1938 South Dakota gubernatorial election
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The 1938 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938. Incumbent Republican Governor Leslie Jensen declined to seek re-election and instead unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate. Harlan J. Bushfield, the former chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party, won the Republican primary to succeed Jensen. In the general election, he faced Democratic nominee Oscar Fosheim, a state representative from Miner County, in the general election. Bushfield defeated Fosheim by a relatively close margin, winning his first term as governor.
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November 8, 1938
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 County results Bushfield: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% 90â100% Fosheim: 50â60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Oscar Fosheim, State Representative from Miner County[1]
- Mancel W. Peterson, State Senator from Day County, former State Senate President[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Oscar Fosheim | 42,422 | 62.04% | |
| Democratic | Mancel W. Peterson | 25,956 | 37.96% | |
| Total votes | 68,378 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Harlan J. Bushfield, former chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party, former Hand County State's Attorney[4]
- Blaine Simons, state senator from Minnehaha County[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harlan J. Bushfield | 64,929 | 65.72% | |
| Republican | Blaine Simons | 33,871 | 34.28% | |
| Total votes | 98,800 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harlan J. Bushfield | 149,362 | 53.95% | +2.35% | |
| Democratic | Oscar Fosheim | 127,485 | 46.05% | â2.35% | |
| Majority | 21,877 | 7.90% | +4.70% | ||
| Turnout | 276,847 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||