Governors

Last week 33 States elected 33 Governors. The same enormous New Deal sweep which rolled up skyscraping majorities in the House and Senate was reflected in the results. Democrats pocketed at least 21 States while Republicans could be sure of only five. Important results:

Wisconsin. When Franklin Roosevelt, homing from Hawaii, paused at Green Bay to pat his Wisconsin friends upon the back, he singled out two: Progressive Senator Bob La Follette, and Democratic Governor Albert G. Schmedeman. No help to the Governor's campaign was the accident which resulted in the amputation of his leg (TIME, Oct. 15). Last week he emerged from the hospital, reentered the campaign with hope: "After all a political race isn't one of those collegiate track events." Nor was it, for Franklin Roosevelt, showing little college spirit, cheered on Progressive Bob La Follette who dragged his brother Phil in after him. Democrat Schmedeman limped in second.

Maryland. In 1919 Democrat Albert Cabell Ritchie defeated a Baltimore criminal lawyer named Harry Nice to be elected Governor. Last week handsome aristocratic "Bert" Ritchie again defeated Republican Nice--to be elected Governor of the Free State for the fifth consecutive term. Thus set was a U. S. record: no Governor other than Maryland's Ritchie has in the nation's history held the favor of his electorate for five straight terms through 19 straight years.*

North Dakota. Vindication was the issue--vindication of deposed Governor William Langer (TIME, July 18). Mrs. Lydia Cady Langer ran in her husband's place against Democrat Thomas Moodie. But North Dakota's farmers, for all their past devotion to William Langer, cast their ballots firmly against his wife, chose as their next Democratic Governor the onetime railroad brakeman who today edits the Williston Herald.

California, The resounding defeat of Democrat Upton Sinclair of Governor came as a surprise to no one but the ex-Socialist (see p. 16). Upon his election, Acting Governor Frank Merriam, with perhaps more truth than he intended, called the result "a rebuke to Socialism and Communism."

Massachusetts. Onetime Mayor James Michael Curley of Boston with the enthusiastic if somewhat juvenile support of Son James Roosevelt got a better office out of the New Deal than the Ambassadorship of Poland which he spurned When Franklin Roosevelt offered it last year. Without the support of many a potent Massachusetts Democrat and in spite of Republican Gasper Bacon's hammer & tongs attack on his record, Votegetter Curley piled up a majority for Governor bigger than the Democratic majority of 1932.

*Arizona's George Wylie Paul Hunt served his State seven times as Governor but his terms were not consecutive and their total length was only 14 years.

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