1966 New York state election

The 1966 New York state election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state comptroller, the attorney general and the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. Besides, 15 delegates-at-large to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967 were elected on the state ticket, and three delegates each in the 57 senatorial districts.

Background

Chief Judge Charles S. Desmond would reach the constitutional age limit of 70 years at the end of the year.

In 1965, the New York State Assembly districts had been re-apportioned to 165 numbered districts. This was ruled to be unconstitutional in 1966, and the number was reduced to 150 for this election.[1]

Nominations

The Socialist Labor state convention met on April 3, and nominated Milton Herder, owner of a Manhattan advertising agency, for Governor; Doris Ballantyne 2d, a bookkeeper in the party's national office, for Lieutenant Governor; and John Emanuel for Comptroller.[2]

The Socialist Workers Party met on July 24, and nominated Judith White, a "28-year-old brunette," for Governor; Richard Garza for Lieutenant Governor; Ralph Levitt for Comptroller; and taxi driver Paul Boutelle for Attorney General.[3] They filed a petition to nominate candidates in September.[4] If the age was given correctly, Judith White was actually ineligible for the office; since 1822, the state Constitution requires a minimum age of thirty years to be elected governor.[5]

The Conservative state convention met on September 7 at Saratoga Springs, New York, and nominated Prof. Paul L. Adams, an enrolled Republican, for Governor; Kieran O'Doherty for Lieutenant Governor; Benjamin R. Crosby, of Riverdale, for Comptroller; and Mason L. Hampton, Jr., for Attorney General; and endorsed the Republican senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.[6]

The Democratic state convention met on September 7 at Buffalo, New York, and nominated New York City Council President Frank O'Connor for Governor on the first ballot. Howard J. Samuels was the only other contender.[7] The convention met again on September 8, and nominated Samuels for Lieutenant Governor, revolting against the party bosses who had selected Orin Lehman. They completed the ticket with Mayor of Buffalo, New York Frank A. Sedita for Attorney General; re-nominated the incumbent Comptroller Levitt; and endorsed the Republican senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.[8]

The Republican state convention met on September 8 at Rochester, New York, and renominated the incumbents Rockefeller, Wilson and Lefkowitz; and completed the ticket with Oneida County Executive Charles T. Lanigan for Comptroller; and senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.[9]

The Liberal state convention met on September 8, and nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., for Governor on the first ballot, polling 209 out of 312 votes. They also nominated the Rev. Donald S. Harrington for Lieutenant Governor; for Attorney General; and endorsed the Democratic incumbent Comptroller Levitt for re-election and the Republican senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.[10]

Result

Almost the whole Republican ticket was elected, and only the Democratic Comptroller Levitt managed to stay in office with the help of the Liberals.

The incumbents Rockefeller, Wilson, Levitt and Lefkowitz were re-elected.

**1966 state election results**
Office	Republican ticket		Democratic ticket		Conservative ticket		Liberal ticket		Socialist Labor ticket		Socialist Workers ticket
Governor	Nelson A. Rockefeller	2,690,626	Frank D. O'Connor	2,298,363	Paul L. Adams	513,023	Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.	507,234	Milton Herder[11]	12,730	Judith White	12,506
Lieutenant Governor	Malcolm Wilson	2,690,626	Howard J. Samuels	2,298,363	Kieran O'Doherty[12]	513,023	Donald S. Harrington	507,234	Doris Ballantyne	12,730	Richard Garza[13]	12,506
Comptroller	Charles T. Lanigan[14]	1,861,450	Arthur Levitt	3,084,981	Benjamin R. Crosby	331,467	Arthur Levitt	225,124	John Emanuel[15]	11,177	Ralph Levitt[16]	14,609
Attorney General	Louis J. Lefkowitz	3,062,355	Frank A. Sedita	2,033,981	Mason L. Hampton, Jr.[17]	322,693	Simeon Golar[18]	284,813	(none)		Paul Boutelle	12,333
Chief Judge	Stanley H. Fuld	2,341,483	Stanley H. Fuld	2,389,789	Stanley H. Fuld	326,377	Stanley H. Fuld	365,575	(none)		(none)

Note: The vote for Governor is used to define ballot access; for automatic access are necessary 50,000 votes.

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention

The delegates-at-large were elected on party lists; the candidates' names did not appear on the ballot.[19]

99 Democrats, 82 Republicans, three Liberals and two Conservatives were declared elected to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967; among them 10 Democrats, three Liberals (Harrington, Dubinsky, Rose) and two Republicans at-large. One Democratic seat in the 33rd District (The Bronx) was contested in the courts, and the New York Court of Appeals declared it a tie, ordering a special election which was won by a Republican. Thus the Convention had a Democratic/Liberal majority of 101 against 85 Republicans and Conservatives. The new state constitution proposed by this body was ultimately rejected by the voters at the subsequent election.

