The 1962 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1962, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma. Republican Henry Bellmon defeated Democrat W. P. Bill Atkinson and Independent L. Richard Zavitz to become the first Republican governor of Oklahoma. Former governor Raymond D. Gary, lieutenant governor George Nigh, state senator Fred R. Harris, and State Treasurer William A. Burkhart unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination.

Primary election Democratic party W. P. "Bill" Atkinson narrowly defeated former governor Raymond Gary in a runoff after both advanced from a crowded primary field. Candidates W. P. "Bill" Atkinson, newspaper publisher William A. Burkhart, Oklahoma State Treasurer Thomas Dee Frasier Raymond Gary, former governor of Oklahoma (1955-1959) Fred R. Harris, member of Oklahoma Senate Max B. Martin George Miskovsky, former member of Oklahoma Senate Preston J. Moore Harry R. Moss Ben Elmo Newcomer George Nigh, Lieutenant governor of Oklahoma Paul J. Summers

Results

Republican party Candidates Henry Bellmon, former member of Oklahoma House of Representatives Leslie C. Skoien

Results

General election Results

Results by county Bellmon was the first Republican to win Marshall County, McClain County, and Roger Mills County in a gubernatorial election. McClain County would not vote Republican again until 1994 nor would Marshall County until 1998. Additionally, Cimarron County and Pottawatomie County voted Republican for the first time since 1922 and 1914, respectively. Craig County also voted Republican for the first time since 1914 and would not do so again until 2010. County Henry BellmonRepublican W. P. AtkinsonDemocratic L. Richard ZavitzIndependent Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Adair2,65252.22%2,41947.63%80.16%2334.59%5,079Alfalfa3,06175.64%97724.14%90.22%2,08451.49%4,047Atoka1,63246.92%1,82752.53%190.55%-195-5.61%3,478Beaver1,90168.31%87931.58%30.11%1,02236.72%2,783Beckham3,15755.88%2,48343.95%100.18%67411.93%5,650Blaine3,27370.25%1,37129.43%150.32%1,90240.82%4,659Bryan2,35537.92%3,84161.85%140.23%-1,486-23.93%6,210Caddo4,82050.32%4,74049.48%190.20%800.84%9,579Canadian5,08160.39%3,30039.23%320.38%1,78121.17%8,413Carter5,08242.39%6,88557.43%220.18%-1,803-15.04%11,989Cherokee3,15648.45%3,35451.49%40.06%-198-3.04%6,514Choctaw1,61537.32%2,70862.57%50.12%-1,093-25.25%4,328Cimarron1,28471.41%50928.31%50.28%77543.10%1,798Cleveland6,88853.10%6,04346.59%400.31%8456.51%12,971Coal75937.72%1,24962.08%40.20%-490-24.35%2,012Comanche6,01842.02%8,27457.77%310.22%-2,256-15.75%14,323Cotton1,06042.21%1,44957.71%20.08%-389-15.49%2,511Craig2,70950.55%2,64749.39%30.06%621.16%5,359Creek5,83853.25%5,11546.65%110.10%7236.59%10,964Custer3,77759.56%2,52739.85%370.58%1,25019.71%6,341Delaware2,73749.88%2,74249.97%80.15%-5-0.09%5,487Dewey1,71362.84%1,00736.94%60.22%70625.90%2,726Ellis1,87975.28%61524.64%20.08%1,26450.64%2,496Garfield13,41371.90%2,18127.77%620.22%8,23244.13%18,656Garvin3,82846.88%4,32052.91%170.21%-492-6.03%8,165Grady4,20848.67%4,41051.01%280.