Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1963-64
Encyclopedia
The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1963–64 was held in three rounds. The two Democratic Party primaries were held on December 7, 1963 and January 11, 1964. The general election was held on March 3, 1964. The 1964 election saw the election of John McKeithen
as governor.
Some observers theorized that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
, which occurred just days before the primary election, may have had a significant impact on the results. The assassination weakened Kennon's prospects because Kennon had in a televised address been highly critical of certain policies of both President Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
describing the Kennedy brothers as "young, misguided men." McKeithen had also criticized the Kennedys, describing both Gillis Long and Chep Morrison as "the Washington candidates." While it did not play as prominent role as in the 1959–60 campaign, race was an important issue in the primary. Jackson was the vocal segregationist among the five candidates, and Kennon discussed "state sovereignty," which some saw as a code word for segregation.
In the runoff, McKeithen echoed the racist tactics of former governor Jimmie Davis in the 1960 campaign, charging that Morrison was supported by a NAACP bloc vote. Portraying himself as a Southerner threatened by outside interests, asking the people of the state "Won't you he'p me?" He likewise borrowed Earl Long's criticisms of Morrison as a toupee-wearing city slicker out of touch with rural voters.
Just as in his previous two gubernatorial elections, Morrison found the bulk of his support in New Orleans and South Louisiana. McKeithen's strong support in North Louisiana earned him a place in the runoff. Gillis Long did well in South Louisiana, but the presence of so many strong North Louisiana candidates denied him a significant base of support in that region.
The fifth-place candidate, Shelby Jackson, drew conservative and segregationist votes from Kennon and therefore worked to deny Kennon the a place in the runoff against Morrison. Even if half of Jackson's votes had otherwise gone to Kennon, then Kennon, and not McKeithen, would have faced the runoff with Morrison. Jackson's supporters were also believed in many cases to have been previous backers of the 1959 segregationist gubernatorial hopeful, William M. Rainach
of Claiborne Parish.
Second Democratic Party Primary, January 11, 1964
McKeithen won 44 of 64 parishes, including every North Louisiana parish but Avoyelles Parish. His geographic support was strikingly similar to Jimmie Davis's in the 1960 runoff; winning every Davis parish except one.
General Election, March 3, 1964
McKeithen overcame the conservative Republican Charlton Lyons, a Shreveport oilman, in the first seriously contested Louisiana gubernatorial general election since Reconstruction. McKeithen defeated Lyons, 469,589 (60.7 percent) to 297,753 (37.5 percent); another 1.8 percent went to the States Rights Party nominee. McKeithen seemed bitter that he had to face a strong Republican candidate after struggling through two hard-fought Democratic primaries.
's Republican Party had been virtually nonexistent in terms of electoral support. This meant that the two Democratic Party
primaries were generally the real contest over who would be governor
. In this election , however, the Republican made an unprecedented strong showing in the general election, winning 37.5% of the vote.
Howard, Perry H.
Political Tendencies in Louisiana. LSU Press, 1971.
Jeansonne, Glenn. "DeLesseps Morrison: Why He Couldn't Become Governor of Louisiana." Louisiana History 14, 1973.
Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Voter's Guide to the 1963–1964 Elections
John McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
as governor.
Candidates
Democrats- Public Service Commissioner John McKeithenJohn McKeithenJohn Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
of ColumbiaColumbia, LouisianaColumbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
in Caldwell Parish, who had been a floor leader for 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...
in the Legislature in 1948. McKeithen was endorsed by Long's widow, Blanche Revere Long, who served as his campaign manager. He would later appoint her to a key department in his administration. - deLesseps Story Morrison, Sr., who had been mayor of New Orleans from 1947 to 1961 and Ambassador to the Organization of American StatesOrganization of American StatesThe Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
from 1961 to 1963. Morrison had previously run unsuccessfully for governor in 1956 and 1960. - Eighth District Congressman Gillis William LongGillis William LongGillis William Long was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana and member of the Long family. Long served seven non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives but placed third in two campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nominations in 1963 and 1971...
of AlexandriaAlexandria, LouisianaAlexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, endorsed by Senator Russell B. LongRussell B. LongRussell Billiu Long was an American Democratic politician and United States Senator from Louisiana from 1948 until 1987.-Early life:...
, was vying with McKeithen for the support of the Longite faction. - Robert F. KennonRobert F. KennonRobert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary....
of MindenMinden, LouisianaMinden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, who had been governor from 1952 to 1956. Kennon had the support of some business and industrial interests, as well as some segregationist voters. - Education Superintendent Shelby M. JacksonShelby M. JacksonShelby M. Jackson was a Democratic superintendent of public education in Louisiana who served from 1948-1964. In the early 1960s, he tried in vain to block federally-authorized school desegregation. Jackson was posthumously honored in 1994, by the naming of the "Shelby M...
also ran as a vocal segregationist candidate. - State Representative Louis J. MichotLouis J. MichotLouis Joseph Michot, Jr. , is a prominent Lafayette, Louisiana, businessman, entrepreneur of the former Burger Chef restaurant chain, philanthropist, and a former Democratic state representative , member of the Louisiana Board of Education , and Louisiana State Education Superintendent...
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... - Public Works Director Claude KirkpatrickClaude KirkpatrickClaude Kirkpatrick was a diversified businessman who served two terms in the Louisiana House of Representatives , worked to establish Toledo Bend Reservoir through his directorship of the state Department of Public Works , and was the administrator and then president of Baton Rouge General Medical...
