1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election
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The 1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1952, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor, Gordon Browning was defeated in the primary by Frank G. Clement. In the general election, Clement defeated Republican nominee R. Beecher Witt with 79.4% of the vote.
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November 4, 1952
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 County results Clement: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Witt: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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In the primary election, Clement derided Governor Browning as "dishonest, indecent, and immoral,"[1] and criticized the state's purchase of an expensive office building in Nashville. Browning, nearly twice Clement's age, struggled to adapt to the new medium of television.[2] He lost to Clement in the primary, 302,491 votes to 245,166.[3]
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 7, 1952.[3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Frank G. Clement, attorney
- Gordon Browning, incumbent governor
- Clifford Allen, State Senator
- Clifford Pierce
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Frank G. Clement | 302,491 | 46.74% | |
| Democratic | Gordon Browning (incumbent) | 245,166 | 37.89% | |
| Democratic | Clifford Allen | 75,269 | 11.63% | |
| Democratic | Clifford Pierce | 24,191 | 3.74% | |
| Total votes | 647,117 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Frank G. Clement, Democratic
- R. Beecher Witt, Republican
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Frank G. Clement | 640,290 | 79.37% | ||
| Republican | R. Beecher Witt | 166,377 | 20.62% | ||
| 104 | 0.01% | ||||
| Majority | 473,913 | ||||
| Turnout | 806,771 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||