1974 Alabama gubernatorial election
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| Elections in Alabama |
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 Government |
The 1974 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Democratic governor George Wallace was reelected in a landslide over his Republican opponent, businessman Elvin McCary. Wallace was the first Alabama governor to win election to a second consecutive term, as the state's Constitution was amended in 1968 to allow governors to serve a maximum two elected consecutive terms. This was also Wallace's first campaign after having been paralyzed following being shot by Arthur Bremer in an assassination attempt during Wallace's run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination.
As of 2022, this is the last time any gubernatorial candidate in Alabama won every county in the state.
Democratic primary
[edit]Primary elections were held on May 7, 1974.[1]
Candidates
[edit]- Jim Folsom, former governor
- Gene McLain, former state representative
- Shorty Price, perennial candidate
- Thomas Robinson
- George Wallace, incumbent governor
Results
[edit]
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80-90%
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Wallace (incumbent) | 536,235 | 64.79 | |
| Democratic | Gene McLain | 249,035 | 30.09 | |
| Democratic | Jim Folsom | 24,821 | 3.00 | |
| Democratic | Shorty Price | 9,834 | 1.19 | |
| Democratic | Thomas Robinson | 7,726 | 0.93 | |
| Total votes | 827,651 | |||
Republican primary
[edit]- Elvin McCary, businessman
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Wallace (incumbent) | 497,574 | 83.16 | |
| Republican | Elvin McCary | 88,381 | 14.77 | |
| Prohibition | Jim Partain | 12,350 | 2.06 | |
| Total votes | 598,305 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ B. Drummond Ayres Jr. (May 8, 1974). "Alabama primary won by Wallace". New York Times. New York City. p. 41. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 96.
- ^ America Votes 11, p. 28.
- ^ "AL Governor, 1974 – D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "1974 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Alabama". U.S.Election Atlas. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
Bibliography
[edit]- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1975). America Votes 11: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1974. Washington, D.C.: Elections Research Center.