The 1936 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1936. Incumbent Governor of Montana Elmer Holt, who became governor in 1935 upon the death of Frank Henry Cooney, ran for re-election. He was challenged in the Democratic primary by a number of challengers, and was narrowly defeated for renomination by United States Congressman Roy E. Ayers of Montana's 2nd congressional district. Ayers advanced to the general election, where he faced Frank A. Hazelbaker, the former Lieutenant Governor of Montana and the Republican nominee. Following a close election, Ayers narrowly defeated Hazelbaker to win what would be his first and only term as governor.
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| Turnout | 79.80% 1.80[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Ayers: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hazelbaker: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Roy E. Ayers, United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district
- Elmer Holt, incumbent Governor of Montana
- Miles Romney Sr., former State Senator, former Mayor of Hamilton
- H. L. Maury
- Frank F. Hayes
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Roy E. Ayers | 43,822 | 37.85 | |
| Democratic | Elmer Holt (incumbent) | 39,397 | 34.02 | |
| Democratic | Miles Romney, Sr. | 21,679 | 18.72 | |
| Democratic | H. L. Maury | 9,086 | 7.85 | |
| Democratic | Frank F. Hayes | 1,808 | 1.56 | |
| Total votes | 115,792 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- Frank A. Hazelbaker, former Lieutenant Governor of Montana, 1932 Republican nominee for Governor of Montana
- Robert Pauline, State Senator, former Mayor of Kalispell
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank A. Hazelbaker | 28,970 | 72.44 | |
| Republican | Robert Pauline | 11,019 | 27.56 | |
| Total votes | 39,989 | 100.00 | ||
General election
editResults
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Roy E. Ayers | 115,310 | 50.94% | +2.44% | |
| Republican | Frank A. Hazelbaker | 108,914 | 48.12% | +1.39% | |
| Socialist | J. P. Cavanaugh | 917 | 0.41% | −2.51% | |
| Union | David J. Ryan | 838 | 0.37% | +0.53% | |
| Communist | Arvo Fredrickson | 374 | 0.17% | −0.76% | |
| Majority | 6,396 | 2.83% | +1.05% | ||
| Turnout | 226,353 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Montana Voter Turnout". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ a b "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, July 21, 1936" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
- ^ "Official Montana General Election Returns, November 3, 1936" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.