1973 United States gubernatorial elections
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2 governorships | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Democratic pickups
Republican holds | ||||||||||||||||||||||
United States gubernatorial elections were held 6 November 1973, in two states. In both cases, a conservative won in the end, while a moderate (or liberal) lost.
In Virginia, Mills E. Godwin, Jr. had won a term for governor as a Democrat in the 1965 gubernatorial election.[1] This time, he won as a Republican. Howell was an ex-Democrat as well. Howell tried to run from a populist stance, but wasn't successful. Godwin pushed the conservative line and won.[2]
In New Jersey, Cahill had the image of a moderate Republican, but scandals and a dislike of his stance on taxes led to his defeat by Sandman, a more conservative Republican.[3] Sandman wasn't liked by moderate Republicans and didn't get their support, a factor that favored Byrne in the end. It didn't help matters for Sandman that Cahill didn't give much support beyond an endorsement.[4]
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey[5] | William T. Cahill | Republican | Defeated in primary,[6] Democratic victory | Brendan Byrne (Democratic) 66.40% Charles W. Sandman Jr. (Republican) 32.13% A. Howard Freund (American) 0.31% Alfred V. Colabella (Independent) 0.24% Robert Clement (Socialist Labor) 0.20% John A. Goodson (Libertarian) 0.15% James J. Terlizzi, Sr. (Independent Taxpayer's Watchdog) 0.13% |
| Virginia[7] | Linwood Holton | Republican | Term-limited, Republican victory | Mills Godwin (Republican) 50.72% Henry Howell (Independent) 49.28% |
References
- ^ "VA Governor". Retrieved 5 July 2012.
- ^ "Godwin Narrowly Leads In Va. Governor's Race". 7 November 1973. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "Full of Grace – The governor from Camden Catholic High School". 12 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "Brendan Byrne Sweeps N.J. Governor's Contest". 7 November 1973. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "NJ Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "NJ Governor – R Primary". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "VA Governor". Retrieved 5 July 2012.