1950 Wyoming state elections
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A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 7, 1950. All of the state's executive officers—the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction—were up for election. The Republican Party swept all of the offices. Following Democratic governor Lester C. Hunt's election to the U.S. Senate in 1948, Republican secretary of state Arthur G. Crane had been acting as governor. Republican Congressman Frank A. Barrett was elected governor, and Republican candidates won the other statewide races.
| Elections in Wyoming |
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Following Governor Lester C. Hunt's election to the U.S. Senate in 1948, Republican secretary of state Arthur G. Crane had been acting as governor. Crane declined to seek re-election, and Congressman Frank A. Barrett, the Republican nominee, defeated his congressional predecessor, John J. McIntyre, the Democratic nominee, for the Republican Party's first gubernatorial victory since 1938.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank A. Barrett | 54,441 | 56.15% | +9.03% | |
| Democratic | John J. McIntyre | 42,518 | 43.85% | −9.03% | |
| Majority | 11,923 | 12.30% | +6.54% | ||
| Turnout | 96,959 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||
Secretary of state
Incumbent Republican secretary of state Arthur G. Crane had acted as governor starting in 1949, when Governor Hunt was sworn into the U.S. Senate. Crane declined to run for re-election in 1950. Accordingly, term-limited Republican state treasurer Doc Rogers ran to succeed him. He defeated State Senator Richard Luman in the Republican primary, and then faced Cheyenne mayor Ben Nelson, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. Despite the strong Republican performance across the state, Rogers only narrowly defeated Nelson. Ironically, just as Crane had acted as governor when Hunt was elected to the Senate, Governor Barrett would similarly be elected to the Senate in 1952, elevating Rogers to the governorship.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Nelson | 24,070 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 24,070 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Doc Rogers, Wyoming State Treasurer
- Richard J. "Dick" Luman, former state senator[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doc Rogers | 23,438 | 66.98% | |
| Republican | Richard J. "Dick" Nelson | 11,555 | 33.02% | |
| Total votes | 35,030 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doc Rogers | 48,882 | 51.98% | −6.50% | |
| Democratic | Ben Nelson | 45,159 | 48.02% | +6.50% | |
| Majority | 3,723 | 3.96% | −13.00% | ||
| Turnout | 94,041 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||
Auditor
Incumbent Republican state auditor Everett T. Copenhaver ran for re-election to a second term. He was challenged in the Republican primary by Sam Morgan, a state bank examiner, whom he handily defeated. Democrats did not seriously recruit a candidate to challenge Copenhaver, and political newcomer Robert Holland emerged as the nominee over attorney Leonard Schlather. Copenhaver easily defeated Holland, winning the largest margin of victory of any statewide candidate that year.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Robert W. Holland, political newcomer[4]
- Leonard H. "Judge" Schlather, attorney, 1948 Democratic candidate for the State House[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert W. Holland | 16,538 | 68.83% | |
| Democratic | Leonard H. "Judge" Schlather | 7,490 | 31.17% | |
| Total votes | 24,028 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Everett T. Copenhaver, incumbent state auditor
- Sam B. Morgan, senior bank examiner in State Examiner's office[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Everett T. Copenhaver (inc.) | 23,624 | 67.44% | |
| Republican | Sam B. Morgan | 11,406 | 32.56% | |
| Total votes | 35,030 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Everett T. Copenhaver (inc.) | 55,383 | 59.99% | +4.39% | |
| Democratic | Robert W. Holland | 36,934 | 40.01% | −4.39% | |
| Majority | 18,449 | 19.98% | +8.79% | ||
| Turnout | 92,317 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||