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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6]
^Turner, Thomas E. (February 17, 2022). "Neff, Pat Morris (1871–1952)". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
^"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
^Green, Michael (April 15, 2015). "Rhodes, Lee Lightfoot (1864–1936)". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
^"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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