1952 Washington gubernatorial election
← 1948 November 4, 1952 1956 →
 
Nominee Arthur B. Langlie Hugh Mitchell
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 567,822 510,675
Percentage 52.7% 47.4%
County results
Langlie:      50–60%      60–70%
Mitchell:      50–60%
Governor before election

Arthur B. Langlie
Republican

Elected Governor

Arthur B. Langlie
Republican

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The 1952 Washington gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1952, between incumbent governor Arthur B. Langlie of the Republican Party and U.S. Representative Hugh Mitchell of the Democratic Party. Langlie won the general election, becoming the first Washington state governor to be elected to a third term.

Primary election

Democratic U.S. Congressman Hugh Mitchell announced his candidacy for governor on March 22, seeking to fix an administration that was "falling apart at the seams".[1] By May, Mitchell was joined by state senator Albert D. Rosellini of Seattle, State Treasurer Tom Martin, Speaker of the House Charles W. Hodde, and Charles C. Ralls in what The Seattle Times described as a "hard-to-predict contest" for the Democratic nomination.[2][3] During various debates, Rosellini denounced Mitchell as a "left-winger", leaving doubts amidst the anti-communist wave of the era.[4] Mitchell ultimately won the primary by a margin of 30,000 votes

Incumbent Governor Arthur B. Langlie, who had been elected to two non-consecutive terms in 1940 and 1948, filed his intention to run for a third term on July 17 after returning from the 1952 Republican National Convention.[5][6] Dr. John E. Lydon, a Seattle sanipractor, was the only Republican to run against Langlie and was not considered a serious contender for the party nomination.[7]

Candidates

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Primary election results

Governor of Washington primary election, September 9, 1952[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur B. Langlie (incumbent) 245,560 34.91
Democratic Hugh Mitchell 168,844 24.01
Democratic Albert D. Rosellini 137,889 19.60
Democratic Charles W. Hodde 59,688 8.49
Democratic Tom Martin 48,327 6.87
Democratic Charles C. Ralls 22,221 3.16
Republican John E. Lydon 20,830 2.96

General election

General election results

Governor of Washington general election, November 4, 1952[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur B. Langlie (incumbent) 567,822 52.65
Democratic Hugh Mitchell 510,675 47.35
Total votes 1,078,497 100.00
Republican hold

References

  1. ^ Cunningham, Ross (March 23, 1952). "Congressman Mitchell Announces Candidacy For State Governorship". The Seattle Times. p. 22.
  2. ^ Cunningham, Ross (August 7, 1952). "Mitchell and Hodde Seen in Lead of Demo Gubernatorial Contest". The Seattle Times. p. 3.
  3. ^ Cunningham, Ross (May 14, 1952). "Demos Face Major Decisions in Spokane". The Seattle Times. p. 9.
  4. ^ Oldham, Kit (January 11, 2004). "Langlie, Arthur B. (1900-1966)". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  5. ^ "Gov. Langlie Files For Another Term". The Seattle Times. July 17, 1952. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Langlie Sees Party Rebirth". The Seattle Times. July 15, 1952. p. 10.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Ross (July 18, 1952). "Pelly, Mrs. Tourtellotte In Congress Race". The Seattle Times. p. 5.
  8. ^ a b "Elections Search Results: November 1952 General and September 1952 Primary". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
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