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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 1932 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932, to elect the Governor of Texas. Democratic nominee and former Governor of Texas Miriam A. Ferguson defeated Republican nominee Orville Bullington.[1]
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary election was held on July 23, 1932. As no candidate won a majority of votes, there was a run-off on August 27, 1932, between the two highest ranking candidates former Governor of Texas Miriam A. Ferguson and incumbent Governor of Texas Ross S. Sterling. Ferguson would eventually win the primary with 50.20% against Sterling, which marked the closest primary defeat for an incumbent governor in United States history.[2]
Results
| Candidate | First round | Run-off | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Miriam A. Ferguson | 402,238 | 41.75 | 477,644 | 50.20 |
| Ross S. Sterling | 296,383 | 30.76 | 473,846 | 49.80 |
| Tom F. Hunter | 220,391 | 22.87 | ||
| M. H. Wolfe | 32,241 | 3.35 | ||
| George W. Armstrong | 5,312 | 0.55 | ||
| Roger Q. Evans | 3,974 | 0.41 | ||
| Frank Putnam | 2,962 | 0.31 | ||
| Total | 963,501 | 100.00 | 951,490 | 100.00 |
| Source: [3] | ||||
General election
Similar to her 1924 campaign, Ferguson's candidacy saw a large number of defections.[4] After his lawsuit to keep Ferguson off of the ballot failed,[5] Democratic incumbent Ross Sterling crossed party lines to endorse Orville Bullington.[6] On election day, November 8, 1932, Democratic nominee Miriam A. Ferguson won re-election by a margin of 204,805 votes against her foremost opponent Republican nominee Orville Bullington, thereby retaining Democratic control over the office of Governor. By contrast, Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover by a margin of 662,389 votes in the concurrent presidential election.[7] Ferguson was sworn in as the 32nd Governor of Texas on January 17, 1933.[8]
Candidates
- George W. Armstrong (Democratic)
- Orville Bullington (Republican), businessman and member of the Texas Republican Executive Committee.[9]
- George Clifton Edwards (Socialist)
- Miriam A. Ferguson (Democratic), former Governor of Texas
- Otho L. Heitt (Liberty)
- Philip L. Howe (Communist)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Miriam A. Ferguson | 522,395 | 61.98 | |
| Republican | Orville Bullington | 317,590 | 37.68 | |
| Socialist | George Clifton Edwards | 1,873 | 0.22 | |
| Democratic | George W. Armstrong | 768 | 0.09 | |
| Communist | Philip L. Howe | 138 | 0.02 | |
| Liberty | Otho L. Heitt | 134 | 0.09 | |
| Total votes | 843,898 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ↑ John D. Huddleston (June 12, 2010). "Ferguson, Miriam Amanda Wallace". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
- ↑ "A Failure to Launch? Kansas' Republican Gubernatorial Contest and the History of Incumbent Governor Primary Performance – Sabato's Crystal Ball".
- ↑ "TX Governor – D Primary". ourcampaigns.com. January 13, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Duckworth, Allen (1947). "Democratic Dilemma in Texas". Southwest Review. Southern Methodist University. 32 (1): 34–40. JSTOR 43466794.
- ↑ Associated Press (October 9, 1932). "Mrs. Ferguson's Name To Go on Dem Ballot". Brownsville Herald. Vol. 41, no. 83. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers at the Library of Congress.
- ↑ "Sterling for Republican: Wearing Bullington Button Denotes Party Change". Lawrence Journal-World. Vol. 76, no. 253. Lawrence, Kansas. October 21, 1932. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ↑ "1932 Presidential General Election Results – Texas". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
- ↑ "TX Governor". ourcampaigns.com. June 26, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ Olien, Roger M. (1981). From Token to Triumph: The Texas Republicans Since 1920. Dallas, Texas: Southern Methodist University Press. p. 62. Retrieved November 4, 2023.