1956 United States gubernatorial elections
← 1955 November 6, 1956;
September 10, 1956 (ME)		 1957 →
30 governorships[a]
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Seats before 27 21
Seats after 29 19
Seat change Increase2 Decrease2
Seats up 14 16
Seats won 16 14
1956 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1956 Illinois gubernatorial election1956 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1956 Iowa gubernatorial election1956 Arkansas gubernatorial election1956 Kansas gubernatorial election1956 Texas gubernatorial election1956 New Mexico gubernatorial election1956 Arizona gubernatorial election1956 Florida gubernatorial election1956 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1956 Michigan gubernatorial election1956 Nebraska gubernatorial election1956 South Dakota gubernatorial election1956 Minnesota gubernatorial election1956 Maine gubernatorial election1956 Colorado gubernatorial election1956 Ohio gubernatorial election1956 Oregon gubernatorial election1956 Delaware gubernatorial election1956 Indiana gubernatorial election1956 Missouri gubernatorial election1956 Montana gubernatorial election1956 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1956 North Carolina gubernatorial election1956 North Dakota gubernatorial election1956 Utah gubernatorial election1956 Vermont gubernatorial election1956 Washington gubernatorial election1956 West Virginia gubernatorial election
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold

United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1956, in 30 states, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and the presidential election, on November 6, 1956 (September 10 in Maine). The special election in Oregon was due to the death of incumbent governor Paul L. Patterson on January 31.[1]

This was the last time Colorado, Maine, and Ohio elected their governors to 2-year terms, all switching to 4-years from the 1958 election.

