1938 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

1938 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
November 8, 1938
 
Nominee Leon C. Phillips Ross Rizley
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 355,740 148,861
Percentage 70.03% 29.31%
County results
Phillips:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Rizley:      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

E. W. Marland
Democratic

Elected Governor

Leon C. Phillips
Democratic

The 1938 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma. Democrat Leon 'Red' Phillips defeated Republican former State Senator Ross Rizley. Also on the ballot were John Wesley Lanham of the Prohibition Party and Independent John Franing.[1] This election is the last time an alternative party has had a primary for governor in Oklahoma, as the Prohibitionists chose Francis Simpson over Ralph Butterfield, but Simpson then withdrew and the party placed Lanham on the ballot as a replacement.[2]

Phillips' 70% share of the popular vote was the highest by any gubernatorial candidate in Oklahoma to that point and has only been exceeded once in subsequent elections.[a]

Primary election

Oklahoma eliminated the primary runoffs starting with this election.

Democratic party

Nine candidates vied for the Democratic nomination, including former governors Alfalfa Bill Murray and Jack C. Walton. With the elimination of the runoff primary, Oklahoma House of Representatives Speaker Red Phillips eked out a narrow win over W. S. Key.

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Leon C. Phillips 179,139 30.17%
Democratic W. S. Key 176,034 29.65%
Democratic William H. Murray 148,395 25.00%
Democratic Jack Walton 45,760 7.71%
Democratic Ira M. Finley 37,107 6.25%
Democratic William M. Edwards 2,557 0.43%
Democratic John W. Davis 2,205 0.37%
Democratic J. M. Cole 1,410 0.24%
Democratic T. W. Bickel 1,088 0.18%
Total votes 593,695 100.00%

Republican party

Future Congressman Ross Rizley defeated two challengers by a wide margin to claim the GOP nomination.

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ross Rizley 24,198 46.05%
Republican Harry E. Ingram 15,460 29.42%
Republican J. T. Dickerson 12,890 24.53%
Total votes 52,548 100.00%

Prohibition party

Francis Simpson defeated Ralph Butterfield in the primary but then withdrew. John Wesley Lanham of Bethany was named as a replacement candidate.[2] This was the only alternative party gubernatorial primary in Oklahoma until 2018.

Results

Prohibition primary results[1][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Prohibition Francis M. Simpson 98 57.65%
Prohibition Ralph M. Butterfield 72 42.35%
Total votes 170 100.00%

General election

Results

1938 Oklahoma gubernatorial election[1][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Leon C. Phillips 355,740 70.03% +11.79%
Republican Ross Rizley 148,861 29.31% −9.50%
Prohibition John Wesley Lanham 2,579 0.51%
Independent John Franing 776 0.15% +0.14%
Total votes 507,956 100.00%
Majority 206,879 40.73%
Democratic hold Swing +21.29%

Results by county

Phillips was the first Democrat to win Garfield County, Kingfisher County, and Logan County in a gubernatorial election. Texas County would not vote for the losing candidate again until 1990.

