1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election

← 1920 October 28, 1921 1922 →

Nominee Ragnvald Nestos Lynn Frazier Party Republican/IVA Non-Partisan League Popular vote 111,425 107,332 Percentage 50.94% 49.06%

County results[1] Nestos:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Frazier:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Governor before election Lynn Frazier Non-Partisan League Elected Governor Ragnvald A. Nestos Republican/IVA

Elections in North Dakota
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Ballot measures 2004 Constitutional Measure 1 2022 Constitutional Measure 1
v t e

The 1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election was a recall election of North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier in 1921. Frazier was the first U.S. governor ever successfully recalled from office; there would not be another successful recall of a governor until California Governor Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.

Background

The recall stemmed from the conflict between the socialist-leaning Nonpartisan League, of which Governor Frazier was a member, and the Independent Voters Association, a conservative and ‘pro-free market’ faction. Frazier and his party supported state ownership of industries, while the IVA opposed it. A dispute broke out specifically over government ownership of the Bank of North Dakota and State Mill and Elevator.^[2]

By September, the campaigners had been able to gather 73,000 names on petitions asking for the recall of Frazier, Attorney General William Lemke, and Commissioner of Agriculture John Hagan. These men made up the Industrial Commission, which acts as a board of directors for the state-owned entities.^[2] The date of the recall was set for October 28, 1921.^[2]

Results

In the October 28 vote, Ragnvald A. Nestos was elected as governor by a margin of 4,093.^[3] He was sworn in on November 23.