Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1959-60
Encyclopedia
The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1959-60 was held in two rounds on December 5, 1959 and January 9, 1960. After an election which featured some of the most racially-charged campaign rhetoric in Louisiana political history, Jimmie Davis
was elected to his second nonconsecutive term as governor after defeating the Republican
candidate in the general election
.
's Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in terms of electoral support. This meant that the two Democratic Party
primaries held on these dates were the real contest over who would be governor
. This election, however, saw the second Republican candidate run for governor since Reconstruction. The first was Harrison Bagwell (1913–1973) of Baton Rouge, who ran in 1952.
Republicans
Although easily winning the 1956 gubernatorial election, the ticket of Jimmy Noe and Earl Long finished a distant fourth. This is due, in part, because of the significant problems Earl Long experienced during the latter part of his last term in office such as his involuntary commitment to a state mental hospital, his affair with stripper Blaze Starr
, and his ambivalence regarding civil rights issues.
Morrison responded in kind, extolling his record of support for segregation as mayor of New Orleans and questioning Davis’s own segregationist credentials. He also boasted that he had been sued by the NAACP more times than other Louisiana official. Though he was a supporter of segregation, Morrison depended on black votes and could not afford to alienate potential supporters by using the overtly racist rhetoric of his opponent. He remained on the defensive throughout the runoff campaign. The political liabilities of being an urbanite, a Catholic, and a perceived integrationist cost Morrison any support he might have expected in conservative, Protestant, segregationist northern Louisiana.
, challenging Jimmie Davis. Grevemberg called for abolition of useless positions in state government and industrial recruitment efforts. His candidacy offered the state something that it had not seen before, a contested general election for governor. "Never before have the voters in this state been given such an opportunity for self-expression," opined the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, "It is a rare opportunity for us to take part in an advanced course in government and politics."
Democrats
were sufficiently confident of overwhelming victories to restrict their general election activities to a few party harmony speeches. Davis had stopped campaigning after he defeated Mayor Morrison and did not return to active campaign status until a few weeks prior to the general election.
Grevemberg was outraged at newspaper editorials against him. "My main purpose for entering this race was toward a two-party system ... I hope I have convinced a sizeable number of people we do need two parties." Grevemberg was particularly hostile toward the Times-Picayune (New Orleans), which called him a "turncoat" after he left the Democratic party, adding: "I risked my life and those of my family in attempts to rid this state of racketeers ... These newspapers have lived up to the reputation given them by Huey Long that they were yellow journals
."
Second Democratic party primary, January 9, 1960
General election, April 19, 1960
Grevemberg scored his highest percent, 39.9 in Terrebonne Parish, and his second-best showing was the 27.2 percent in his native Lafayette Parish. In several parishes, Grevemberg polled less than 2 percent of the ballots.
in which race became the central issue of a Louisiana campaign. This election also marked the definitive end of the Long era in Louisiana politics. For the first time since 1928, no candidate backed by Huey Long
or Earl K. Long made the runoff; Noe finished a distant fourth.
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
was elected to his second nonconsecutive term as governor after defeating the 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...
candidate in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
.
Background
Like most Southern states between Reconstruction and the civil rights era, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
's Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in terms of electoral support. This meant that the two Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primaries held on these dates were the real contest over who would be governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
. This election, however, saw the second Republican candidate run for governor since Reconstruction. The first was Harrison Bagwell (1913–1973) of Baton Rouge, who ran in 1952.
Candidates
Democrats- Country singer Jimmie Davis of Shreveport, governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948, originally campaigned on a vague platform of peace and harmony in the first primary, before adopting a racist defense of segregation in the runoff. He was supported by the Regular Democratic Organization political machine in New Orleans, and endorsed by The Times-Picayune.
- Mayor of New Orleans deLesseps Story Morrison, Sr., had been defeated in the 1956 race for governor, but he ran again in 1959. He ran on a record of accomplishments as mayor of New Orleans for the previous fourteen years, and called for industrialization of the state. He had the support of unions, and favored large building programs and increased trade with Latin America.
