1923 Mississippi gubernatorial election
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The 1923 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1923, in order to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Democrat Lee M. Russell was term-limited, and could not run for reelection to a second term. As was common at the time, the Democratic candidate ran unopposed in the general election so therefore the Democratic primary was the real contest, and winning the primary was considered tantamount to election.
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November 6, 1923
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 County results Whitfield: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% 80â90% Bilbo: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% | |||||||||||||||||
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This gubernatorial election was the first in Mississippi that allowed women the right to vote.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Percy Bell
- Theodore Bilbo, former Governor of Mississippi (1916â20)
- Martin S. Conner, State Representative from Covington County
- Lester C. Franklin, President of the Mississippi Yazoo Delta Levee Board and former State Senator from Clarksdale
- Henry L. Whitfield, president of the Mississippi State College for Women and former Mississippi Superintendent of Education
Results
No candidate received a majority in the Democratic primary, which featured 5 contenders, so a runoff was held between the top two candidates.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Henry L. Whitfield | 85,328 | 33.58 | |
| Democratic | Theodore G. Bilbo | 65,105 | 25.62 | |
| Democratic | Martin S. Conner | 48,739 | 19.18 | |
| Democratic | Lester C. Franklin | 37,245 | 14.66 | |
| Democratic | Percy Bell | 17,724 | 6.97 | |
| Total votes | 254,141 | 100.00 | ||
Runoff
The runoff election was won by former Superintendent of Education Henry L. Whitfield, who defeated former Governor Theodore G. Bilbo.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Henry L. Whitfield | 134,715 | 53.28 | |
| Democratic | Theodore G. Bilbo | 118,143 | 46.72 | |
| Total votes | 252,858 | 100.00 | ||
General election
In the general election, Whitfield ran unopposed.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Henry L. Whitfield | 29,138 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 29,138 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
