Steed Moreland Baker 1980 22 Candidates Ross Bass, former United States senator Ray Blanton, former U.S. representative, candidate in the 1972 U.S. Senate election Jake Butcher, businessman Washington Butler Hudley Crockett, news anchor Jonnie D. Elkins Franklin Haney, businessman David Pack James Powers Stan Snodgrass Charles Gordon Vick, perennial candidate Thomas A. Wiseman Jr., former Tennessee state treasurer Results Democratic primary results Ray Blanton Democratic Party (United States) 148,062 22.73 Jake Butcher Democratic Party (United States) 131,412 20.18 Thomas A. Wiseman Jr. Democratic Party (United States) 89,061 13.67 Hudley Crockett Democratic Party (United States) 86,852 13.34 Franklin Haney Democratic Party (United States) 84,155 12.92 Stan Snodgrass Democratic Party (United States) 40,211 6.17 Ross Bass Democratic Party (United States) 26,091 4.01 Washington Butler Democratic Party (United States) 15,562 2.39 David Pack Democratic Party (United States) 13,625 2.09 James Powers Democratic Party (United States) 13,464 2.07 Jonnie D. Elkins Democratic Party (United States) 1,694 0.26 Charles Gordon Vick Democratic Party (United States) 1,121 0.17 651,320 100.00 Republican primary 8.6% of the voting age population participated in the Republican primary.Steed Moreland Baker 1980 22 Candidates Lamar Alexander, attorney Dortch Oldham, businessman Melvin Waldron Nat T. Winston Jr., former commissioner of mental health for Tennessee Results Republican primary results Lamar Alexander Republican Party (United States) 120,773 48.48 Nat T. Winston Jr. Republican Party (United States) 90,980 36.52 Dortch Oldham Republican Party (United States) 35,683 14.32 Melvin Waldron Republican Party (United States) 1,674 0.67 249,112 100.00 General election Candidates Major party candidates Lamar Alexander, Republican Ray Blanton, Democratic Other candidates Jack Comer, Independent Hubert David Patty, Independent James Reesor, Independent Alfred W. Taylor, Independent Arnold Joseph Zandi, Independent Results 1974 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 2019-01-26 Cook Rhodes CQ Press Democratic Party (United States) Ray Blanton 576,833 55.43% Republican Party (United States) Lamar Alexander 455,467 43.77% Independent politician Jack Comer 2,431 0.23% Independent politician Alfred W. Taylor 2,338 0.23% Independent politician James Reesor 1,986 0.19% Independent politician Hubert David Patty 845 0.08% Independent politician Arnold Joseph Zandi 784 0.08% Write-in 30 0.00% 121,366 1,040,714 Democratic Party (United States) Republican Party (United States) References Works cited Steed Robert Moreland Laurence Baker Tod Party Politics in the South Praeger Publishers 1980 0030565863 1974 Gubernatorial Tennessee