The 1946 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1946, in order to elect the Governor of New Mexico. Incumbent Democrat John J. Dempsey was term-limited, and could not run for reelection to a third consecutive term. Former lieutenant governor William Duckworth unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination. Sandoval County voted for a Democratic candidate for the first time since 1916. This was the last gubernatorial election until 1982 in which the Democratic candidate carried Harding County.
Primary election Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Results
Results by county County Thomas J. MabryDemocratic Edward L. SaffordRepublican Margin Total votes cast # % # % # %Bernalillo10,70249.39%10,96750.61%-265-1.22%21,669Catron61454.63%51045.37%1049.25%1,124Chaves2,55951.38%2,42248.62%1372.75%4,981Colfax2,26950.97%2,18349.03%861.93%4,452Curry2,80258.14%2,01741.86%78516.29%4,819De Baca49958.98%34741.02%15217.97%846Doña Ana3,24855.29%2,62644.71%62210.59%5,874Eddy3,72364.78%2,02435.22%1,69929.56%5,747Grant3,00461.46%1,88438.54%1,12022.91%4,888Guadalupe1,34849.13%1,39650.87%-48-1.75%2,744Harding61053.42%53246.58%786.83%1,142Hidalgo50562.35%30537.65%20024.69%810Lea1,96867.47%94932.53%1,01934.93%2,917Lincoln1,11343.92%1,42156.08%-308-12.15%2,534Luna1,19857.02%90342.98%29514.04%2,101McKinley1,86956.08%1,46443.92%40512.15%3,333Mora1,35949.63%1,37950.37%-20-0.73%2,738Otero1,35350.69%1,31649.31%371.39%2,669Quay1,96063.66%1,11936.34%84127.31%3,079Rio Arriba4,17352.78%3,73347.22%4405.57%7,906Roosevelt1,58556.35%1,22843.65%35712.69%2,813San Juan1,24346.69%1,41953.31%-176-6.61%2,662San Miguel3,97654.32%3,34345.68%6338.65%7,319Sandoval1,52055.78%1,20544.22%31511.56%2,725Santa Fe4,92746.53%5,66253.47%-735-6.94%10,589Sierra90946.98%1,02653.02%-117-6.05%1,935Socorro1,67245.86%1,97454.14%-302-8.28%3,646Taos2,56250.89%2,47249.11%901.79%5,034Torrance1,11048.37%1,18551.63%-75-3.27%2,295Union1,15753.64%1,00046.36%1577.28%2,157Valencia2,51849.55%2,56450.45%-46-0.91%5,082Total70,05552.82%62,57547.18%7,4805.64%132,630
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Catron Harding Sandoval Taos Union
References