- William Monroe "Willie" RainachWilliam M. RainachWilliam Monroe Rainach, Sr., known as Willie Rainach , was a state legislator from rural Summerfield in Claiborne Parish who led Louisiana's "Massive Resistance" to desegregation during the last half of the 1950s...
, a state Senator from Claiborne Parish, campaigned as a staunch defender of segregation, using white supremacist rhetoric and attacking his opponents for their perceived softness on "the race question". Still another segregationist was the fiery 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...
wizard, A. Roswell Thompson (1911–1976), a New Orleans taxi company operator.
- Jimmie NoeJames A. NoeJames Albert Noe, Sr. of Monroe served for three and a half months as the 43rd Governor of Louisiana after the death of Oscar K. Allen on January 28, 1936....
of MonroeMonroe, LouisianaMonroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
was briefly governor for five months in 1936, but had been out of politics since an unsuccessful bid for governor in the election of 1940. Noe was endorsed by Earl LongEarl LongEarl Kemp Long was an American politician and the 45th Governor of Louisiana for three non-consecutive terms. Long termed himself the "last of the red hot poppas" of politics, referring to his stump-speaking skills...
, who was instead running for lieutenant governorLieutenant governorA lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
.
- State Comptroller William J. "Bill" Dodd of Baton Rouge tried to appeal to Long voters by emphasizing social programs.
- Mack Stewart Jr., a Baptist minister from Baton Rouge
- Allen LaCombe, an eccentric New Orleans gambler and perennial candidatePerennial candidateA perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
- Holt Allen, a grocer from JenaJena, LouisianaJena is a town in and the parish seat of La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census.In September 2006, Jena became the focus of national news stories in the United States for a racial controversy involving its school system and a group of students known...
- John Krey, Jr., a New Orleans businessman
Republicans
- former Superintendent of State Police Francis GrevembergFrancis GrevembergFrancis Carroll Grevemberg , was the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police from 1952 to 1955, best remembered for his fight against organized crime....
of LafayetteLafayette, LouisianaLafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, who ran as a Democrat in 1956, switched parties and ran in the general election as a Republican.
First Democratic primary
At the beginning of the campaign, incumbent governor Earl K. Long announced his intention to run, despite being constitutionally barred from succeeding himself. After the Supreme Court insisted that he would have to resign several months before the election in order to legally run, Long withdrew and instead opted to run for Lieutenant-Governor on the Jimmy Noe ticket. The campaign got off to a slow start, with Davis running a bland campaign calling for “peace and harmony.” Morrison campaigned on a platform of economic progress and development, while Noe and Dodd used promises of increased social programs to compete for traditional Long supporters.Although easily winning the 1956 gubernatorial election, the ticket of Jimmy Noe and Earl Long finished a distant fourth. This is due, in part, because of the significant problems Earl Long experienced during the latter part of his last term in office such as his involuntary commitment to a state mental hospital, his affair with stripper Blaze Starr
Blaze Starr
Blaze Starr is an American former stripper and American burlesque star. Her vivacious presence and inventive use of stage props earned her the nickname "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque"...
, and his ambivalence regarding civil rights issues.
Second Democratic primary
After seeing the explosive growth in support enjoyed by the little-known Rainach, who finished in third place after employing racist rhetoric in the primary, Davis adopted a similar tactic in the runoff. After receiving the endorsement of Rainach, Davis began to criticize Morrison for having received a large proportion of African-American votes in the primary. The Davis campaign claimed Morrison was supported by the NAACP - which Davis termed as “a communist Negro organization founded in New York” - and that he would integrate the state and use increased black voter registration to dominate Louisiana politics. The Times-Picayune aided the Davis campaign by emphasizing the high level of support Morrison had received from black voters. Earl Long also endorsed Davis.Morrison responded in kind, extolling his record of support for segregation as mayor of New Orleans and questioning Davis’s own segregationist credentials. He also boasted that he had been sued by the NAACP more times than other Louisiana official. Though he was a supporter of segregation, Morrison depended on black votes and could not afford to alienate potential supporters by using the overtly racist rhetoric of his opponent. He remained on the defensive throughout the runoff campaign. The political liabilities of being an urbanite, a Catholic, and a perceived integrationist cost Morrison any support he might have expected in conservative, Protestant, segregationist northern Louisiana.
