1962 Georgia gubernatorial election

The 1962 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1962.

1962 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial primary

← 1958 September 12, 1962 1966 →
 
Nominee Carl Sanders Marvin Griffin
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 494,978 332,746
Percentage 58.07% 39.04%

County results
Sanders:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%
Griffin:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Governor before election

Ernest Vandiver
Democratic

Elected Governor

Carl Sanders
Democratic

Carl Sanders won the Democratic primary on September 12 with 58.07% of the vote, defeating former governor Marvin Griffin. At this time, Georgia was a one-party state, and the Democratic nomination was tantamount to victory. Sanders won the November general election without an opponent.

This election was notable for a number of reasons. First, it was the last Georgia gubernatorial election to date where the Republican Party did not field a candidate. Second, the primary election was the first that took place under a winner-take-all system, as the previously used County Unit System had been struck down by the US Supreme Court in Gray v. Sanders.[1] Finally, upon election, Carl Sanders became the youngest governor of a state at the time (aged 37) and the first governor from an urban area since the 1920s.[2] He beat former governor Marvin Griffin in the Democratic primary.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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  • Marvin Griffin, former governor of Georgia (1955–59)
  • Cecil L. Langham
  • Hoke O'Kelley, perennial candidate
  • Carl Sanders, state senator from Augusta and President pro tempore of the Georgia Senate
  • Grace Wilkey Thomas, candidate for governor in 1954 and desegregationist[3]

Results

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CandidateVotes%
Carl Sanders494,97858.07
Marvin Griffin332,74639.04
Grace Wilkey Thomas12,5791.48
Hoke O'Kelley8,7281.02
Cecil L. Langham3,3190.39
Total852,350100.00
Source: [4]

General election results

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1962 Georgia gubernatorial election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carl Sanders 311,524 99.95%  0.05
N/A write-ins 167 0.05%  0.05
Total votes 311,691 100.00%
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ "New Georgia Encyclopedia: County Unit System". Archived from the original on December 18, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  2. ^ "New Georgia Encyclopedia: Carl Sanders (B. 1925)". Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  3. ^ "Top Orlando News, Weather, Sports, Entertainment". February 5, 1987.
  4. ^ State of Georgia. "Consolidated Vote, State Democratic Primary, Held September 12, 1962". Written at Atlanta, Georgia. In Virginia W. Atwell (ed.). Georgia's Official Register, 1961–1962 (PDF). Hapeville, Georgia: Longino & Porter. p. 1436. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  5. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA Governor Race - Nov 06, 1962".