**1966 election tickets for delegates at-large**
Democratic ticket	Republican ticket	Liberal ticket	Conservative ticket
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	Frank C. Moore	Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	Frank C. Moore
Don M. Mankiewicz	William E. Bensley[20]	Don M. Mankiewicz	William E. Bensley
Arthur Levitt, Jr.	Amory Houghton	Arthur Levitt, Jr.	Amory Houghton
Donald S. Harrington	Kenneth B. Keating	Donald S. Harrington
Marietta Tree	William F. Walsh	Marietta Tree
David Dubinsky	Russell Niles[21]	David Dubinsky
Bernard Botein[22]	Clifford Furnas[23]	Bernard Botein
Henry L. Ughetta;[24]	William Hughes Mulligan	Henry L. Ughetta
Alan K. Campbell	Edward J. Speno	Alan K. Campbell
Alex Rose	Ruth Gross[25]	Alex Rose
William J. vanden Heuvel	Ronnie Foster[26]	William J. vanden Heuvel
Andrew R. Tyler[27]	Santiago Grevi[28]	Andrew R. Tyler
Antonia Pantoja	Sandy Ray[29]	Antonia Pantoja
John H. Doerr[30]	J. Lee Rankin	J. Lee Rankin
Monroe Goldwater	Jacob K. Javits	Jacob K. Javits	Edward Diedrich

Notes

see: New York State Constitution of 1938, Art III § 2 "The assembly shall consist of one hundred and fifty members."
AD MAN NOMINATED BY SOCIALIST LABOR in NYT on April 4, 1966 (subscription required)
SWP ticket announced in NYT on July 25, 1966 (subscription required)
SWP state ticket in NYT on September 17, 1966 (subscription required)
see: New York State Constitution, Art.
PROFESSOR NAMED BY CONSERVATIVES; Adams to Run for Governor in NYT on September 8, 1966 (subscription required)
2D SPOT AT ISSUE; Four-Way Contest for Lieutenant Governor Faces Democrats in NYT on September 8, 1966 (subscription required)
DEMOCRATS GIVE SAMUELS 2D SPOT ON STATE TICKET; Delegates in Revolt Against Decision by Leaders to Pick Lehman Instead; SEDITA ALSO NOMINATED; Buffalo Mayor Selected for Attorney Generalship; Levitt to Run Again in NYT on September 9, 1966 (subscription required)
Rockefeller Renominated, Pledges Fight on 'Bosses'; REPUBLICANS PICK ROCKEFELLER AGAIN in NYT on September 9, 1966 (subscription required)
ROOSEVELT NAMED BY LIBERAL PARTY; Candidate Seeks Unity After Getting 209 Votes From 321 Delegates Present in NYT on September 9, 1966 (subscription required)
Milton Herder (born c. 1917), "commercial artist", ran also for Comptroller in 1958 and 1962
Kieran Edward O'Doherty (c. 1927-1991), lawyer, City College of New York, and Columbia University School of Law graduate, ran also for Lieutenant Governor in 1966, K. E. O'Doherty, 64, a Founder of New York's Conservative Party Obit in NYT on May 27, 1991
Richard Garza (born c. 1928 The Bronx), "restaurant worker and seaman," ran also for Mayor of New York in 1961; for Governor in 1962; and for the U.S. Senate in 1964
Charles T. Lanigan (born c. 1925), Mayor of Rome, Oneida County Executive 1963-66
John Emanuel (born c. 1908 in Greece), "fur worker," ran also for Comptroller in 1954; for Lieutenant Governor in 1958 and 1962; and for the U.S. Senate in 1964
Ralph Levitt (born c. 1938), teamster, of Manhattan
Mason L. Hampton (born c. 1930), lawyer, of Merrick
Simeon Golar (born 1928 Chester, South Carolina), business administrator and lawyer, City College of New York (B.B.A.), and New York University School of Law (LL.B.) graduate, Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority 1970-73
At-Large Slate May Control Constitutional Parley; 15 TO BE ELECTED FROM PARTY LISTS Their Names Will Not Be on the Ballot in NYT on October 29, 1966 (subscription required)
William E. Bensley, President of the State Farm Bureau
Russell Niles, President of the New York City Bar Association
Bernard Botein (c. 1900-1974), New York Supreme Court justice, Appellate Division (First Dept.), Presiding Justice 1958-69, Bernard Botein, 73, Dies; Former Presiding Justice Obit in NYT on February 4, 1974 (subscription required)
Dr. Clifford Furnas, retired Chancellor of the University at Buffalo
Henry L. Ughetta (1898-1967), of Brooklyn, justice of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (2nd Dept.), ran for the Court of Appeals in 1960, HENRY L. UGHETTA, JUSTICE, 68, DEAD in NYT on September 17, 1967 (subscription required)
Ruth Gross, former President of the New York State Association for the Help of Retarded Children
Ronnie Foster, Head of the New York State Parents and Teachers Association
Andrew R. Tyler (c. 1918-1989), New York Supreme Court justice 1970-1988, Andrew Tyler, 71, Retired Judge; Cleared After Perjury Conviction Obit in NYT on October 16, 1989
Santiago Grevi, member of the New York State Nacotics Control Commission
Rev. Sandy Ray, pastor of Brooklyn's Emmanuel Baptist Church
John M. Doerr, state senator 1965; supreme court justice

Sources

Official result: DEMOCRATS GAIN CONVENTION RULE IN STATE CANVASS; Conservatives Obtain Third Line on the Ballot When They Outpoll Liberals; Court Fight Is Possible on Democrats' 102-84 Edge in Constitutional Parley; Challenge Still Possible; Police Board a Factor; Record Governorship Vote in NYT on December 16, 1966 (subscription required)
Charter Revision in the Empire State - The Politics of New York's 1967 Constitutional Convention by Henrik N. Dullea (The Rockefeller Institute Press)

New York Red Book 1967