1956 Maine gubernatorial election
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The 1956 Maine gubernatorial election took place on September 10, 1956. Incumbent Democratic Governor Edmund Muskie was seeking re-election, and faced off against Republican Willis A. Trafton Jr. in the general election. Extremely popular, Muskie was able to easily win re-election, carrying every county in the state bar the Republican strongholds of Hancock and Lincoln.
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September 10, 1956
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 County results Muskie: 50–60% 60–70% Trafton: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Muskie was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Philip F. Chapman Jr., state senator
- Alexander A. LaFleur, former Maine Attorney General (1951–1954)
- Willis A. Trafton Jr., Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (1955–1956)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Willis A. Trafton, Jr. | 42,901 | 50.85 | |
| Republican | Philip F. Chapman, Jr. | 24,787 | 29.38 | |
| Republican | Alexander LaFleur | 16,479 | 19.53 | |
| Republican | Edmund Muskie (write-in) | 196 | 0.23 | |
| Republican | Others | 6 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 84,369 | 100.00 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edmund Muskie (Incumbent) | 180,254 | 59.17% | − | |
| Republican | Willis A. Trafton, Jr. | 124,395 | 40.83% | − | |
| Majority | 55,859 | 18.34% | |||
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Cumberland (largest city: Portland)
- Franklin (largest town: Farmington)
- Knox (largest municipality: Rockland)