General election
In 1959-1960, former State Police Superintendent Francis Grevemberg rejected cries of "It can't be done" and switched parties to run for governor as a RepublicanRepublican 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...
, challenging Jimmie Davis. Grevemberg called for abolition of useless positions in state government and industrial recruitment efforts. His candidacy offered the state something that it had not seen before, a contested general election for governor. "Never before have the voters in this state been given such an opportunity for self-expression," opined the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, "It is a rare opportunity for us to take part in an advanced course in government and politics."
Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
were sufficiently confident of overwhelming victories to restrict their general election activities to a few party harmony speeches. Davis had stopped campaigning after he defeated Mayor Morrison and did not return to active campaign status until a few weeks prior to the general election.
Grevemberg was outraged at newspaper editorials against him. "My main purpose for entering this race was toward a two-party system ... I hope I have convinced a sizeable number of people we do need two parties." Grevemberg was particularly hostile toward the Times-Picayune (New Orleans), which called him a "turncoat" after he left the Democratic party, adding: "I risked my life and those of my family in attempts to rid this state of racketeers ... These newspapers have lived up to the reputation given them by Huey Long that they were yellow journals
Yellow journalism
Yellow journalism or the yellow press is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism...
."
Results
First Democratic party primary, December 5, 1959| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| deLesseps Morrison | 278,956 | 33.1% |
| Jimmie Davis Jimmie Davis James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana... |
213,551 | 25.3% |
| Willie Rainach William M. Rainach William Monroe Rainach, Sr., known as Willie Rainach , was a state legislator from rural Summerfield in Claiborne Parish who led Louisiana's "Massive Resistance" to desegregation during the last half of the 1950s... |
143,095 | 17.0% |
| James A. Noe James A. Noe James Albert Noe, Sr. of Monroe served for three and a half months as the 43rd Governor of Louisiana after the death of Oscar K. Allen on January 28, 1936.... |
97,654 | |
| William J. "Bill" Dodd | 85,436 | |
| Mack Stewart, Jr. | 6383 | |
| Allen LaCombe | 4917 | |
| Addison Roswell Thompson | 4200 | |
| Holt Allen | 4106 | |
| John Krey, Jr. | 2587 |
Second Democratic party primary, January 9, 1960
| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Davis Jimmie Davis James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana... |
487,681 | 54.1% |
| deLesseps Morrison | 414,110 | 45.9% |
General election, April 19, 1960
| Candidate | Party | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Davis Jimmie Davis James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana... |
Democrat | 407,907 | 81.5% |
| Francis Grevemberg Francis Grevemberg Francis Carroll Grevemberg , was the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police from 1952 to 1955, best remembered for his fight against organized crime.... |
Republican | 86,135 | 17.0% |
| Kent Courtney Kent Courtney Kent Harbinson Courtney was a leading figure in the "Radical Right" of American politics from the 1950s to the 1970s. Courtney was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, but his family moved to New Orleans, when he was a young child... |
States Rights Party | 12,515 | 2.5% |
Grevemberg scored his highest percent, 39.9 in Terrebonne Parish, and his second-best showing was the 27.2 percent in his native Lafayette Parish. In several parishes, Grevemberg polled less than 2 percent of the ballots.
Significance of the election
In a time of growing support for the civil rights movement, the 1959-60 election was the first since the advent of Jim CrowJim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
in which race became the central issue of a Louisiana campaign. This election also marked the definitive end of the Long era in Louisiana politics. For the first time since 1928, no candidate backed by Huey Long
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
or Earl K. Long made the runoff; Noe finished a distant fourth.
Sources
- Jeansonne, Glen. “Racism and Longism in Louisiana: The 1959-60 Gubernatorial Election.” Louisiana History 11, 1970.
- Liebling, A. J. The Earl of Louisiana. LSU Press, 1970.
- Louisiana Secretary of State. Primary Election Returns, 1960.
- Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Voters' Guide to the Elections, '59-'60.