Results

State Incumbent Party Status Opposing candidates
Arizona Ernest McFarland Democratic Re-elected, 59.55% Horace B. Griffen (Republican) 40.45%
[2]
Arkansas Orval Faubus Democratic Re-elected, 80.65% Roy Mitchell (Republican) 19.35%
[3]
Colorado Edwin C. Johnson Democratic Retired, Democratic victory Stephen McNichols (Democratic) 51.34%
Donald G. Brotzman (Republican) 48.66%
[4]
Delaware J. Caleb Boggs Republican Re-elected, 51.95% J. H. T. McConnell (Democratic) 48.05%
[5]
Florida LeRoy Collins Democratic Re-elected, 73.69% William A. Washburne Jr. (Republican) 26.31%
[6]
Illinois William Stratton Republican Re-elected, 50.34% Richard B. Austin (Democratic) 49.48%
Edward C. Gross (Socialist Labor) 0.18%
[7]
Indiana George N. Craig Republican Term-limited, Republican victory Harold W. Handley (Republican) 55.61%
Ralph Tucker (Democratic) 43.98%
J. Ralston Miller (Prohibition) 0.35%
Merle N. Miller (Socialist Labor) 0.06%[8]
Iowa Leo Hoegh Republican Defeated, 48.78% Herschel C. Loveless (Democratic) 51.22%
[9]
Kansas Fred Hall Republican Defeated in Republican primary, Democratic victory George Docking (Democratic) 55.42%
Warren W. Shaw (Republican) 42.16%
Harry O. Lytle Jr. (Prohibition) 2.41%
[10]
Maine
(held, 10 September 1956)		 Edmund Muskie Democratic Re-elected, 59.17% Willis A. Trafton (Republican) 40.83%
[11]
Massachusetts Christian Herter Republican Retired, Democratic victory Foster Furcolo (Democratic) 52.76%
Sumner G. Whittier (Republican) 46.87%
Henning A. Blomen (Socialist Labor) 0.25%
Mark R. Shaw (Prohibition) 0.12%
[12]
Michigan G. Mennen Williams Democratic Re-elected, 54.65% Albert Cobo (Republican) 45.13%
Alfred T. Halsted (Prohibition) 0.21%
[13]
Minnesota Orville Freeman Democratic-Farmer-Labor Re-elected, 51.41% Ancher Nelsen (Republican) 48.18%
Rudolph Gustafson (Industrial Government) 0.41%
[14]
Missouri Phil M. Donnelly Democratic Term-limited, Democratic victory James T. Blair Jr. (Democratic) 52.07%
Lon Hocker (Republican) 47.93%
[15]
Montana J. Hugo Aronson Republican Re-elected, 51.37% Arnold Olsen (Democratic) 48.63%
[16]
Nebraska Victor E. Anderson Republican Re-elected, 54.28% Frank Sorrell (Democratic) 40.15%
George Morris (Independent) 5.56%
[17]
New Hampshire Lane Dwinell Republican Re-elected, 54.73% John Shaw (Democratic) 45.27%
[18]
New Mexico John F. Simms Democratic Defeated, 47.77% Edwin L. Mechem (Republican) 52,23%
[19]
North Carolina Luther H. Hodges Democratic Re-elected, 66.95% Kyle Hayes (Republican) 33.05%
[20]
North Dakota Norman Brunsdale Republican Retired, Republican victory John E. Davis (Republican) 58.46%
Wallace E. Warner (Democratic-NPL) 41.54%
[21]
Ohio Frank Lausche Democratic Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Republican victory C. William O'Neill (Republican) 56.04%
Michael DiSalle (Democratic) 43.96%
[22]
Oregon (special) Elmo Smith Republican Defeated, 49.48% Robert D. Holmes (Democratic) 50.52%
[23]
Rhode Island Dennis J. Roberts Democratic Re-elected, 50.09% Christopher Del Sesto (Republican) 49.91%
[24]
South Dakota Joe Foss Republican Re-elected, 54.39% Ralph Herseth (Democratic) 45.61%
[25]
Texas Allan Shivers Democratic Retired, Democratic victory Price Daniel (Democratic) 78.35%
William R. Bryant (Republican) 15.16%
W. Lee O'Daniel (write-in) (Independent) 6.39%
Scattering 0.11%
[26]
Utah J. Bracken Lee Republican Defeated in Republican primary, ran as an Independent, Republican victory George Dewey Clyde (Republican) 38.20%
L. C. "Rennie" Romney (Democratic) 33.43%
J. Bracken Lee (Independent) 28.37%
[27]
Vermont Joseph B. Johnson Republican Re-elected, 57.46% E. Frank Branon (Democratic) 42.53%
Scattering 0.01%
[28]
Washington Arthur B. Langlie Republican Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Democratic victory Albert Rosellini (Democratic) 54.63%
Emmett T. Anderson (Republican) 45.00%
Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.37%
[29]
West Virginia William C. Marland Democratic Term-limited, Republican victory Cecil H. Underwood (Republican) 53.88%
Bob Mollohan (Democratic) 46.13%
[30]
Wisconsin Walter J. Kohler Jr. Republican Retired, Republican victory Vernon Wallace Thomson (Republican) 51.89%
William Proxmire (Democratic) 48.11%
Scattering 0.01%
[31]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Including a special election in Oregon.

References

  1. ^ "Paul L. Patterson (1900-1956)". oregonencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  2. ^ "AZ Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  3. ^ "AR Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  4. ^ "CO Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  5. ^ "DE Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  6. ^ "FL Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. ^ "IL Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  8. ^ "IN Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  9. ^ "IA Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  10. ^ "KS Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  11. ^ "ME Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  12. ^ "MA Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  13. ^ "MI Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  14. ^ "MN Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  15. ^ "MO Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  16. ^ "MT Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  17. ^ "NE Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  18. ^ "NH Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  19. ^ "NM Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  20. ^ "NC Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  21. ^ "ND Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  22. ^ "OH Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  23. ^ "OR Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  24. ^ "RI Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  25. ^ "SD Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  26. ^ "TX Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  27. ^ "UT Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  28. ^ "VT Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  29. ^ "WA Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  30. ^ "WV Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  31. ^ "WI Governor, 1956". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
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