The 1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1952, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor, Gordon Browning was defeated in the primary by Frank G. Clement. In the general election, Clement defeated Republican nominee R. Beecher Witt with 79.4% of the vote.
In the primary election, Clement derided Governor Browning as "dishonest, indecent, and immoral,"Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 325-329, 340-350. and criticized the state's purchase of an expensive office building in Nashville. Browning, nearly twice Clement's age, struggled to adapt to the new medium of television.Fred Rolater, "Gordon Weaver Browning," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 12 December 2012. He lost to Clement in the primary, 302,491 votes to 245,166.
Primary elections Primary elections were held on August 7, 1952.
Democratic primary
Candidates Frank G. Clement, attorney Gordon Browning, incumbent governor Clifford Allen, State Senator Clifford Pierce
Results
General election
Candidates Frank G. Clement, Democratic R. Beecher Witt, Republican
Results
See also 1952 United States Senate election in Tennessee 1952 United States presidential election in Tennessee
References