1926 Tennessee gubernatorial election
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The 1926 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1926. Incumbent Democratic governor Austin Peay defeated Republican nominee Walter White with 64.7% of the vote, improving on his performance from 1924.[1]
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November 2, 1926
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 County results Peay: 40â50% 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% 80â90% >90% White: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Peay narrowly won the Democratic primary against Hill McAlister, defeating him by a little over 4%.
Shortly after beginning his third term, Peay's health began to decline and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage at 8:05 p.m. on October 2, 1927.[2][3]
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 5, 1926.[4]
Democratic primary
Hill McAlister sought the Democratic Party's nomination against the incumbent, Austin Peay. Peay had radically transformed the state government, and had angered numerous members of his own party in the process, among them political bosses E. H. Crump of Memphis and Hilary Howse of Nashville. With the help of Crump and Howse, McAlister was able to win Shelby and Davidson counties, but Peay won the state's rural areas and East Tennessee, and defeated McAlister for the nomination by 8,057 votes.[5]
Candidates
- Austin Peay, incumbent governor
- Hill McAlister, Tennessee State Treasurer
- John Randolph Neal Jr., attorney
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Austin Peay (incumbent) | 96,545 | 51.62% | |
| Democratic | Hill McAlister | 88,488 | 47.31% | |
| Democratic | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 2,015 | 1.08% | |
| Total votes | 187,048 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Austin Peay, Democratic
- Walter White, Republican
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Austin Peay (incumbent) | 84,979 | 64.69% | ||
| Republican | Walter White | 46,238 | 35.20% | ||
| Independent | P. W. Williams | 151 | 0.12% | ||
| Total votes | 131,368 | 100.00% | |||