1930 Arkansas gubernatorial election

1930 Arkansas gubernatorial election
	County results Parnell:; 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; 80–90% 90%+ ; Livesay:; 50–60% 70–80%
Governor before election; Harvey Parnell; Democratic	Elected Governor ; Harvey Parnell; Democratic

The 1930 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1930, to elect the Governor of Arkansas, concurrently with the election to Arkansas's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Harvey Parnell had won office in 1928, and was seeking reelection in 1930. During this period, it was customary for faithful governors to be reelected to a second term in Arkansas. In the Solid South, winning the Democratic primary was tantamount to election, a trend that resulted in Democratic control of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion from 1874 to 1967. Parnell won a seven-candidate primary, and was nominated by the party. The Republicans nominated James Livesay, a lawyer from Foreman in Little River County.

Parnell defeated Livesay in a landslide election, but would see his popularity decline sharply in the next two years, as the Dust Bowl and Great Depression damaged the Arkansas economy. Parnell's popular progressive programs from his first term would come under fire in his second term, with many claiming his highway modernization program and school reforms were bankrupting the state.

Democratic primary

Results

Democratic primary, 1930^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Harvey Parnell	94,207	41.6
	Democratic	Brooks Hays	57,497	25.4
	Democratic	Tom Terral	34,476	15.2
	Democratic	J. Carrol Cone	31,786	14.1
	Democratic	R. K. Mason	3,398	1.5
	Democratic	Ben L. Griffin	2,617	1.2
	Democratic	J. R. Venable	2,205	1.0
Total votes			226,186	100.0

Republicans

Republicans did not hold primaries in Arkansas until the 1960s, instead nominating their candidates at the state convention. James Livesay, a lawyer and judge from Foreman, was nominated as the Republican gubernatorial candidate.

Third parties

General election

Results

Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1930^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Harvey Parnell	115,574	81.5
	Republican	James Livesay	26,161	18.5
Total votes			141,735	100.0
	Democratic hold

References

^ "Elections" (1950), pp. 25–26.
^ "Elections" (1950), pp. 25–26.
^ "Elections" (1950), pp. 24–25.
^ "Elections" (1950), pp. 25–26.

Arnold, Morris S.; DeBlack, Thomas A.; Sabo III, George; Whayne, Jeannie M. (2002). Arkansas: A narrative history (1st ed.). Fayetteville, Arkansas: The University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 1-55728-724-4. OCLC 49029558.
Donovan, Timothy Paul; Gatewood, Willard B.; Whayne, Jeannie M., eds. (1995). The Governors of Arkansas: Essays in Political Biography (2 ed.). University of Arkansas Press.
Heard, Alexander; Strong, Donald S. (1950). Southern Primaries and Elections, 1920-1949. University, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. OCLC 500982.

[1] "Elections" (1950), pp. 25–26.

[2] "Elections" (1950), pp. 25–26.

[3] "Elections" (1950), pp. 24–25.

[4] "Elections" (1950), pp. 25–26.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Elections in Arkansas
General	1844 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1900 1902 1903 1904 1906 1907 1908 1910 1912 1913 1914 1916 1917 1918 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1926 1927 1928 1930 1932 1933 1934 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1942 1943 1944 1946 1949 1950 1952 1953 1954 1956 1958 1959 1960 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1972 1973 1974 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Governor	1836 1840 1844 1848 1849 S 1852 1856 1860 1862 1864 U 1868 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 S 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
U.S. President	1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
U.S. Senate	Class 2: 1833 1839–40 1848 S 1853 1859 1868 S 1870 1876 1883 1885 S 1889 1895 1901 1907 1913 S 1913 1918 1924 1930 1936 1937 S 1942 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 Class 3: 1837 1843 1845 S 1849 1855 1861 1867 1873 1879 1881 S 1885 1891 1897 1903 1909 1914 1916 S 1920 1926 1932 S 1932 1938 1944 1950 1956 1962 1968 1974 1980 1986 1992 1998 2004 2010 2016 2022
U.S. House	1837 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1851 1853 1854 1856 1858 1860 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 (4th S) 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 (6th S) 1962 1964 1966 (4th S) 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
'S,' denotes special election; 'U,' denotes election under Federal (Union) military occupation See also: Political party strength in Arkansas

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