1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election
Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Tennessee
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 County results Ellington: 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1966 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic Governor Frank G. Clement was term-limited and was prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking another term. Former Democratic Governor Buford Ellington defeated both Independent candidates H.L. Crowder and Charlie Moffett with 81.2% of the vote.
In the primary, Ellington he defeated John Jay Hooker, who was a friend of former Governor Gordon Browning, and had been endorsed by the Nashville Tennessean.[1] Ellington was endorsed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and the Nashville Banner.
Tensions grew between Governor Frank G. Clement and Ellington leading up to the general election, as Ellington refused to endorse Clement in his U.S. Senate primary campaign against Ross Bass.[1] Clement attempted to spend the state's budget surplus to ensure the Ellington administration did not inherit it.[2]
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 4, 1966.[3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Buford Ellington, former Governor
- John Jay Hooker, attorney
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Buford Ellington | 413,950 | 53.48 | |
| Democratic | John Jay Hooker | 360,105 | 46.52 | |
| Total votes | 774,055 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidate
- Buford Ellington, Democratic
Other candidates
- H.L. Crowder, Independent
- Charlie Moffett, Independent
- Charles Gordon Vick, Independent
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Buford Ellington | 532,998 | 81.22% | ||
| Independent | H.L. Crowder | 64,602 | 9.84% | ||
| Independent | Charlie Moffett | 50,221 | 7.65% | ||
| Independent | Charles Gordon Vick | 8,407 | 1.28% | ||
| Majority | 532,998 | ||||
| Turnout | 656,566 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ^ a b Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 366-372.
- ^ Vaughn May, "Buford Ellington," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 29 December 2012.
- ^ a b Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
- ^ Cook, Rhodes (October 26, 2017). America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook. ISBN 9781506368993. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
