1936 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election

The 1936 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1936, and featured incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Walter H. Jurgensen, a Democrat, defeating Republican nominee George A. Williams, who was a former Nebraska Lieutenant Governor.^[1]

1936 Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election

← 1934 November 3, 1936 1938 →

Nominee Walter H. Jurgensen George A. Williams Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 314,404 232,583 Percentage 57.5% 42.5%

County results Jurgensen:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Williams:      50-60%

Lieutenant Governor before election Walter H. Jurgensen Democratic Elected Lieutenant Governor Walter H. Jurgensen Democratic

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Edgar Howard, former Nebraska Lieutenant Governor from 1917 to 1919, former US Representative from 1923 to 1935 who lost reelection in 1934, and publisher of the Columbus Telegram newspaper from Columbus, Nebraska^[2]
• Walter H. Jurgensen, incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor

Results

Democratic primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Walter H. Jurgensen (incumbent)	81,126	61.84
	Democratic	Edgar Howard	50,071	38.16

Republican primary

In addition to the six candidates who ran in the Republican primary listed below, a petition was filed by 38 Republicans from Lancaster County for Theodore W. Metcalfe, former Nebraska Lieutenant Governor from 1931 to 1933 and unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Nebraska in 1934, to run for his old office of lieutenant governor.^[4] Metcalfe notified the Nebraska Secretary of State that he would not accept the petition to run for lieutenant governor and thus was not a candidate for the Republican nomination in 1936.^[5]

Candidates

• C. A. "Doc" Green, candidate for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 1934 from Lincoln, Nebraska^[6][2]
• Albert T. Howard, member of the Nebraska Senate from Scottsbluff, Nebraska^[2][7]
• Jess P. Palmer, from Omaha, Nebraska^[2]
• A. A. Rezac, from Omaha, Nebraska^[2]
• Murray F. Rickard, former member of the Nebraska Senate and the Nebraska House of Representatives from Guide Rock, Nebraska, and unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Nebraska Governor in 1932^[2][8]
• George A. Williams, former Nebraska Lieutenant Governor from 1925 to 1931 and unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Nebraska Governor in 1932 from Fairmont, Nebraska^[2]

Results

Republican primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	George A. Williams	34,217	32.21
	Republican	Albert T. Howard	21,770	20.49
	Republican	Jess P. Palmer	21,556	20.29
	Republican	C. A. Green	16,799	15.81
	Republican	Murray F. Rickard	7,267	6.84
	Republican	A. A. Rezac	4,611	4.34
	Scattering		3

General election

Results

Nebraska lieutenant gubernatorial election, 1936^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Walter H. Jurgensen (incumbent)	314,404	57.48
	Republican	George A. Williams	232,583	42.52
Total votes			546,987	100.00
	Democratic hold

Aftermath

On March 7, 1938, incumbent Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Walter H. Jurgensen was convicted of a felony for embezzling $549 in a stock transaction between a co-defendant and a railroad station agent in September 1934.^[9] Jurgensen contested the conviction and sought to be renominated for a fourth term as lieutenant governor, but he was declared ineligible to participate in the primary.^[10][11] He was then removed from office by the Nebraska Supreme Court on June 25, 1938, leaving the lieutenant governor's office vacant.^[9] This caused two elections, a regular and a special election, to be held for the office of lieutenant governor in 1938.

See also

• 1936 Nebraska gubernatorial election

References

1. "Official Report of the Nebraska State Canvassing Board 1936 General Election" (PDF). Retrieved May 27, 2023.
2. "460 Filings Are On Primary Ticket". The Ravenna News. March 13, 1936. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
3. "Official Report of the Nebraska State Canvassing Board Primary Election 1936". Retrieved May 27, 2023.
4. "Placek Is Expected To Enliven Campaign". The Nebraska State Journal. February 28, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
5. "Metcalfe Won't Run". The Columbus Telegram. March 9, 1936. p. 2. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
6. "Local Mention". Burt County Herald. February 27, 1936. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
7. State of Nebraska, 1936 Nebraska Blue Book (PDF), p. 246, retrieved May 27, 2023
8. State of Nebraska, 2020-21 Nebraska Blue Book (PDF), p. 362, retrieved May 27, 2023
9. "Lieut. Governor Out: Nebraska Court Removes Official In Embezzling Case". The New York Times. June 26, 1938. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
10. "Time Capsule". Omaha World-Herald. June 27, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
11. "News, Views, and Gossip". The Tryon Graphic. June 30, 1938. Retrieved May 27, 2023.