1926 Oregon gubernatorial election

Background

During a period of time in which Republicans had dominated politics in Oregon, Democrat Pierce had won election in 1922 with the support of the Ku Klux Klan, which was for a short time a powerful political force in Oregon. However, soon after the 1922 election, the Klan faded in power due in part to internal struggles and changing public sentiment.

Campaign

Now running for re-election in 1926, Pierce won his party's primary for re-election in 1926 over Louise Palmer Weber, one of many anti-Prohibition candidates that year who ran on a platform of repealing or modifying laws regarding the regulation of alcoholic beverages in Oregon.{{cite news |access-date=August 15, 2011}}{{cite news |access-date=August 15, 2011}}

In their primary, Republicans nominated former state senator I. L. Patterson, who had chaired Calvin Coolidge's successful election campaign in Oregon,{{cite web |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330195752/http://library.state.or.us/repository/2010/201003011350161/ORVPGenMari1924st.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330195822/http://library.state.or.us/repository/2010/201003011350161/ORVPGenMari1926st.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2012 |url-status=dead

In the general election, Patterson cruised to a 12-point victory over the incumbent Pierce, with Stallard earning more than 5% of the vote.

Election results

Aftermath

Patterson served about three years of his term before dying of pneumonia on December 22, 1929. Pierce was later elected to the United States House of Representatives, and represented Oregon's 2nd congressional district from 1933 to 1942.

References

References

1. {{Oregon Encyclopedia. ku_klux_klan. Ku Klux Klan. Toy, Eckard
2. "OR Governor Race - Nov 02, 1926". Our Campaigns.