, formerly of JenningsJennings, LouisianaJennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census.... - Wilford Thompson of ZacharyZachary, LouisianaZachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- Hugh Lasseigne, a Baton Rouge salesman
- 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 Addison Roswell Thompson of New Orleans
Campaign
In the early days of the campaign, the conventional wisdom of political analysts was that the race would be a three-way one between Morrison, Kennon, and Gillis Long. As the campaign progressed, however, John McKeithen's standing in the polls rose rapidly.Some observers theorized that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, which occurred just days before the primary election, may have had a significant impact on the results. The assassination weakened Kennon's prospects because Kennon had in a televised address been highly critical of certain policies of both President Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
describing the Kennedy brothers as "young, misguided men." McKeithen had also criticized the Kennedys, describing both Gillis Long and Chep Morrison as "the Washington candidates." While it did not play as prominent role as in the 1959–60 campaign, race was an important issue in the primary. Jackson was the vocal segregationist among the five candidates, and Kennon discussed "state sovereignty," which some saw as a code word for segregation.
In the runoff, McKeithen echoed the racist tactics of former governor Jimmie Davis in the 1960 campaign, charging that Morrison was supported by a NAACP bloc vote. Portraying himself as a Southerner threatened by outside interests, asking the people of the state "Won't you he'p me?" He likewise borrowed Earl Long's criticisms of Morrison as a toupee-wearing city slicker out of touch with rural voters.
Results
First Democratic Party Primary, December 7, 1963| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| deLesseps Morrison | 299,702 | 33.1% | |
| John McKeithen John McKeithen John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms... |
157,304 | 17.4% | |
| Gillis William Long Gillis William Long Gillis William Long was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana and member of the Long family. Long served seven non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives but placed third in two campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nominations in 1963 and 1971... |
137,778 | 15.2% | |
| Robert F. Kennon Robert F. Kennon Robert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary.... |
127,870 | 14.1% | |
| Shelby M. Jackson Shelby M. Jackson Shelby M. Jackson was a Democratic superintendent of public education in Louisiana who served from 1948-1964. In the early 1960s, he tried in vain to block federally-authorized school desegregation. Jackson was posthumously honored in 1994, by the naming of the "Shelby M... |
103,949 | 11.5% | |
| Louis J. Michot Louis J. Michot Louis Joseph Michot, Jr. , is a prominent Lafayette, Louisiana, businessman, entrepreneur of the former Burger Chef restaurant chain, philanthropist, and a former Democratic state representative , member of the Louisiana Board of Education , and Louisiana State Education Superintendent... |
37,463 | 4.1% | |
| Claude Kirkpatrick Claude Kirkpatrick Claude Kirkpatrick was a diversified businessman who served two terms in the Louisiana House of Representatives , worked to establish Toledo Bend Reservoir through his directorship of the state Department of Public Works , and was the administrator and then president of Baton Rouge General Medical... |
28,578 | 3.2% | |
| Wilford Thompson | 6,454 | 0.7% | |
| Hugh Lasseigne | 4,034 | 0.4% | |
| Addison Roswell Thompson | 3,343 | 0.4% | |
| Total | 906,475 |
Just as in his previous two gubernatorial elections, Morrison found the bulk of his support in New Orleans and South Louisiana. McKeithen's strong support in North Louisiana earned him a place in the runoff. Gillis Long did well in South Louisiana, but the presence of so many strong North Louisiana candidates denied him a significant base of support in that region.
The fifth-place candidate, Shelby Jackson, drew conservative and segregationist votes from Kennon and therefore worked to deny Kennon the a place in the runoff against Morrison. Even if half of Jackson's votes had otherwise gone to Kennon, then Kennon, and not McKeithen, would have faced the runoff with Morrison. Jackson's supporters were also believed in many cases to have been previous backers of the 1959 segregationist gubernatorial hopeful, William M. 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...
of Claiborne Parish.
Second Democratic Party Primary, January 11, 1964
| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| John McKeithen John McKeithen John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms... |
492,905 | 52.2% |
| deLesseps Morrison | 451,161 | 47.8% |
| Total | 944,066 |
McKeithen won 44 of 64 parishes, including every North Louisiana parish but Avoyelles Parish. His geographic support was strikingly similar to Jimmie Davis's in the 1960 runoff; winning every Davis parish except one.
General Election, March 3, 1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| John McKeithen John McKeithen John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms... |
Democrat | 469,589 | 60.7% |
| Charlton Lyons Charlton Lyons Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., also known as Big Papa Lyons , was a Shreveport oilman who in 1964 waged the first determined Republican bid for the Louisiana governorship since Reconstruction. Lyons also made a strong but losing bid for the United States House of Representatives in a special election... |
Republican | 297,753 | 37.5% |
| Thomas S. Williams | States' Rights Party | 6048 | 1.8% |
| Total | 773,390 |
McKeithen overcame the conservative Republican Charlton Lyons, a Shreveport oilman, in the first seriously contested Louisiana gubernatorial general election since Reconstruction. McKeithen defeated Lyons, 469,589 (60.7 percent) to 297,753 (37.5 percent); another 1.8 percent went to the States Rights Party nominee. McKeithen seemed bitter that he had to face a strong Republican candidate after struggling through two hard-fought Democratic primaries.
Significance of the election
From Reconstruction until the 1964 election, 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 had been 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 were generally 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...
. In this election , however, the Republican made an unprecedented strong showing in the general election, winning 37.5% of the vote.
Sources
Louisiana Secretary of State. Primary Election Returns, 1960, 1964Howard, Perry H.
Perry H. Howard
Perry Holbrook Howard was a sociologist known for his research in the field of Louisiana politics. He was a long-term professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1954. A native of Maine, Howard served for three years in the United States Navy in the...
Political Tendencies in Louisiana. LSU Press, 1971.
Jeansonne, Glenn. "DeLesseps Morrison: Why He Couldn't Become Governor of Louisiana." Louisiana History 14, 1973.
Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Voter's Guide to the 1963–1964 Elections