1964 United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming
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The 1964 United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Republican Congressman William Henry Harrison ran for re-election. He was challenged in the general election by Democratic nominee Teno Roncalio, an attorney and former member of the International Joint Commission. Aided by President Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in the presidential election, Roncalio narrowly defeated Harrison, becoming the first Democrat to win a U.S. House election in Wyoming since 1940.
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November 3, 1964
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 County results Roncalio: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Harrison: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Teno Roncalio, former Chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, former member of the International Joint Commission[1]
- Hepburn T. Armstrong, uranium developer, 1960 Democratic nominee for U.S. House[1]
- Stephen M. Moyle, former Mayor of Laramie, 1958 and 1962 Democratic candidate for the U.S. House[1]
- George W. K. Posvar, perennial candidate[1]
Campaign
In early 1964, Congressman William Henry Harrison announced that he would seek re-election rather than run for the Senate, kicking off the race for Congress. Walter Phelan, the Chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, named eight possible candidates: State Representative Edgar Herschler; U.S. Postal Service official William Hill; State Senator Ed Kendig; Natrona County Attorney Harry Leimback; Cheyenne Mayor Bill Nation; Teno Roncalio, a member of the International Joint Commission; John Terril, the U.S. Marshal for the District of Wyoming and the former Carbon County Sheriff; and Ray Whitaker, the former Natrona County Attorney.[2] Roncalio announced his campaign later in the year, and received the state party's endorsement at its convention.[3] While Roncalio was originally thought to be the main Democratic candidate in the primary, at the end of candidate filing, uranium developer Hepburn T. Armstrong and former Laramie Mayor Stephen Moyle, both of whom had run for Congress previously, filed to run.[1] Ultimately, Roncalio defeated both in a landslide, winning 70 percent of the vote.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Teno Roncalio | 29,860 | 70.26% | |
| Democratic | Hepburn T. Armstrong | 9,371 | 22.05% | |
| Democratic | Stephen W. Moyle | 2,080 | 4.89% | |
| Democratic | George W. K. Posvar | 1,188 | 2.80% | |
| Total votes | 42,499 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- William Henry Harrison, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Henry Harrison (inc.) | 41,821 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 41,821 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Teno Roncalio | 70,693 | 50.79% | |
| Republican | William Henry Harrison (inc.) | 68,482 | 49.21% | |
| Total votes | 139,175 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||