1948 Arkansas gubernatorial election

← 1946

November 2, 1948

1950 →


Nominee	Sid McMath	Charles R. Black
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	222,801	26,500
Percentage	89.37%	10.63%

County results
McMath: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100%

Governor before election

Benjamin Travis Laney
Democratic

Elected Governor

Sid McMath
Democratic

Federal government

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The 1948 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Benjamin Travis Laney did not seek a third term.^[1]

Democratic nominee Sid McMath defeated Republican nominee Charles R. Black with 89.37% of the vote.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary election was held on July 27, 1948, with the runoff held on August 10, 1948.

Candidates

C. A. Fleming
Jack Wilson Holt Sr., former Arkansas Attorney General
William Jennings
John Lonsdale, Jr., former mayor of Lonsdale^[2]
James "Uncle Mac" MacKrell, radio presenter^[3]
Sid McMath, prosecuting attorney for the Eighth Judicial District^[4]
Horace Thompson, former Internal Revenue collector^[3]

Withdrew

Bob Ed Loftin (endorsed McMath)^[5]
Jim Merritt, attorney (endorsed Holt)^[6]

Results

Democratic primary results^[7]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sid McMath	87,829	34.07
	Democratic	Jack Holt	60,313	23.40
	Democratic	James MacKrell	57,030	22.12
	Democratic	Horace Thompson	48,674	18.88
	Democratic	C. A. Fleming	1,661	0.64
	Democratic	John Lonsdale, Jr.	1,267	0.49
	Democratic	William Jennings	668	0.27
	Democratic	Jim Merritt	218	0.09
	Democratic	Bob Ed Loftin	96	0.04
Total votes			257,776	100.00

Democratic primary runoff results^[9]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sid McMath	157,137	51.69
	Democratic	Jack Holt	146,880	48.31
Total votes			304,017	100.00

General election

Candidates

Sid McMath, Democratic
Charles R. Black, Republican, lumber manufacturer^[10]

Results

1948 Arkansas gubernatorial election^[11]^[12]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Sid McMath	222,801^[a]	89.37%	+5.23%
	Republican	Charles R. Black	26,500	10.63%	−5.23%
Majority			196,301	78.74%
Turnout			249,301	100.00%
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

^ Dillard, Tom (November 25, 2012). "Here's to Business Ben". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock, AR. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "Lonsdale weds Texarkana law student". Hope Star. Hope, Arkansas. January 26, 1950. p. 3. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "McMath and Holt reach Arkansas Governor runoff". Evening star. Washington, D.C. July 28, 1948. p. A-4. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "Sid McMath (1912–2003)". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "Malone … in favor of Sid McMath". The Camden News. Camden, Arkansas. June 30, 1948. p. 4. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "State Politics Speed Eastward To Philadelphia". The Camden News. Camden, Arkansas. July 9, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "AR Governor, 1948 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 99.
^ "AR Governor, 1948 - D Runoff". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "Republicans nominate lumberman". Hope Star. Hope, Arkansas. September 3, 1948. p. 2. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ "AR Governor, 1948". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ Glashan 1979, pp. 22–23.
^ "Act Two Loses By Small Margin Final Count Shows". The Baxter Bulletin. Mountain Home, Arkansas. November 19, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 42.
^ Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1932-1952: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7864-7034-1.

Notes

^ Some sources state McMath's total was 217,771.^[14]^[15]

Bibliography

Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.

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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