1970 Connecticut gubernatorial election

The 1970 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970.

1970 Connecticut gubernatorial election

November 3, 1970

Nominee Thomas J. Meskill Emilio Q. Daddario Party Republican Democratic Running mate T. Clark Hull Hugh C. Curran Popular vote 582,160 500,561 Percentage 53.76% 46.23%

County Results Meskill:      50–60%      60–70% Daddario:      50–60%

Governor before election John N. Dempsey Democratic Elected Governor Thomas Meskill Republican

Incumbent Democratic Governor John N. Dempsey decided not to run for re-election. Republican nominee Thomas Meskill defeated Democratic nominee Emilio Q. Daddario with 53.76% of the vote.

Nominations

Between 1956 and 1990 in Connecticut, party conventions nominated candidates subject to a system of "challenge" primaries that allowed defeated candidates to petition for a popular vote if they received at least 20 percent of the convention vote.[1][2]

Candidates

• Emilio Q. Daddario, U.S. Representative for the 1st district

Results

Daddario was unopposed for the nomination at the state convention.[3]

Candidates

• Wallace Barnes, State Senate Minority leader[4]
• Thomas Meskill, U.S. Representative for the 6th district

Results

The Republican state convention was held on June 20, 1970 at Hartford.[4]

Republican convention results[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Thomas Meskill	798	77.55
	Republican	Wallace Barnes	231	22.45
Total votes			1,029	100.00

The Republican primary election was held on August 12, 1970.[2][5]

Republican primary results[6][2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Thomas Meskill	93,419	71.42
	Republican	Wallace Barnes	37,383	28.58
Total votes			130,802	100.00

General election

Candidates

• Emilio Q. Daddario, Democratic
• Thomas J. Meskill, Republican

Results

1970 Connecticut gubernatorial election[7][8][9][10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Thomas Meskill	582,160	53.76%
	Democratic	Emilio Q. Daddario	500,561	46.23%
	Write-ins		76	0.01%
Majority			81,599	7.54%
Turnout			1,082,797	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

References

1. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 104.
2. America Votes 9, p. 63.
3. "Duffey is victor in Connecticut". New York Times. New York, NY. 20 August 1970. p. 1. Retrieved 2 May 2020. In the general election, two United States Representatives will be competing to replace retiring Gov. John N. Dempsey. They are Thomas J. Meskill. who won the Republican nomination in the primary, and. Emilio Q. (Mim) Daddario, who was unopposed and unanimously endorsed at the Democratic state convention.
4. Treaster, Joseph B. (21 June 1970). "Connecticut G.O.P. Convention Backs Meskill for Governor and Weicker for Senate". New York Times. New York, NY. p. 65. Retrieved 2 May 2020. Mr. Meskill, a 42‐year‐old Representative received 798 of the 1,029 votes cast by the delegate's at Bushnell Memorial Auditorium. Mr. Barnes received 231 votes, more than the minimum 20 per cent required to qualify for a primary election.
5. Treaster, Joseph B. (13 August 1970). "Weicker, Meskill win in primaries". New York Times. New York, NY. p. 1. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
6. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 103.
7. "CT Governor, 1970". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
8. Glashan 1979, pp. 44–45.
9. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 45.
10. America Votes 9, p. 58.

Bibliography

• Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
• Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
• Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1972). America Votes 9: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1970. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Affairs Institute.