1942 Texas gubernatorial election

The 1942 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1942.

1942 Texas gubernatorial election

November 3, 1942

Nominee Coke R. Stevenson Caswell K. McDowell Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 280,735 9,204 Percentage 96.83% 3.17%

Governor before election Coke R. Stevenson Democratic Elected Governor Coke R. Stevenson Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Governor Coke R. Stevenson defeated Republican nominee Caswell K. McDowell with 96.83% of the vote.

Nominations

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary election was held on July 25, 1942. By winning over 50% of the vote, Stevenson avoided a run-off which would have been held on August 22, 1944.

Candidates

• Hal H. Collins, businessman[1]
• Alex M. Ferguson, seed breeder[2]
• Gene S. Porter, insurance broker[3][4]
• Charles L. Somerville, law school operator[5]
• Hope Wheeler, newspaper editor[2][5]
• Coke R. Stevenson, incumbent Governor

Results

Democratic primary results[6][7][8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Coke R. Stevenson	651,218	68.46
	Democratic	Hal H. Collins	272,469	28.64
	Democratic	Hope Wheeler	9,373	0.99
	Democratic	Alex M. Ferguson	8,370	0.88
	Democratic	Gene S. Porter	4,933	0.52
	Democratic	Charles L. Somerville	4,853	0.51
Total votes			951,216	100.00

Republican nomination

The Republican state convention was held at San Angelo on August 10 and 11, 1944.[9][10]

Caswell K. McDowell,[11] judge[12] was nominated for Governor.

General election

Candidates

• Coke R. Stevenson, Democratic
• Caswell K. McDowell, Republican

Results

1942 Texas gubernatorial election[13][14][8][15][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Coke R. Stevenson	280,735	96.83%
	Republican	Caswell K. McDowell	9,204	3.17%
Majority			271,531	93.66%
Turnout			289,939	100.00%
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

1. "O'Daniel Is Leading Allred by 9,000 in Texas Senate Race". Evening star. Washington, D.C. 26 July 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
2. "2 Men to Seek Senator Smith's Post If He Is Elected Lieutenant-Governor". The Nolan County News. Sweetwater, Tex. 4 June 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
3. "Porter Opens 2d Week of Westex Drive for Votes". The Nolan County News. Sweetwater, Tex. 2 July 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
4. "Ex-Sweetwater Boy Candidate For Governor". The Nolan County News. Sweetwater, Tex. 23 July 1942. p. 12. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
5. "Primary". The Sunday Record. Mineola, Tex. 14 June 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
6. "TX Governor, 1942 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
7. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 145.
8. Texas Almanac & 1954-1955, p. 348.
9. "State GOP Names Fletcher for Attorney General". The Grand Saline Sun. Grand Saline, Tex. 13 August 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
10. "Republicans Name Nominees". The Daily News-Telegram. Sulphur Springs, Tex. 12 August 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
11. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, July 7, 2011. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2011. p. 70.
12. "Panhandle Republicans To Welcome Gubernatorial Candidate". Amarillo Daily News. Amarillo, Texas. 2 October 1942. p. 12. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
13. "TX Governor, 1942". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
14. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 82.
15. Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Forty-Eighth Legislature (PDF). Austin, Texas: The Capital Printing Company. 1943. p. 38.
16. Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1932-1952: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7864-7034-1.

Bibliography

• Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
• Texas Almanac, 1954-1955. Dallas, Texas: A. H. Belo Corporation. 1953.