| Elections in Tennessee |
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 Government |
The 1944 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1944. Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Nance McCord defeated Republican Greeneville attorney John Wesley Kilgo with 62.5% of the vote.[1]
In the primary election, McCord sought his party's nomination for governor in the race to succeed the incumbent, Prentice Cooper, who was term-limited.[2] With the support of powerful Memphis political boss, E. H. Crump, McCord won the primary by a lopsided margin over Knoxville law professor John R. Neal and Nashville attorney Rex Manning.[2]
After losing the Democratic primary, Neal ran in the general election as an independent.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 3, 1944.[3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Jim Nance McCord, U.S. Representative
- John Randolph Neal Jr., attorney
- W. Rex Manning, attorney
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Nance McCord | 132,466 | 87.36% | |
| Democratic | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 11,659 | 7.69% | |
| Democratic | W. Rex Manning | 7,510 | 4.95% | |
| Total votes | 151,635 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- John W. Kilgo
- W. O. Lowe
- H. C. Lowery
- L. L. Guinn
- Roy Acuff, country music singer
- Sam J. McAllister
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John W. Kilgo | 33,979 | 63.85% | |
| Republican | W. O. Lowe | 13,425 | 25.23% | |
| Republican | H. C. Lowery | 3,681 | 6.92% | |
| Republican | L. L. Guinn | 1,080 | 2.03% | |
| Republican | Roy Acuff | 738 | 1.39% | |
| Republican | Sam J. McAllister | 313 | 0.59% | |
| Total votes | 53,216 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Jim Nance McCord, Democratic
- John W. Kilgo, Republican
Other candidates
- John Randolph Neal Jr., Independent
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Nance McCord | 275,746 | 62.50% | ||
| Republican | John W. Kilgo | 158,742 | 35.98% | ||
| Independent | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 6,703 | 1.52% | ||
| Majority | 117,004 | ||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ↑ Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 336-343.
- 1 2 Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 336-343.
- 1 2 3 4 Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved April 22, 2020.