1910 Texas gubernatorial election
The 1910 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1910, in order to elect the Governor of Texas. Democrat Oscar Branch Colquitt, a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, won re-election to his first term as Governor of Texas.[1]
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Oscar Branch Colquitt, member of the Texas Railroad Commission
- Robert Vance Davidson, Texas Attorney General and former State Senator from Galveston[2]
- Cone Johnson, Tyler attorney and former State Senator[3]
- J. Marion Jones
- William Poindexter, Cleburne judge, prohibition activist, and candidate for U.S. House in 1902 and 1904[4]
In the early 20th century, winning the Democratic primary was tantamount to election, as Texas was a solidly Democratic state. However, before 1918, the primary was conducted under a single-round, first-past-the-post system, meaning that one did not have to achieve a majority of the votes to be nominated; a plurality under 50% was sufficient.[5] Colquitt ran against three major opponents in the primary: William Poindexter, Cone Johnson, and R.V. Davidson. Colquitt finished ahead of the other candidates with 41% of the vote and a plurality, securing him the nomination and effectively, the governorship.[6]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Oscar Branch Colquitt | 146,871 | 40.97 | |
| Democratic | William Poindexter | 80,060 | 22.33 | |
| Democratic | Cone Johnson | 76,268 | 21.28 | |
| Democratic | R.V. Davidson | 53,367 | 14.89 | |
| Democratic | J. Marion Jones | 1,910 | 0.53 | |
| Total votes | 358,476 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Reddin Andrews, former president of Baylor University (Socialist)
- Oscar Branch Colquitt, member of the Texas Railroad Commission (Democratic)
- Andrew Jackson Houston, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas (Prohibition)
- Carl Schmidt (Socialist Labor)
- J.O. Terrell (Republican)
Campaign
Colquitt faced scattered opposition in the general election, and defeated his opponents with ease, winning just under 80% of the popular vote and keeping the governor's mansion in Democratic hands.[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Oscar Branch Colquitt | 234,352 | 79.79 | |
| Republican | J.O. Terrell | 26,191 | 11.97 | |
| Socialist | Reddin Andrews | 11,538 | 5.27 | |
| Prohibition | Andrew Jackson Houston | 6,052 | 2.77 | |
| Socialist Labor | Carl Schmidt | 436 | 0.20 | |
| Total votes | 218,813 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- "Election of Texas Governors, 1900-1948 | TX Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- Hyman, Carolyn (1952). "Davidson, Robert Vance".
- Johnson, Doug (1952). "Johnson, Cone".
- Johnson, Doug (1952). "Poindexter, William".
- "Election of Texas Governors, 1900-1948 | TX Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- "Our Campaigns - TX Governor - D Primary Race - Jul 23, 1910". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- "Our Campaigns - TX Governor Race - Nov 08, 1910". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.