1944 Montana gubernatorial election
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The 1944 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Governor of Montana Sam C. Ford, who was first elected Governor in 1940, ran for re-election. He won the Republican primary and moved on to the general election, where he was opposed by Leif Erickson, a former Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court and the Democratic nominee. Although then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt comfortably won the state in that year's presidential election, Ford defeated Erickson by a wide margin to win his second and final term as governor. This election is the first time that an incumbent Republican Governor of Montana was re-elected or won re-election.
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November 7, 1944
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| Turnout | 79.40% 2.10[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Ford: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Erickson: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Leif Erickson, former Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
- Austin B. Middleton, chairman of the Montana Railroad and Public Service Commission
- Roy E. Ayers, former Governor of Montana
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Leif Erickson | 28,292 | 47.05 | |
| Democratic | Austin B. Middleton | 17,756 | 29.53 | |
| Democratic | Roy E. Ayers | 14,082 | 23.42 | |
| Total votes | 60,130 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Sam C. Ford, incumbent Governor of Montana
- Jacob Thorkelson, former United States Congressman from Montana's 1st congressional district
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam C. Ford (incumbent) | 39,826 | 88.24 | |
| Republican | Jacob Thorkelson | 5,306 | 11.76 | |
| Total votes | 45,132 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam C. Ford (incumbent) | 116,461 | 56.36% | +5.69% | |
| Democratic | Leif Erickson | 89,224 | 43.18% | −5.46% | |
| Prohibition | Charles R. Miller | 960 | 0.46% | ||
| Majority | 27,237 | 13.18% | +11.15% | ||
| Turnout | 222,964 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
