Alabama gubernatorial election, 1970
Encyclopedia
The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1970 was marked by very hard Democratic primary battle between incumbent moderate Governor Albert Brewer
and segregationist former Governor and 1968 independent presidential candidate
George Wallace
.
Despite Wallace's popularity, Brewer was early seen as a front-runner. Brewer, a state Lieutenant Governor, had become Governor after death of Governor Lurleen Wallace
(George's wife). A moderate, he became the first gubernatorial candidate since Reconstruction to openly court black voters.
Brewer, hoping to build a broad alliance between blacks and white working class voters, unveiled a progressive platform and accused Wallace of spending too much time outside the state, saying "Alabama needs a full-time governor.".
Republican
President Richard Nixon
endorsed Brewer in order to break Wallace's political career and secure Deep South
votes for him in the next elections (which could be carried again by Wallace, if he run again).
Wallace, whose presidential ambitions would have been destroyed with a defeat, ran on the very aggressive and dirty campaign using racist rhetoric while proposing few ideas of his own. The Wallace campaign aired TV ads with slogans such as "Do you want the black block electing your governor?" and circulated an ad showing a white girl surrounded by seven black boys, with the slogan "Wake Up Alabama! Blacks vow to take over Alabama." Wallace called Brewer a sissy and promised not to run for president a third time..
Despite harsh situation Wallace's political career survived.
The Republican Party didn't join the race.
Albert Brewer
Albert Preston Brewer is an American politician who was the 47th Governor of Alabama from May 7, 1968 until January 18, 1971.-Life and political career:...
and segregationist former Governor and 1968 independent presidential candidate
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
.
Democratic Party primary
Candidates- Incumbent Governor Albert BrewerAlbert BrewerAlbert Preston Brewer is an American politician who was the 47th Governor of Alabama from May 7, 1968 until January 18, 1971.-Life and political career:...
- Former Governor George WallaceGeorge WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
- Millionaire businessman Charles WoodsCharles WoodsCharles Woods was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II...
- Ku Klux KlanKu Klux KlanKu Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
Leader Asa Carter - Former Governor Jim FolsomJim FolsomJames Elisha Folsom, Sr. , commonly known as Jim Folsom or "Big Jim", was the 42nd Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama from 1947 to 1951, and again from 1955 to 1959. Born in Coffee County, Alabama, Folsom is perhaps best remembered as being among the first Southern governors to embrace...
- Coleman Brown
- Ralph "Shorty" Price
Despite Wallace's popularity, Brewer was early seen as a front-runner. Brewer, a state Lieutenant Governor, had become Governor after death of Governor Lurleen Wallace
Lurleen Wallace
Lurleen Brigham Wallace , born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was the 46th Governor of Alabama from 1967 until her death in 1968. She was the first wife of Alabama Governor George Wallace, whom she succeeded as governor. She succeeded her husband as he was forbidden by Alabama law to succeed himself. She...
(George's wife). A moderate, he became the first gubernatorial candidate since Reconstruction to openly court black voters.
Brewer, hoping to build a broad alliance between blacks and white working class voters, unveiled a progressive platform and accused Wallace of spending too much time outside the state, saying "Alabama needs a full-time governor.".
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
endorsed Brewer in order to break Wallace's political career and secure Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
votes for him in the next elections (which could be carried again by Wallace, if he run again).
Wallace, whose presidential ambitions would have been destroyed with a defeat, ran on the very aggressive and dirty campaign using racist rhetoric while proposing few ideas of his own. The Wallace campaign aired TV ads with slogans such as "Do you want the black block electing your governor?" and circulated an ad showing a white girl surrounded by seven black boys, with the slogan "Wake Up Alabama! Blacks vow to take over Alabama." Wallace called Brewer a sissy and promised not to run for president a third time..
Primary results
- Brewer - 428,146 (41.98%)
- Wallace - 416,443 (40.84%)
- Woods - 149,987 (14.71%)
- Carter - 15,441 (1.51%)
- Folsom - 4,123 (0.40%)
- Brown - 2,836 (0.28%)
- Price - 2,804 (0.28%)
Runoff
Despite Brewer's victory in primary, he failed to win a majority and was forced into a runoff with Wallace.- Wallace - 559,832 (51.56%)
- Brewer - 525,951 (48.44%)
Despite harsh situation Wallace's political career survived.
General election
Because at this time every Democratic nominee was regarded as a safe (Alabama was in fact one-party state), Wallace enjoyed easy victory.The Republican Party didn't join the race.
- George Wallace (Democratic) - 637,046 (74.51%)
- John L. Cashin, Jr.John L. Cashin, Jr.John Logan Cashin, Jr. was an American dentist, civil rights campaigner, and politician. He was the founder and leader of the National Democratic Party of Alabama....
(National Democratic Party of AlabamaNational Democratic Party of AlabamaNational Democratic Party of Alabama was a political party active in the state of Alabama, founded by John L. Cashin, Jr. in 1968. The American Bald Eagle was the symbol of the NDPA. It was often opposed by the Democratic Rooster in local democratic elections...
) - 125,491 (14.68%) - A. C. Walker (Independent) - 75,679 (8.85%)
- Jerome B. Couch (ProhibitionProhibition PartyThe Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...
) - 9,705 (1.14%) - Menter G. Walker (Independent) - 3,534 (0.41%)
- John Watts (Whig) - 3,497 (0.41%)