1944 Montana gubernatorial election

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1944 Montana gubernatorial election
Flag of Montana (1905-1981).svg
  1940 November 7, 1944 1948  
Turnout79.40%Decrease2.svg2.10 [1]
  Sam C. Ford.jpg No image.svg
Nominee Sam C. Ford Leif Erickson
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote116,46189,224
Percentage56.36%43.18%

1944 Montana gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Ford:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Erickson:     50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Sam C. Ford
Republican

Elected Governor

Sam C. Ford
Republican

The 1944 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Governor of Montana Sam C. Ford, who was first elected Governor in 1940, ran for re-election. He won the Republican primary and moved on to the general election, where he was opposed by Leif Erickson, a former Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court and the Democratic nominee. Although then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt comfortably won the state in that year's presidential election, Ford defeated Erickson by a wide margin to win his second and final term as governor. This election is the first time that an incumbent Republican Governor of Montana was re-elected or won re-election.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic Party primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Leif Erickson 28,292 47.05
Democratic Austin B. Middleton17,75629.53
Democratic Roy E. Ayers14,08223.42
Total votes60,130 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican Primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Sam C. Ford (incumbent) 39,826 88.24
Republican Jacob Thorkelson5,30611.76
Total votes45,132 100.00

General election

Results

Montana gubernatorial election, 1944 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Sam C. Ford (incumbent) 116,461 56.36% +5.69%
Democratic Leif Erickson 89,22443.18%-5.46%
Prohibition Charles R. Miller9600.46%
Majority27,23713.18%+11.15%
Turnout 222,964
Republican hold Swing

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References

  1. "Montana Voter Turnout". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, July 18, 1944" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  3. "Official Montana General Election Returns, November 7, 1944" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2014.