1956 West Virginia gubernatorial election
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November 6, 1956
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| Turnout | 75.1% (of registered voters)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Underwood: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Mollohan: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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The 1956 West Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1956 to elect the governor of West Virginia. Republican state delegate Cecil H. Underwood won the election over Democratic U.S. representative Bob Mollohan; he was the first Republican elected as governor of West Virginia since 1928 and one of the youngest elected governors in United States history at 34 years old.[2][3]
Primary elections were held on August 5. In the Democratic primary, Mollohan defeated a divided field led by tax commissioner Milton J. Ferguson and West Virginia Senate clerk J. Howard Myers. In the Republican primary, Underwood narrowly defeated Charleston mayor John T. Coperhaver Sr.[2]
Underwood's campaign was boosted only a week prior to the general election, when it was reported that Mollohan had accepted gifts from a coal operator on a stripe mine while Mollohan was a state prison superintendent at Pruntytown Correctional Center.[2] Underwood won the general election by a surprisingly wide margin.
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Joe F. Burdett, president of the West Virginia Board of Control[4]
- Milton J. Ferguson, commissioner of the West Virginia Tax Division since 1953 and former state delegate from Wayne[5]
- J. Howard Myers, clerk of the West Virginia Senate
- Bob Mollohan, U.S. representative from Fairmont
- Albert D. Viller
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Mollohan | 148,557 | 42.58% | |
| Democratic | Milton J. Ferguson | 95,869 | 27.48% | |
| Democratic | J. Howard Myers | 75,606 | 21.67% | |
| Democratic | Joe F. Burdett | 24,913 | 7.14% | |
| Democratic | Albert D. Viller | 3,969 | 1.14% | |
| Total votes | 194,668 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- John T. Coperhaver Sr., mayor of Charleston
- Millard A. Holliday Sr.
- Cecil H. Underwood, state delegate from Sistersville
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cecil H. Underwood | 98,344 | 50.52% | |
| Republican | John T. Copenhaver | 91,088 | 46.79% | |
| Republican | Millard A. Holliday Sr. | 5,236 | 2.69% | |
| Total votes | 194,668 | 100.00% | ||
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Bob Mollohan, U.S. representative from Fairmont (Democratic)
- Cecil H. Underwood, state delegate from St. Marys (Republican)
Campaign
[edit]Although in the wake of the United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, educational desegregation was a live issue across much of the south and the border areas in 1956, it was less salient in West Virginia because Mollohan had not signed the Southern Manifesto and Underwood campaigned on continuing his William C. Marland's policy of desegregation of West Virginia schools and support of civil rights legislation.[3]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cecil H. Underwood | 440,502 | 53.88 | |
| Democratic | Bob Mollohan | 377,121 | 46.12 | |
| Total votes | 817,633 | 100 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Results by county
[edit]| County | Cecil Harland Underwood Republican |
Robert Homer Mollohan Democratic |
Margin | Total votes cast[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Barbour | 4,398 | 54.49% | 3,673 | 45.51% | 725 | 8.98% | 8,071 |
| Berkeley | 8,646 | 59.82% | 5,807 | 40.18% | 2,839 | 19.64% | 14,453 |
| Boone | 5,390 | 44.65% | 6,681 | 55.35% | -1,291 | -10.70% | 12,071 |
| Braxton | 3,466 | 47.77% | 3,790 | 52.23% | -324 | -4.47% | 7,256 |
| Brooke | 5,550 | 43.42% | 7,233 | 56.58% | -1,683 | -13.17% | 12,783 |
| Cabell | 28,872 | 61.99% | 17,707 | 38.01% | 11,165 | 23.97% | 46,579 |
| Calhoun | 2,014 | 48.95% | 2,100 | 51.05% | -86 | -2.09% | 4,114 |
| Clay | 2,846 | 52.79% | 2,545 | 47.21% | 301 | 5.58% | 5,391 |
| Doddridge | 2,637 | 75.04% | 877 | 24.96% | 1,760 | 50.09% | 3,514 |
| Fayette | 10,906 | 41.70% | 15,249 | 58.30% | -4,343 | -16.60% | 26,155 |
| Gilmer | 1,813 | 48.46% | 1,928 | 51.54% | -115 | -3.07% | 3,741 |
| Grant | 3,321 | 84.10% | 628 | 15.90% | 2,693 | 68.19% | 3,949 |
| Greenbrier | 7,975 | 56.05% | 6,254 | 43.95% | 1,721 | 12.10% | 14,229 |
