1936 Louisiana gubernatorial election

From WikiProjectMed
Jump to navigation Jump to search

1936 Louisiana Democratic gubernatorial primary

← 1932 January 21, 1936 1940 →
 
Candidate Richard W. Leche Cleveland Dear
Party Democratic Democratic
Alliance Longite Anti-Long
Popular vote 362,502 176,150
Percentage 67.08% 32.60%

Governor before election

James A. Noe
Democratic

Elected Governor

Richard W. Leche
Democratic

The 1936 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held on January 21, 1936. Like most Southern states between the Reconstruction Era and the Civil Rights Movement, Louisiana's Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in terms of electoral support. This meant that the Democratic Party primary held on this date was the real contest over who would be governor. The election resulted in the victory of Richard W. Leche of New Orleans as governor. Leche was supported by the Longite faction of the party and Cleveland Dear of Alexandria by the anti-Longs' "Home Rule" ticket. State Representative Mason Spencer of Tallulah dropped out of the race and endorsed Dear, but the ballots had already been printed, and he received nearly two thousand votes.

Results

Democratic Party Primary, January 21

Candidate Votes received Percent
Richard W. Leche 362,502 67.08%
Cleveland Dear 176,150 32.60%
Leonard Mason Spencer 1,718 0.32%
Preceded by
1932 gubernatorial election
Louisiana gubernatorial elections Succeeded by
1940 gubernatorial election

Sources

State of Louisiana. Compilation of Primary Election Returns of the Democratic Party, State of Louisiana, 1936.