1974 Texas gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:1974 Texas gubernatorial election
Country:Texas
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1972 Texas gubernatorial election
Previous Year:1972
Next Election:1978 Texas gubernatorial election
Next Year:1978
Election Date:November 5, 1974
Image1:File:Dolph Briscoe, 1976 (3x4 crop).jpg
Nominee1:Dolph Briscoe
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:1,016,334
Percentage1:61.4%
Nominee2:Jim Granberry
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:514,725
Percentage2:31.1%
Image3:File:Ramsey Muniz.jpg
Nominee3:Ramsey Muñiz
Party3:Raza Unida Party
Popular Vote3:93,295
Percentage3:5.6%
Map Size:310px
Governor
Before Election:Dolph Briscoe
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Dolph Briscoe
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 1974 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dolph Briscoe was easily re-elected to a second term, winning 61% of the vote to the 31% of Republican Jim Granberry, the former mayor of Lubbock. Raza Unida candidate Ramsey Muniz won 6%, while the remaining 2% were cast for other candidates.[1]

Briscoe was sworn in for his second term on January 21, 1975. As the Constitution of Texas had been amended in 1972 to extend the governor's term from 2 years to 4 years, Briscoe became the first governor to be sworn in for a four-year term since Edmund J. Davis.

Briscoe carried 249 out of 254 counties in his landslide reelection victory. As of 2023, this remains the last time that a Democrat was reelected as Governor of Texas, and the last time a Democrat carried Dallam, Sherman, Hansford, Lipscomb, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Roberts, Gray, Moore, Hartley, Potter, Armstrong, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Bailey, Hale, Yoakum, Borden, Scurry, Andrews, Ector, Midland, Loving, Glasscock, Sterling, Tom Green, Irion, Crockett, Jeff Davis, Taylor, Cooke, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, Gregg, Rusk, Montgomery, Aransas, Victoria, DeWitt, McMullen, Live Oak, Guadalupe, Comal, Kendall, Bandera, Kerr, Edwards, Blanco, Gillespie, Mason, Kimble, and Sutton counties.

Primaries

Democratic

Results

thumb|right|300px|Results for Raza Unida by County:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Our Campaigns - TX Governor Race - Nov 05, 1974. www.ourcampaigns.com. 2020-03-31.