1918 Texas gubernatorial election
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November 5, 1918
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 County results Hobby: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Boynton: 50–60% 70–80% No Data/Vote: | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 1918 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1918, in order to elect the Governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic governor William P. Hobby easily won re-election to his first full term after ascending to the governorship in 1917 following the impeachment and conviction of his predecessor, James "Pa" Ferguson. He defeated Republican nominee Charles Albert Boynton.[1]
Democratic primary
[edit]Background
[edit]In 1917, Governor James Ferguson was impeached by the state legislature on charges of misapplication of public funds. The state senate voted to convict Ferguson and remove him from office.[2] Under Texas law, due to his conviction he was ineligible to hold any public office in the state. However, Ferguson had resigned the day prior to the conviction was finalized, and as such he contended that the prohibition was invalid.[3] Lieutenant Governor William P. Hobby was then sworn in as governor and at the time was the youngest man to hold the office.[4] Ferguson challenged Hobby for the Democratic party nomination in 1918, but the scandal affected his popularity and Hobby won by one of the widest margins ever in a Democratic primary.[4] At the time, Texas was a part of the Solid South and winning the primary practically guaranteed winning the general election.[5]
Candidates
[edit]- William P. Hobby, incumbent governor[4]
- James "Pa" Ferguson, former governor[3]
Primary results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William P. Hobby (incumbent) | 461,479 | 68.02 | |
| Democratic | James E. Ferguson | 217,012 | 31.98 | |
| Total votes | 678,491 | 100.00 | ||
General election
[edit]- Charles Albert Boynton, Waco attorney and former United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas (Republican)
- William Pettus Hobby, incumbent Governor (Democratic)
- William D. Simpson (Socialist)
Hobby faced token Republican opposition in the general election from republican nominee Charles Albert Boynton, who would later be appointed as a judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas by President Coolidge.[6]
Hobby received 84.0% of the vote, a typical margin for statewide Democrats in the early 20th century.[7]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William Pettus Hobby (incumbent) | 148,982 | 84.00 | |
| Republican | Charles Albert Boynton | 26,713 | 15.06 | |
| Socialist | William D. Simpson | 1,660 | 0.94 | |
| Total votes | 177,355 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
[edit]- ↑ "Election of Texas Governors, 1900-1948 | TX Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ↑ Ogg, Frederic A. (1918). "Impeachment of Governor Ferguson". The American Political Science Review. 12 (1): 111–115. doi:10.2307/1946350. ISSN 0003-0554.
- 1 2 Steen, Ralph W. (1952). "James Edward Ferguson: The Controversial Governor of Texas". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Hobby, Jr., William P. (1976). "William Pettus Hobby: Texas Governor and Media Pioneer". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX Governor - D Primary Race - Jul 27, 1918". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ↑ "Boynton, Charles Albert". www.fjc.gov. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX Governor Race - Nov 05, 1918". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
