1940 Texas gubernatorial election

The 1940 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940.

Incumbent Democratic Governor W. Lee O'Daniel defeated Republican nominee George C. Hopkins with 94.42% of the vote.

Nominations

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary election was held on July 27, 1940. By winning over 50% of the vote, O'Daniel avoided a run-off.

Candidates

Arlon Barton "Cyclone" Davis, son of James Harvey "Cyclone" Davis^[1]^[2]
Miriam A. Ferguson, former Governor
Harry Hines, incumbent Highway Commissioner^[3]
W. Lee O'Daniel, incumbent Governor
Jerry Sadler, incumbent Railroad Commissioner
Ernest O. Thompson, incumbent Railroad Commissioner and unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for Governor in 1938

Withdrawn

R. P. "Rip" Condron, theater owner from La Feria (endorsed Thompson).^[4]^[5]
Albert L. Derden, incumbent member of the Texas House of Representatives from Falls County (endorsed Hines).^[5]

Results

Democratic primary results^[6]^[7]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	W. Lee O'Daniel (incumbent)	645,646	54.29
	Democratic	Ernest O. Thompson	256,923	21.60
	Democratic	Harry Hines	119,121	10.02
	Democratic	Miriam A. Ferguson	100,578	8.46
	Democratic	Jerry Sadler	61,396	5.16
	Democratic	Arlon B. Davis	3,623	0.31
	Democratic	R. P. Condron	2,003	0.17
Total votes			1,189,290	100.00

Republican nomination

The Republican state convention was held at Beaumont on August 13, 1940.^[9]^[10]

George C. Hopkins, businessman, was nominated for Governor.^[11]

General election

Candidates

W. Lee O'Daniel, Democratic
George C. Hopkins, Republican
Ben H. Lauderdale, Communist, nominee for Agriculture Commissioner in 1938^[12]

Results

1940 Texas gubernatorial election^[8]^[13]^[14]^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	W. Lee O'Daniel (incumbent)	1,019,338	94.42%
	Republican	George C. Hopkins	59,895	5.55%
	Communist	Ben H. Lauderdale	202	0.02%
	Scattering		113	0.01%
Majority			959,453	88.87%
Turnout			1,079,538	100.00%
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

^ "Texas: Pappy Over Cyclone". Time. New York City: Time Inc. August 5, 1940. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ "Texas 'Cyclone' Stilled By Death After Fiery Career". El Paso Herald-Post. El Paso, Texas. February 1, 1940. p. 12. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ "Former Commissioners". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ "Condron Drops Out". Box Office. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. July 8, 1940. p. 77. Retrieved November 18, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
^ ^a ^b Sims, Archie A. (August 1940). The Texas Gubernatorial Campaign of 1940 (PDF) (Master of Arts). Lubbock, Texas: Texas Technological College. p. 46. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ "TX Governor, 1940 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 145.
^ ^a ^b Texas Almanac & 1954-1955, p. 348.
^ "Republicans Name State Ticket". The Citizens Journal. Atlanta, Tex. August 15, 1940. p. 8. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ "Dallas Man G.O.P. Choice For Governor". The Whitewright Sun. Whitewright, Tex. August 15, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ "Nominee". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. August 25, 1940. p. 6. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ Free Texas From Monopoly Control! (PDF). Communist Party of Texas. 1938. p. 4.
^ "TX Governor, 1940". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^ Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Forty-Seventh Legislature (PDF). Austin, Texas: Capital Printing Company, Inc. 1941. p. 47.
^ Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1932-1952: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-7034-1.

Bibliography

Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
Texas Almanac, 1954-1955. Dallas, Texas: A. H. Belo Corporation. 1953.

[1] "Texas: Pappy Over Cyclone". Time. New York City: Time Inc. August 5, 1940. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[2] "Texas 'Cyclone' Stilled By Death After Fiery Career". El Paso Herald-Post. El Paso, Texas. February 1, 1940. p. 12. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[3] "Former Commissioners". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[4] "Condron Drops Out". Box Office. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. July 8, 1940. p. 77. Retrieved November 18, 2023 – via Internet Archive.

[Sims_1940-5] Sims, Archie A. (August 1940). The Texas Gubernatorial Campaign of 1940 (PDF) (Master of Arts). Lubbock, Texas: Texas Technological College. p. 46. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[6] "TX Governor, 1940 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[FOOTNOTECongressional_Quarterly1998145-7] Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 145.

[FOOTNOTETexas_Almanac1954-1955348-8] Texas Almanac & 1954-1955, p. 348.

[9] "Republicans Name State Ticket". The Citizens Journal. Atlanta, Tex. August 15, 1940. p. 8. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[10] "Dallas Man G.O.P. Choice For Governor". The Whitewright Sun. Whitewright, Tex. August 15, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[11] "Nominee". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. August 25, 1940. p. 6. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[12] Free Texas From Monopoly Control! (PDF). Communist Party of Texas. 1938. p. 4.

[13] "TX Governor, 1940". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 27, 2021.

[14] Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Forty-Seventh Legislature (PDF). Austin, Texas: Capital Printing Company, Inc. 1941. p. 47.

[15] Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1932-1952: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-7034-1.

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