1918 Tennessee gubernatorial election

1918 Tennessee gubernatorial election

← 1916 November 5, 1918 1920 →
 
Nominee Albert H. Roberts Hugh B. Lindsay
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 98,628 59,518
Percentage 62.37% 37.64%

County results
Roberts:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Lindsay:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Thomas Clarke Rye
Democratic

Elected Governor

Albert H. Roberts
Democratic

The 1918 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1918. Democratic nominee Albert H. Roberts defeated Republican nominee Hugh B. Lindsay with 62.37% of the vote.

In the primary election, Roberts defeated Austin Peay narrowly by around 12,000 votes.[1]

Background

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Roberts again sought the Democratic nomination for governor in hopes of succeeding Governor Rye, who was not running for re-election. His opponent for the nomination was former state legislator Austin Peay. Roberts gained the support of party bosses E. H. Crump, Hilary Howse, and Nashville Banner publisher E. B. Stahlman,[2] and defeated Peay in the primary by 12,000 votes.[3] In the general election, Roberts defeated Knoxville judge Hugh B. Lindsay, 98,628 (62.4%) votes to 59,518 (37.6%). Turnout is believed to have been influenced by that year's flu epidemic.[4][5]

General election

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Candidates

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  • Albert H. Roberts, Democratic
  • Hugh B. Lindsay, Republican

Results

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1918 Tennessee gubernatorial election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Albert H. Roberts 98,628 62.37%
Republican Hugh B. Lindsay 59,518 37.64%
Majority 39,110
Turnout
Democratic hold Swing

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn. Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 303-309.
  2. ^ Gary W. Reichard, "The Defeat of Governor Roberts," Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Spring 1971), pp. 94-109.
  3. ^ Stanley Folmsbee, Robert Corlew, and Enoch Mitchell, Tennessee: A Short History (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1969), pp. 451-453.
  4. ^ Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 295-300.
  5. ^ Our Campaigns - TN Governor, 1918. Retrieved: 5 December 2012.
  6. ^ Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved July 17, 2020.