1938 New York state election
Elections in New York State |
---|
![]() |
The 1938 New York state election was held on November 8, 1938, to elect the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, two U.S. Senators and two U.S Representatives-at-large, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.
History
The Republican state convention met on September 29, Speaker Oswald D. Heck presided. They nominated D.A. of New York Thomas E. Dewey for Governor. Also nominated were Frederic H. Bontecou for Lieutenant Governor; Julius Rothstein for Comptroller; Col. Arthur V. McDermott for Attorney General; and John Lord O'Brian and Edward Corsi for the U.S. Senate.[1]
The Democratic state convention met on October 1, and re-nominated the incumbents Lehman, Tremaine, Bennett and Wagner; and completed the ticket with Supreme Court Justice Charles Poletti for Lieutenant Governor; and John M. Mead for short term in the U.S. Senate.[2]
The Socialist state convention met on October 1, and nominated again Norman Thomas for Governor; and Dr. George W. Hartmann for Lieutenant Governor; Coleman B. Cheney for Comptroller; and Miss Marion L. Severn for Attorney General.[3]
The American Labor state convention met on October 3 at the Manhattan Opera House in New York City and nominated the Democratic incumbent Herbert H. Lehman for Governor. They also endorsed Democrats Poletti, Wagner, Mead,[4] Merritt and O'Day; and completed the ticket with Langdon W. Post for Comptroller and Joseph V. O'Leary for Attorney-General.[5]
The "Independent Progressive" Party filed a petition to nominate a ticket headed by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. This was done to have a second ballot line, like Gov. Lehman who ran on two lines also.[6]
The Socialist Labor Party changed its name and filed a petition to nominate candidates as the "Industrial Government Party.[7]
Result
The whole Democratic ticket was elected.
The incumbents Lehman, Tremaine, Bennett, Wagner, Merritt and O'Day were re-elected.
This was the last election in which the Governor was elected every two years
Office | Democratic ticket | Republican ticket | American Labor ticket | Communist ticket | Socialist ticket | Independent Progressive ticket | Industrial Government ticket | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | Herbert H. Lehman | 1,971,307 | Thomas E. Dewey | 2,302,505 | Herbert H. Lehman | 419,979 | (none) | Norman Thomas | 24,980 | Thomas E. Dewey | 24,387 | Aaron M. Orange | 3,516 | |
Lieutenant Governor | Charles Poletti | 2,371,479 | Frederic H. Bontecou | 2,142,118 | Charles Poletti | George W. Hartmann[8] | 29,282 | Frederic H. Bontecou | Jacob Berlin | 4,012 | ||||
Comptroller | Morris S. Tremaine | 2,220.931 | Julius Rothstein | 1,839,709 | Langdon W. Post[9] | 413,234 | Langdon W. Post | Julius Rothstein | Jacob Grossman | 4,323 | ||||
Attorney General | John J. Bennett, Jr. | 2,151,831 | Arthur V. McDermott[10] | 1,961,231 | Joseph V. O'Leary | 415,864 | Joseph O'Leary | Arthur V. McDermott | Frank Passonno | 8.756 | ||||
U.S. Senator (full term) | Robert F. Wagner | 2,497,029 | John Lord O'Brian | 2,058,615 | Robert F. Wagner | Herman J. Hahn[11] | 23,553 | John Lord O'Brian | O. Martin Olson[12] | 3,851 | ||||
U.S. Senator (short term)[13] | James M. Mead | 2,438,904 | Edward F. Corsi | 2,083,666 | James M. Mead | Harry W. Laidler | 27,161 | Edward F. Corsi | ||||||
U.S. Representative-at-large | Matthew J. Merritt | 2,352,159 | Richard B. Scandrett, Jr. | 1,990,455 | Matthew J. Merritt | Israel Amter | 105,681 | Brendan Sexton | 24,990 | Richard B. Scandrett | Jeremiah D. Crowley[14] | 5,080 | ||
U.S. Representative-at-large | Caroline O'Day | 2,363,463 | Helen Z. M. Rodgers | 2,011,507 | Caroline O'Day | Edna Mitchell Blue[15] | 25,214 | Helen Z.M. Rogers | William Herlet | 4,291 |
Obs.:
- "Blank, void and scattering" votes: 75,047 (Governor)
- The vote for Governor is used to define ballot access, for all other offices numbers are totals on all tickets for candidates nominated on more than one.
Notes
- ^ DEWEY NOMINATED BY REPUBLICANS in NYT on September 30, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ LEHMAN IS DRAFTED FOR FOURTH TERM in NYT on October 1, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ SOCIALISTS ASSAIL 'DEALS' BY LABOR; ...THOMAS IS NOMINATED in NYT on October 2, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ LABORITES NAME LEHMAN WAGNER in NYT on October 4, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ LABOR NAMES MEAD AS SESSIONS CLOSE; Convention Also Nominates Post, O'Leary, Mrs. O'Day and Merritt to Fill Ticket in NYT on October 5, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ MAJOR PARTIES GET 2D LINES ON BALLOT in NYT on October 12, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ INDUSTRIAL PARTY LISTS CANDIDATES in NYT on November 6, 1938 (subscription required)
- ^ Dr. George Wilfried Hartmann (1904-1955), psychologist, of Columbia University, editor of The Social Frontier, ran also for Mayor of New York in 1941
- ^ Langdon W. Post (1899-1981), Harvard graduate, Dem. assemblyman 1929-32, Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority under Mayor La Guardia, LANGDON W. POST, 82, DEAD; HOUSING AND LABOR ADVISOR in NYT on September 5, 1981 (subscription required)
- ^ Col. Arthur V. McDermott, of Brooklyn, lawyer, during World War II New York City Director of the Selective Service Administration
- ^ Rev. Herman J. Hahn, of Buffalo, ran also for Lieutenant Governor in 1928 and 1936
- ^ O. Martin Olson, of Jamestown, ran also for Comptroller in 1934
- ^ to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Royal S. Copeland
- ^ Jeremiah D. Crowley, of Marcellus, ran also for State Engineer in 1910; for Lieutenant Governor in 1912, 1914 and 1920; for Governor in 1916, 1922, 1926 and 1930; for the U.S. Senate in 1932; and for Congress at-large in 1934
- ^ Edna Mitchell Blue, wife of Lewi Tonks, ran also in 1938
Sources
- Official Result: LEHMAN PLURALITY OFFICIALLY 64,394; State Board Puts His Vote Finally at 2,391,286, With 2,326,892 for Dewey LABOR'S POLL AT 419,979 Blank, Void and Scattered Ballots Totaled 75,047; Poletti Won by 229,361 in NYT on December 8, 1938 (subscription required)
New York Red Book