1950 Arizona gubernatorial election

1950 Arizona gubernatorial election

← 1948 November 7, 1950 1952 →
 
Nominee John Howard Pyle Ana Frohmiller
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 99,109 96,118
Percentage 50.77% 49.23%

County results
Pyle:      50–60%
Frohmiller:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election

Dan Edward Garvey
Democratic

Elected Governor

John Howard Pyle
Republican

The 1950 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1950. Incumbent governor Dan Edward Garvey, who originally ascended to the office of governor following the death of Sidney Preston Osborn and was later elected to a full term, lost the Democratic primary to state Auditor Ana Frohmiller. Frohmiller would become the first woman to be nominated by any party for governor in Arizona.

Following a shift in voters to the Republican Party in the past two election cycles,[1] John Howard Pyle narrowly defeated Ana Frohmiller, becoming the first Republican governor of Arizona since John Calhoun Phillips was defeated for reelection and left office in 1931.

Democratic primary

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The Democratic primary took place on September 12, 1950. Incumbent governor Dan Edward Garvey, who ascended to the office of governor (as Secretary of State of Arizona) following the death of Governor Sidney Preston Osborn, and was subsequently elected to a full term in 1948, was defeated in the Democratic primary by State Auditor Ana Frohmiller. Frohmiller had served as state auditor since being elected in 1926, and was seen as a pioneer for women. U.S. Congressman Richard F. Harless also ran again after failing to win in 1948, as well as Jim Smith, Ralph Watkins, and perennial candidate Howard Sprouse.

Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ana Frohmiller 42,143 29.24%
Democratic Dan Edward Garvey (incumbent) 32,493 22.55%
Democratic Richard F. Harless 31,118 21.59%
Democratic Jim Smith 19,912 13.82%
Democratic Ralph Watkins 17,931 12.44%
Democratic Howard Sprouse 514 0.36%
Total votes 144,111 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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General election

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U.S. Senator and Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater wrote in his memoir "With No Apologies" that Frohmiller was "an attractive lady [...] who had earned quite a following as a result of her long and excellent service as State Auditor." He also observed that the voters of Arizona weren't ready for a woman governor in 1950. Frohmiller lost the election to Pyle, who became the first Republican governor of Arizona since John Calhoun Phillips was elected in 1928, despite the fact that at the time of her nomination she seemed to be the front-runner.

Results

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Arizona gubernatorial election, 1950[3][a][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Howard Pyle 99,109 50.77% +10.70%
Democratic Ana Frohmiller 96,118 49.23% −9.94%
Majority 2,991 1.54%
Total votes 195,227 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +20.64%

Results by county

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County John Howard Pyle
Republican
Ana Frohmiller
Democratic
Margin Total votes
cast[3][4]
# % # % # %
Apache 1,058 44.32% 1,329 55.68% -271 -11.35% 2,387
Cochise 3,676 35.33% 6,728 64.67% -3,052 -29.33% 10,404
Coconino 2,524 54.05% 2,146 45.95% 378 8.09% 4,670
Gila 3,128 39.63% 4,765 60.37% -1,637 -20.74% 7,893
Graham 1,852 47.89% 2,015 52.11% -163 -4.22% 3,867
Greenlee 895 25.87% 2,564 74.13% -1,669 -48.25% 3,459
Maricopa 48,798 53.45% 42,493 46.55% 6,305 6.91% 91,291
Mohave 1,192 47.25% 1,331 52.75% -139 -5.51% 2,523
Navajo 2,488 52.09% 2,288 47.91% 200 4.19% 4,776
Pima 19,960 54.02% 16,990 45.98% 2,970 8.04% 36,950
Pinal 3,625 47.39% 4,024 52.61% -399 -5.22% 7,649
Santa Cruz 1,114 42.37% 1,515 57.63% -401 -15.25% 2,629
Yavapai 4,798 53.89% 4,106 46.11% 692 7.77% 8,904
Yuma 4,001 51.13% 3,824 48.87% 177 2.26% 7,825
Totals 99,109 50.77% 96,118 49.23% 2,991 1.53% 195,227

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Arizona State Library has digitized the original 1950 returns, but has not published them on AZ Memory, though it will provide a pdf upon request

References

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  1. ^ Lavin, Patrick (2001). Arizona: An Illustrated History. ISBN 9780781808521. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  2. ^ Bill Turnbow's Political Almanac 1951. Phoenix, Arizona: The Arizona Printers, Inc. p. 22. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  3. ^ a b General Election Returns, State of Arizona, November 7, 1950
  4. ^ a b Bill Turnbow's Political Almanac 1951. Phoenix, Arizona: The Arizona Printers, Inc. p. 28. Retrieved June 18, 2024.