For related races, see 1952 United States gubernatorial elections.
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 County resultsClement: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Witt: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1952, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor, Gordon Browning was defeated in the primary by Frank G. Clement. In the general election, Clement defeated Republican nominee R. Beecher Witt with 79.4% of the vote.
In the primary election, Clement derided Governor Browning as "dishonest, indecent, and immoral," and criticized the state's purchase of an expensive office building in Nashville. Browning, nearly twice Clement's age, struggled to adapt to the new medium of television. He lost to Clement in the primary, 302,491 votes to 245,166.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 7, 1952.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Frank G. Clement, attorney
- Gordon Browning, incumbent governor
- Clifford Allen, State Senator
- Clifford Pierce
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Frank G. Clement | 302,491 | 46.74% | |
| Democratic | Gordon Browning (incumbent) | 245,166 | 37.89% | |
| Democratic | Clifford Allen | 75,269 | 11.63% | |
| Democratic | Clifford Pierce | 24,191 | 3.74% | |
| Total votes | 647,117 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Frank G. Clement, Democratic
- R. Beecher Witt, Republican
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Frank G. Clement | 640,290 | 79.37% | ||
| Republican | R. Beecher Witt | 166,377 | 20.62% | ||
| 104 | 0.01% | ||||
| Majority | 473,913 | ||||
| Turnout | 806,771 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
See also
- 1952 United States Senate election in Tennessee
- 1952 United States presidential election in Tennessee
References
- Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 325-329, 340-350.
- Fred Rolater, "Gordon Weaver Browning," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 12 December 2012.
- ^ Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
- Cook, Rhodes (October 26, 2017). America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook. ISBN 9781506368993. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
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