1920 Texas gubernatorial election
2 November 1920
 
Nominee Pat Morris Neff J. G. Culbertson
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 289,188 90,217
Percentage 60.0% 18.7%
 
Nominee T. H. McGregor Hickerson Capers
Party American Black-and-Tan Republican
Popular vote 69,380 26,091
Percentage 14.4% 5.4%
Governor before election

William P. Hobby
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Pat Morris Neff
Democratic

The 1920 Texas gubernatorial election was held on 2 November 1920 in order to elect the Governor of Texas. Former Democratic state representative Pat Morris Neff won comfortably in a four-way race against Republican nominee J. G. Culbertson, American Party of Texas nominee T. H. McGregor, and Black and Tan Republican nominee Hickerson Capers.[1]

Democratic primary

In the primary, held on July 24, 1920, former Senator Joseph W. Bailey won the most votes, with Neff in second place; with neither candidate achieving 50%, a runoff was required.[2]

In the runoff, Neff won by just under 18 percentage points against Bailey, or 79,373 raw votes, making him the Democratic nominee and the presumptive governor; Texas - in this era - was a Democratic-dominated southern state in which the primary was almost always the deciding race in the election.[3]

First Round Results

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph W. Bailey 152,340 33.87
Democratic Patrick Morris Neff 149,818 33.31
Democratic R. Ewing Thomason 99,002 22.01
Democratic Benjamin F. Looney 48,640 10.81
Total votes 449,800 100.00

Runoff Results

Democratic runoff results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Patrick Morris Neff 264,075 58.84
Democratic Joseph W. Bailey 184,702 41.16
Total votes 448,777 100.00

General election

Neff faced numerous opponents in the general election, including T.H. McGregor of the American Party, a party established by formerly impeached and convicted Texas governor "James "Pa" Ferguson for the purposes of running for president in the concurrent presidential election.[4] Neff received 60.0% of the vote, a lower share than usual for most Democrats in Texas at the time, but this was due large, multi-candidate field rather than the more typical 1-on-1 between a Democrat and a Republican.[5]

Candidates

Results

Texas Gubernatorial Election, 1920
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Pat Morris Neff 289,188 60.03%
Republican J. G. Culbertson 90,217 18.73%
American T.H. McGregor 69,380 14.40%
Black and Tan Republican Hickson Capers 26,091 5.42%
Socialist Lee Lightfoot Rhodes 6,796 1.41%
Others 59 0.01%
Total Votes 481,731 100.00%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "Election of Texas Governors, 1900-1948 | TX Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX Governor - D Primary Race - Jul 24, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX Governor - D Runoff Race - Aug 28, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Texas Politics - Governors: James E. Ferguson". texaspolitics.utexas.edu. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Our Campaigns - TX Governor Race - Nov 02, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ Turner, Thomas E. (February 17, 2022). "Neff, Pat Morris (1871–1952)". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Business Leader in Plan to Stimulate Buying". Miami Daily Record-Herald. March 20, 1921. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ Ness, Immanuel; Ciment, James, eds. (2000). "American Party 1919-1920". The Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America. Vol. 1. Armonk, New York: Sharpe Reference. p. 153. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Another Richmond in the Field". The Houston Post. April 18, 1920. p. 34. Retrieved November 26, 2023 – via The Portal to Texas History at the University of North Texas. the announcement of Mr. Temple H. McGregor for governor on the American party ticket
  10. ↑ Green, Michael (April 15, 2015). "Rhodes, Lee Lightfoot (1864–1936)". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Color Line Splits, Republican Party in Texas Again; Two Tickets Named". El Paso Herald. August 11, 1920. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Neff Big Victor Sweeps All Texas". The Austin American. November 3, 1920. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. H. C. Capers of the Black and Tan Republican party
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