32%-202-2.34%8,646Grant2,75169.63%1,19430.22%60.15%1,55739.41%3,951Greer1,19236.78%2,04663.13%30.09%-854-26.35%3,241Harmon62135.53%1,12364.24%40.23%-502-28.72%1,748Harper1,57569.48%68530.22%70.31%89039.26%2,267Haskell1,16138.97%1,81560.93%30.10%-654-21.95%2,979Hughes1,98640.00%2,97059.82%90.18%-984-19.82%4,965Jackson1,61031.02%3,57368.84%70.13%-1,963-37.82%5,190Jefferson71930.99%1,59568.75%60.26%-876-37.76%2,320Johnston1,30244.79%1,59955.01%60.21%-297-10.22%2,907Kay12,71967.69%6,02532.07%450.24%6,69435.63%18,789Kingfisher3,75373.17%1,36326.57%130.25%2,39046.60%5,129Kiowa2,34848.64%2,47151.19%80.17%-123-2.55%4,827Latimer1,09438.28%1,75661.44%80.28%-662-23.16%2,858Le Flore2,63634.15%5,06465.61%180.23%-2,428-31.46%7,718Lincoln4,92461.35%3,08338.41%190.24%1,84122.94%8,026Logan4,56066.23%2,31033.55%150.22%2,25032.68%6,885Love48127.64%1,25572.13%40.23%-774-44.48%1,740Major2,76280.36%67219.55%30.09%2,09060.81%3,437Marshall1,66860.96%1,06038.74%80.29%60822.22%2,736Mayes4,27252.83%3,80247.01%130.16%4705.81%8,087McClain1,94249.87%1,94149.85%110.28%10.03%3,894McCurtain2,14433.53%4,24666.41%40.06%-2,102-32.87%6,394McIntosh1,31937.57%2,18462.20%80.23%-865-24.64%3,511Murray1,64144.26%2,05955.53%80.22%-418-11.27%3,708Muskogee8,04245.48%9,61654.39%230.13%-1,574-8.90%17,681Noble3,33370.79%1,36629.01%90.19%1,96741.78%4,708Nowata2,40954.15%2,03345.70%70.16%3768.45%4,449Okfuskee1,59444.75%1,96655.19%20.06%-372-10.44%3,562Oklahoma74,47058.21%52,77941.26%6820.53%21,69116.96%127,931Okmulgee4,85243.92%6,18055.94%150.14%-1,328-12.02%11,047Osage5,38256.52%4,12643.33%150.16%1,25613.19%9,523Ottawa3,83042.22%5,22957.64%130.14%-1,399-15.42%9,072Pawnee2,51664.66%1,36935.18%60.15%1,14729.48%3,891Payne7,54160.04%4,99639.78%220.18%2,54520.26%12,559Pittsburg3,30030.24%7,60069.65%120.11%-4,300-39.41%10,912Pontotoc4,13345.22%4,99454.64%120.13%-861-9.42%9,139Pottawatomie7,22651.62%6,73348.10%390.28%4933.52%13,998Pushmataha1,11534.69%2,09565.18%40.12%-980-30.49%3,214Roger Mills1,32860.86%84138.54%130.60%48722.32%2,182Rogers4,10654.39%3,33444.16%1091.44%77210.23%7,549Seminole3,84249.19%3,94950.56%190.24%-107-1.37%7,810Sequoyah1,83733.06%3,71466.85%50.09%-1,877-33.78%5,556Stephens5,15247.58%5,65352.21%220.20%-501-4.63%10,827Texas2,99165.21%1,58834.62%80.17%1,40330.59%4,587Tillman1,47437.73%2,43062.20%30.08%-956-24.47%3,907Tulsa62,38765.30%32.82634.36%3190.33%29,56130.94%95,532Wagoner2,90352.12%2.65247.61%150.27%2514.51%5,570Washington11,92569.22%5,26730.57%350.20%6,65838.65%17,227Washita2,31751.76%2,15148.06%80.18%1663.71%4,476Woods3,46567.26%1,67332.47%140.27%1,79234.78%5,152Woodward3,77072.35%1,43427.52%70.13%2,33644.83%5,211Totals392,31655.27%315,35744.43%2,0900.29%76,95910.84%709,763

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Adair Alfalfa Beaver Beckham Blaine Caddo Canadian Cimarron Cleveland Craig Creek Custer Dewey Ellis Garfield Grant Harper Kay Kingfisher Lincoln Logan Major Marshall Mayes McClain Noble Nowata Oklahoma Osage Pawnee Payne Pottawatomie Roger Mills Rogers Texas Tulsa Wagoner Washington Washita Woods Woodward

References