| Hampshire | 2,242 | 46.36% | 2,594 | 53.64% | -352 | -7.28% | 4,836 |
| Hancock | 7,764 | 43.81% | 9,956 | 56.19% | -2,192 | -12.37% | 17,720 |
| Hardy | 2,169 | 50.31% | 2,142 | 49.69% | 27 | 0.63% | 4,311 |
| Harrison | 21,763 | 56.19% | 16,969 | 43.81% | 4,794 | 12.38% | 38,732 |
| Jackson | 4,997 | 66.41% | 2,527 | 33.59% | 2,470 | 32.83% | 7,524 |
| Jefferson | 3,073 | 47.97% | 3,333 | 52.03% | -260 | -4.06% | 6,406 |
| Kanawha | 62,142 | 57.75% | 45,455 | 42.25% | 16,687 | 15.51% | 107,597 |
| Lewis | 6,143 | 66.22% | 3,133 | 33.78% | 3,010 | 32.45% | 9,276 |
| Lincoln | 4,877 | 49.49% | 4,978 | 50.51% | -101 | -1.02% | 9,855 |
| Logan | 10,476 | 41.68% | 14,658 | 58.32% | -4,182 | -16.64% | 25,134 |
| Marion | 15,168 | 47.49% | 16,769 | 52.51% | -1,601 | -5.01% | 31,937 |
| Marshall | 8,464 | 50.75% | 8,215 | 49.25% | 249 | 1.49% | 16,679 |
| Mason | 6,272 | 63.24% | 3,646 | 36.76% | 2,626 | 26.48% | 9,918 |
| McDowell | 10,264 | 37.29% | 17,258 | 62.71% | -6,994 | -25.41% | 27,522 |
| Mercer | 13,715 | 50.01% | 13,711 | 49.99% | 4 | 0.01% | 27,426 |
| Mineral | 5,768 | 59.02% | 4,005 | 40.98% | 1,763 | 18.04% | 9,773 |
| Mingo | 7,476 | 42.32% | 10,191 | 57.68% | -2,715 | -15.37% | 17,667 |
| Monongalia | 13,594 | 55.03% | 11,111 | 44.97% | 2,483 | 10.05% | 24,705 |
| Monroe | 3,547 | 56.72% | 2,707 | 43.28% | 840 | 13.43% | 6,254 |
| Morgan | 2,792 | 70.65% | 1,160 | 29.35% | 1,632 | 41.30% | 3,952 |
| Nicholas | 5,413 | 54.39% | 4,539 | 45.61% | 874 | 8.78% | 9,952 |
| Ohio | 18,964 | 54.20% | 16,024 | 45.80% | 2,940 | 8.40% | 34,988 |
| Pendleton | 2,025 | 52.02% | 1,868 | 47.98% | 157 | 4.03% | 3,893 |
| Pleasants | 2,194 | 59.20% | 1,512 | 40.80% | 682 | 18.40% | 3,706 |
| Pocahontas | 3,008 | 55.50% | 2,412 | 44.50% | 596 | 11.00% | 5,420 |
| Preston | 7,535 | 68.18% | 3,517 | 31.82% | 4,018 | 36.36% | 11,052 |
| Putnam | 5,809 | 57.03% | 4,376 | 42.97% | 1,433 | 14.07% | 10,185 |
| Raleigh | 16,167 | 50.28% | 15,984 | 49.72% | 183 | 0.57% | 32,151 |
| Randolph | 5,676 | 51.48% | 5,349 | 48.52% | 327 | 2.97% | 11,025 |
| Ritchie | 4,174 | 74.98% | 1,393 | 25.02% | 2,781 | 49.96% | 5,567 |
| Roane | 4,701 | 60.64% | 3,051 | 39.36% | 1,650 | 21.28% | 7,752 |
| Summers | 3,781 | 50.78% | 3,665 | 49.22% | 116 | 1.56% | 7,446 |
| Taylor | 4,516 | 58.35% | 3,223 | 41.65% | 1,293 | 16.71% | 7,739 |
| Tucker | 2,386 | 54.03% | 2,030 | 45.97% | 356 | 8.06% | 4,416 |
| Tyler | 3,675 | 74.11% | 1,284 | 25.89% | 2,391 | 48.22% | 4,959 |
| Upshur | 5,632 | 73.95% | 1,984 | 26.05% | 3,648 | 47.90% | 7,616 |
| Wayne | 8,207 | 52.05% | 7,561 | 47.95% | 646 | 4.10% | 15,768 |
| Webster | 2,372 | 44.25% | 2,989 | 55.75% | -617 | -11.51% | 5,361 |
| Wetzel | 4,652 | 53.37% | 4,065 | 46.63% | 587 | 6.73% | 8,717 |
| Wirt | 1,413 | 56.63% | 1,082 | 43.37% | 331 | 13.27% | 2,495 |
| Wood | 21,000 | 61.80% | 12,978 | 38.20% | 8,022 | 23.61% | 33,978 |
| Wyoming | 6,662 | 47.90% | 7,245 | 52.10% | -583 | -4.19% | 13,907 |
| Totals | 440,502 | 377,131 | 53.88% | 46.12% | 63,371 | 7.75% | 817,633 |
Aftermath
[edit]Underwood's first act as governor was to go on television (a relatively new medium for political communication) and inform every state employee that they were fired. He argued that this was the only way to destroy the corrupt "machine" system. He later advocated an organized civil service and retirement pension system and provided temporary employment relief for low-income families.[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Myers, J. Howard, ed. (1957). West Virginia Blue Book 1957 (PDF). Charleston, W. Va.: Jarrett Printing Company. p. 684.
- 1 2 3 Kabler, Phil (November 25, 2008). "Former Gov. Underwood dead". Charleston Gazette. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008.
- 1 2 3 "Former Gov. Cecil Underwood has died at 86". Charleston Daily Mail. November 24, 2008. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011.
- ↑ The Raleigh Register. Beckley, W. Va. p. 2 https://newspaperarchive.com/raleigh-register-oct-22-1958-p-2/. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Ferguson, Milton J. (1973). Oral History Interview: Milton J. Ferguson. Huntington, W. Va.: Marshall University Oral History Collection.
- ↑ Myers, J. Howard, ed. (1956). West Virginia Blue Book 1956 (PDF). Charleston, W. Va.: Jarrett Printing Company. p. 651.
- ↑ Myers, J. Howard, ed. (1956). West Virginia Blue Book 1956 (PDF). Charleston, W. Va.: Jarrett Printing Company. p. 670.
