1966 Arkansas gubernatorial election
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![]() County results
Rockefeller: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Arkansas |
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The 1966 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966. Winthrop Rockefeller was elected governor of Arkansas, becoming the first Republican to be elected to the office since Reconstruction in 1872.
The election occurred amidst strong midterm results for the Republican Party nationally, and in the traditionally-Democratic South. Republicans concurrently won the governorship of Florida also for the first time since Reconstruction, and only narrowly lost the governorship of Georgia, despite winning a plurality of the vote.
Democratic primary
[edit]Popular and powerful six-term (since 1955) incumbent Orval E. Faubus decided against seeking re-election. "Justice Jim" Johnson, a political ally of George C. Wallace of Alabama, ran a segregationist campaign with support of the White Citizens Council. A decade earlier, Johnson had run in the Democratic primary against Faubus, another segregationist, whom he accused of working behind the scenes for racial integration.
Candidates
[edit]- Thomas Dale Alford, former U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 1962
- Sam Boyce, attorney and former State Representative
- Brooks Hays, former U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 1930
- Frank Holt, State Supreme Court Associate Justice and Attorney General
- James D. "Justice Jim" Johnson, State Supreme Court Associate Justice, former State Senator and candidate for governor in 1956
- Raymond Rebsamen, insurance executive and Ford dealer
- Kenneth S. Sulcer, state senator and real estate broker
Results
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | James D. Johnson | 105,607 | 25.14 | |
Democratic | Frank Holt | 92,711 | 22.07 | |
Democratic | Brooks Hays | 64,814 | 15.43 | |
Democratic | Thomas Dale Alford | 53,531 | 12.74 | |
Democratic | Sam Boyce | 49,744 | 11.84 | |
Democratic | Raymond Rebsamen | 35,607 | 8.48 | |
Democratic | Kenneth S. Sulcer | 18,051 | 4.30 | |
Total votes | 420,065 | 100.00 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | James D. Johnson | 210,543 | 51.86 | |
Democratic | Frank Holt | 195,442 | 48.14 | |
Total votes | 405,985 | 100.00 |
Holt was supported by many younger, more liberal, Democrats, such as future governor and U.S. President Bill Clinton, who served as his campaign aide though he was not old enough to vote at the time.
Republican primary
[edit]A northeastern native, multimillionaire and scion of a prominent political/business family Winthrop Rockefeller was nominated with over 96% of the vote over Gus McMillan of Sheridan. Charges abounded that McMillan, a lifelong Democrat, was planted in the race by Faubus in order to force the Republicans to hold an expensive and needless primary. Rockefeller had been the GOP nominee in the 1964 election.
Campaign
[edit]Rockefeller was an unusual candidate – an eastern establishment member and moderate-to-liberal party wing member (such as his brother, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, an unofficial leader of this wing for many years).
The Republican Party at this time practically played only a most minor role in Arkansas politics.
However, his popularity and the break within Democratic camp, where many were outraged with Johnson's segregationist stances, and good year for the Republicans nationally helped Rockefeller to win.
Results
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Winthrop Rockefeller | 306,324 | 54.36 | |
Democratic | James D. Johnson | 257,203 | 45.64 | |
Total votes | 563,527 | 100.00 |
References
[edit]- Arkansas gubernatorial elections
- 1966 Arkansas elections
- 1966 United States gubernatorial elections
- November 1966 events in the United States
- 1966 in Arkansas
- United States gubernatorial elections in the 1960s
- 1960s in Arkansas
- July 1966 events in the United States
- August 1966 events in the United States
- 1966 elections in the United States
- Government of Arkansas
- 1960s Arkansas elections