County[6] Leon C. Phillips
Democratic 		Ross Rizley
Republican 		John W. Lanham
Prohibition 		John Franing
Independent 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Adair 3,573 62.48% 2,125 37.16% 21 0.37% 0 0.00% 1,448 25.32% 5,719
Alfalfa 2,556 48.37% 2,644 50.04% 79 1.50% 5 0.09% -88 -1.67% 5,284
Atoka 3,192 85.21% 546 14.58% 3 0.08% 5 0.13% 2,646 70.64% 3,746
Beaver 1,256 37.41% 2,087 62.17% 13 0.39% 1 0.03% -831 -24.75% 3,357
Beckham 2,958 79.52% 730 19.62% 27 0.73% 5 0.13% 2,228 59.89% 3,720
Blaine 3,060 53.91% 2,574 45.35% 36 0.63% 6 0.11% 486 8.56% 5,676
Bryan 5,255 92.36% 420 7.38% 14 0.25% 1 0.02% 4,835 84.97% 5,690
Caddo 6,492 68.59% 2,911 30.76% 42 0.44% 20 0.21% 3,581 37.83% 9,465
Canadian 4,860 63.49% 2,746 35.87% 38 0.50% 11 0.14% 2,114 27.62% 7,655
Carter 6,054 87.56% 834 12.06% 15 0.22% 11 0.16% 5,220 75.50% 6,914
Cherokee 4,137 67.91% 1,939 31.83% 14 0.23% 2 0.03% 2,198 36.08% 6,092
Choctaw 3,852 89.54% 442 10.27% 8 0.19% 0 0.00% 3,410 79.27% 4,302
Cimarron 808 49.91% 779 48.12% 9 0.56% 23 1.42% 29 1.79% 1,619
Cleveland 3,745 79.01% 948 20.00% 36 0.76% 11 0.23% 2,797 59.01% 4,740
Coal 1,690 87.16% 243 12.53% 4 0.21% 2 0.10% 1,447 74.63% 1,939
Comanche 5,850 78.87% 1,521 20.51% 31 0.42% 15 0.20% 4,329 58.37% 7,417
Cotton 2,425 80.46% 577 19.14% 11 0.36% 1 0.03% 1,848 61.31% 3,014
Craig 4,157 70.12% 1,744 29.42% 10 0.17% 17 0.29% 2,413 40.71% 5,928
Creek 10,030 67.00% 4,878 32.59% 49 0.33% 13 0.09% 5,152 34.42% 14,970
Custer 4,452 82.11% 931 17.17% 35 0.65% 4 0.07% 3,521 64.94% 5,422
Delaware 3,397 62.93% 1,971 36.51% 26 0.48% 4 0.07% 1,426 26.42% 5,398
Dewey 2,235 57.21% 1,642 42.03% 24 0.61% 6 0.15% 593 15.18% 3,907
Ellis 1,622 50.51% 1,576 49.08% 12 0.37% 1 0.03% 46 1.43% 3,211
Garfield 8,419 56.22% 6,391 42.68% 151 1.01% 13 0.09% 2,028 13.54% 14,974
Garvin 3,810 80.43% 896 18.91% 19 0.40% 12 0.25% 2,914 61.52% 4,737
Grady 5,076 77.33% 1,451 22.11% 21 0.32% 16 0.24% 3,625 55.23% 6,564
Grant 2,769 51.02% 2,607 48.04% 45 0.83% 6 0.11% 162 2.99% 5,427
Greer 1,852 85.66% 304 14.06% 6 0.28% 0 0.00% 1,548 71.60% 2,162
Harmon 1,102 88.87% 130 10.48% 5 0.40% 3 0.24% 972 78.39% 1,240
Harper 1,246 52.93% 1,093 46.43% 11 0.47% 4 0.17% 153 6.50% 2,354
Haskell 3,744 75.32% 1,216 24.46% 7 0.14% 4 0.08% 2,528 50.85% 4,971
Hughes 4,286 82.00% 927 17.73% 10 0.19% 4 0.08% 3,359 64.26% 5,227
Jackson 2,588 85.84% 411 13.63% 10 0.33% 6 0.20% 2,177 72.21% 3,015
Jefferson 2,505 87.43% 349 12.18% 6 0.21% 5 0.17% 2,156 75.25% 2,865
Johnston 2,754 87.90% 358 11.43% 10 0.32% 11 0.35% 2,396 76.48% 3,133
Kay 7,704 53.84% 6,469 45.21% 132 0.92% 4 0.03% 1,235 8.63% 14,309
Kingfisher 3,145 54.10% 2,632 45.28% 32 0.55% 4 0.07% 513 8.83% 5,813
Kiowa 2,924 76.09% 892 23.21% 23 0.60% 4 0.10% 2,032 52.88% 3,843
Latimer 3,023 79.18% 773 20.25% 18 0.47% 4 0.10% 2,250 58.93% 3,818
Le Flore 6,739 77.95% 1,865 21.57% 32 0.37% 9 0.10% 4,874 56.38% 8,645
Lincoln 5,613 56.73% 4,232 42.77% 42 0.42% 8 0.08% 1,381 13.96% 9,895
Logan 5,201 60.96% 3,213 37.66% 85 1.00% 33 0.39% 1,988 23.30% 8,532
Love 1,606 90.89% 154 8.72% 3 0.17% 4 0.23% 1,452 82.17% 1,767
Major 1,782 46.50% 2,010 52.45% 37 0.97% 3 0.08% -228 -5.95% 3,832
Marshall 1,488 88.26% 193 11.45% 5 0.30% 0 0.00% 1,295 76.81% 1,686
Mayes 3,874 66.89% 1,897 32.75% 14 0.24% 7 0.12% 1,977 34.13% 5,792
McClain 2,063 82.59% 433 17.33% 1 0.04% 1 0.04% 1,630 65.25% 2,498
