1926 Oregon gubernatorial election
← 1922 November 2, 1926 1930 →
 
Nominee I. L. Patterson Walter M. Pierce H. H. Stallard
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Popular vote 120,073 93,470 12,402
Percentage 53.1% 41.4% 5.5%
County results:
Patterson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Pierce:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Walter M. Pierce
Democratic

Elected Governor

I. L. Patterson
Republican

The 1926 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1926 to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Oregon. The election matched incumbent Democrat Walter M. Pierce against Republican Isaac L. Patterson and Independent candidate H. H. Stallard, who ran on an anti-Prohibition platform. Patterson won by a wide margin.

Background

During a period of time in which Republicans had dominated politics in Oregon, Democrat Pierce had won election in 1922 with the support of the Ku Klux Klan, which was for a short time a powerful political force in Oregon.[1] However, soon after the 1922 election, the Klan faded in power due in part to internal struggles and changing public sentiment.[1]

Campaign

Now running for re-election in 1926, Pierce won his party's primary for re-election in 1926 over Louise Palmer Weber, one of many anti-Prohibition candidates that year who ran on a platform of repealing or modifying laws regarding the regulation of alcoholic beverages in Oregon.[2][3]

In their primary, Republicans nominated former state senator I. L. Patterson, who had chaired Calvin Coolidge's successful election campaign in Oregon,[4] over Jay H. Upton and W. A. Carter.[3] An independent candidate, H. H. Stallard, also entered the campaign as an Independent with a focus on repealing prohibition in the state.[5]

In the general election, Patterson cruised to a 12-point victory over the incumbent Pierce, with Stallard earning more than 5% of the vote.

Election results

Oregon gubernatorial election, 1926[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican I. L. Patterson 120,073 53.14
Democratic Walter M. Pierce (incumbent) 93,470 41.37
Independent H. H. Stallard 12,402 5.49
Total votes 225,945 100
Republican gain from Democratic

Aftermath

Patterson served about three years of his term before dying of pneumonia on December 22, 1929. Pierce was later elected to the United States House of Representatives, and represented Oregon's 2nd congressional district from 1933 to 1942.

References

  1. ^ a b Toy, Eckard. "Ku Klux Klan". The Oregon Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ "Wets and Drys clash in Oregon primary" (PDF). The New York Times. May 21, 1926. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Patterson, Stiewer win great victories". The Register-Guard. May 22, 1926. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  4. ^ "Statements and Arguments of Political Parties and Independent Candidates: General Election, November 4, 1924" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. 1924. pp. 3–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  5. ^ "Statements and Arguments of Political Parties and Independent Candidates: General Election, November 2, 1926" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. 1924. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  6. ^ "OR Governor Race - Nov 02, 1926". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
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