McCurtain 3,566 90.71% 358 9.11% 4 0.10% 3 0.08% 3,208 81.61% 3,931
McIntosh 3,739 76.76% 1,106 22.71% 13 0.27% 13 0.27% 2,633 54.05% 4,871
Murray 2,378 86.88% 339 12.39% 16 0.58% 4 0.15% 2,039 74.50% 2,737
Muskogee 9,762 78.92% 2,573 20.80% 30 0.24% 5 0.04% 7,189 58.12% 12,370
Noble 2,800 54.06% 2,339 45.16% 28 0.54% 12 0.23% 461 8.90% 5,179
Nowata 3,195 60.03% 2,100 39.46% 20 0.38% 7 0.13% 1,095 20.57% 5,322
Okfuskee 4,298 83.05% 867 16.75% 7 0.14% 3 0.06% 3,431 66.30% 5,175
Oklahoma 31,585 73.86% 10,828 25.32% 309 0.72% 43 0.10% 20,757 48.54% 42,765
Okmulgee 8,032 71.39% 3,166 28.14% 34 0.30% 19 0.17% 4,866 43.25% 11,251
Osage 5,647 68.96% 2,468 30.14% 67 0.82% 7 0.09% 3,179 38.82% 8,189
Ottawa 6,544 66.58% 3,237 32.93% 32 0.33% 16 0.16% 3,307 33.65% 9,829
Pawnee 3,252 53.48% 2,798 46.01% 22 0.36% 9 0.15% 454 7.47% 6,081
Payne 6,051 67.35% 2,876 32.01% 45 0.50% 13 0.14% 3,175 35.34% 8,985
Pittsburg 7,378 86.56% 1,124 13.19% 17 0.20% 5 0.06% 6,254 73.37% 8,524
Pontotoc 4,128 83.14% 815 16.41% 19 0.38% 3 0.03% 3,313 66.73% 4,965
Pottawatomie 11,178 79.95% 2,574 18.41% 48 0.34% 182 1.30% 8,604 61.54% 13,982
Pushmataha 3,628 82.66% 709 16.15% 46 1.05% 6 0.14% 2,919 66.51% 4,389
Roger Mills 2,380 81.70% 513 17.61% 13 0.45% 7 0.24% 1,867 64.09% 2,913
Rogers 4,019 69.58% 1,621 28.06% 130 2.25% 6 0.10% 2,398 41.52% 5,776
Seminole 7,148 78.57% 1,886 20.73% 50 0.55% 14 0.15% 5,262 57.84% 9,098
Sequoyah 4,240 72.81% 1,568 26.93% 14 0.24% 1 0.02% 2,672 45.89% 5,823
Stephens 4,129 83.26% 799 16.11% 16 0.32% 15 0.30% 3,330 67.15% 4,959
Texas 1,313 34.47% 2,485 65.24% 10 0.26% 1 0.03% -1,172 -30.77% 3,809
Tillman 2,701 84.56% 475 14.87% 17 0.53% 1 0.03% 2,226 69.69% 3,194
Tulsa 22,903 66.81% 11,253 32.83% 99 0.29% 24 0.07% 11,650 33.99% 34,279
Wagoner 2,929 67.64% 1,384 31.96% 13 0.30% 4 0.09% 1,545 35.68% 4,330
Washington 5,370 60.77% 3,413 38.62% 48 0.54% 6 0.07% 1,957 22.15% 8,837
Washita 2,680 75.22% 867 24.33% 10 0.28% 6 0.17% 1,813 50.88% 3,563
Woods 3,332 57.64% 2,384 41.24% 59 1.02% 6 0.10% 948 16.40% 5,781
Woodward 2,466 51.75% 2,232 46.84% 61 1.28% 6 0.13% 234 4.91% 4,765
Totals 355,740 70.03% 148,861 29.31% 2,579 0.51% 776 0.15% 206,879 40.73% 507,956

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "1934-1938 results" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. pp. 46, 53, 55, 56.
  2. ^ a b Krehbiel, Randy (July 30, 2017). "Race for governor already crowned". Tulsa World – via PressReader.
  3. ^ "Finley, Ira Monroe". The Encylcopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  4. ^ Oklahoma State Election Board (1938). "For Governor". Officially Verified Results of the Democratic Regular Primary, Held Tuesday, July 12, 1938. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. pp. 1–3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ a b Oklahoma State Election Board (1938). "For Governor". Officially Verified Results of the Republican & Prohibition Regular Primary, Held Tuesday, July 12, 1938. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. pp. 1–3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ a b Oklahoma State Election Board (1938). "For Governor". Officially Verified Results of the General Election, held Tuesday, November 8th, 1938. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. pp. 1–3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)


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