| Election Name: | 1942 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Country: | United States |
| Flag Year: | 1912 |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1941 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Previous Year: | 1941 |
| Next Election: | 1943 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Next Year: | 1943 |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Seats won |
| Seats For Election: | 33 governorships |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1942; September 14, 1942 (ME) |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Seats Before1: | 28 |
| Seats After1: | 24 |
| Seat Change1: | 4 |
| 1Data1: | 18 |
| 2Data1: | 14 |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats Before2: | 20 |
| Seats After2: | 23 |
| Seat Change2: | 3 |
| 1Data2: | 15 |
| 2Data2: | 18 |
| Party4: | Wisconsin Progressive Party |
| Seats Before4: | 0 |
| Seats After4: | 1 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| 1Data4: | 0 |
| 2Data4: | 1 |
| Map Size: | 324px |
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1942, in 33 states, concurrent with the House and Senate elections, on November 3, 1942. Elections took place on September 14 in Maine.
In Georgia, the governor was elected to a 4-year term for the first time, instead of a 2-year term.
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Chauncey Sparks (Democratic) 88.96% Hugh McEniry (Republican) 10.52% Ordway Southard (Communist) 0.52% [1] | ||
| Arizona | Sidney Preston Osborn | Democratic | Re-elected, 72.48% | Jerrie W. Lee (Republican) 26.90% Charles R. Osburn (Prohibition) 0.61% [2] | |
| Arkansas | Homer Martin Adkins | Democratic | Re-elected, 100.00%[3] | (Democratic primary results) Homer Martin Adkins 71.76% Fred Keller 26.31% Bill Neill 1.03% Vernon Heath 0.91% [4] | |
| California | Democratic | Defeated, 41.75% | Earl Warren (Republican) 57.07% Nathan T. Porter (Townsend Party) 0.69% Fred Dyster (Prohibition) 0.48% Scattering 0.01% [5] | ||
| Colorado | Republican | Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Republican victory | John Charles Vivian (Republican) 56.23% Homer F. Bedford (Democratic) 43.41% William R. Dietrich (Communist) 0.36% [6] | ||
| Connecticut | Democratic | Defeated, 44.38% | Raymond E. Baldwin (Republican) 48.93% Jasper McLevy (Socialist) 6.01% Joseph C. Borden Jr. (Socialist Labor) 0.69% [7] | ||
| Georgia | Democratic | Defeated in Democratic primary, Democratic victory | Ellis Arnall (Democratic) 96.30% Scattering 3.70% [8] (Democratic primary results) Ellis Arnall 57.65% Eugene Talmadge 42.35% [9] | ||
| Idaho | Democratic | Defeated, 49.85% | C. A. Bottolfsen (Republican) 50.15% [10] | ||
| Iowa | Republican | Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Republican victory | Bourke B. Hickenlooper (Republican) 62.75% Nelson G. Kraschel (Democratic) 36.96% Ward Hall (Prohibition) 0.21% F. M. Briggs (Independent) 0.08% [11] | ||
| Kansas | Republican | Retired, Republican victory | Andrew Frank Schoeppel (Republican) 56.68% William H. Burke (Democratic) 41.75% David C. White (Prohibition) 1.28% Ida A. Beloof (Socialist) 0.29% [12] | ||
| Maine (held, September 14, 1942) | Sumner Sewall | Republican | Re-elected, 66.84% | G. Lane Jr. (Democratic) 33.16% [13] | |
| Maryland | Herbert O'Conor | Democratic | Re-elected, 52.55% | Theodore McKeldin (Republican) 47.45% [14] | |
| Massachusetts | Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | Re-elected, 54.11% | Roger Putnam (Democratic) 44.96% Otis Archer Hood (Communist) 0.33% Joseph F. Massidda (Socialist) 0.22% Henning A. Blomen (Socialist Labor) 0.22% Guy S. Williams (Prohibition) 0.14% Scattering 0.02% [15] | |
| Michigan | Democratic | Defeated, 46.73% | Harry Kelly (Republican) 52.60% Frederic S. Goodrich (Prohibition) 0.66% Scattering 0.01% [16] | ||
| Minnesota | Harold Stassen | Republican | Re-elected, 51.60% | Hjalmar Petersen (Minnesota Farmer-Labor) 37.76% John D. Sullivan (Democratic) 9.46% Martin Mackie (Communist) 0.64% Harris A. Brandborg (Industrial Government) 0.54% [17] | |
| Nebraska | Dwight Griswold | Republican | Re-elected, 74.84% | Charles W. Bryan (Democratic) 25.16% [18] | |
| Nevada | Edward P. Carville | Democratic | Re-elected, 60.26% | Aaron V. Tallman (Republican) 39.75% [19] | |
| New Hampshire | Robert O. Blood | Republican | Re-elected, 52.18% | William J. Neal (Democratic) 47.83% [20] | |
| New Mexico | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | John J. Dempsey (Democratic) 54.55% Joseph F. Tondre (Republican) 45.45% [21] | ||
| New York | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Thomas E. Dewey (Republican) 52.10% John J. Bennett Jr. (Democratic) 36.40% Dean Alfange (American Labor) 9.79% Israel Amter (Communist) 1.10% Coleman B. Cheney (Socialist) 0.53% Aaron M. Orange (Industrial Government) 0.09% [22] | ||
| North Dakota | John Moses | Democratic | Re-elected, 57.62% | Oscar W. Hagen (Republican) 42.38% [23] | |
| Ohio | John W. Bricker | Republican | Re-elected, 60.50% | John McSweeney (Democratic) 39.50% [24] | |
| Oklahoma | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 51.89% William J. Otjen (Republican) 47.64% Edward W. Fickinger (Prohibition) 0.47% [25] | ||
| Oregon | Republican | Defeated in Republican primary, Republican victory | Earl Snell (Republican) 77.87% Lew Wallace (Democratic) 22.13% [26] | ||
| Pennsylvania | Republican | Term-limited, Republican victory | Edward Martin (Republican) 53.67% F. Clair Ross (Democratic) 45.13% Dale H. Learn (Prohibition) 0.68% John J. Haluska (United Pension) 0.31% Joseph Pirincin (Socialist Labor) 0.21% [27] | ||
| Rhode Island | J. Howard McGrath | Democratic | Re-elected, 58.54% | James O. McManus (Republican) 41.46% [28] | |
| South Carolina | Democratic | Retired, Democratic victory | Olin D. Johnston (Democratic) 100.00% [29] (Democratic primary results) Olin Johnston 51.80% Wyndham Manning 48.20% [30] | ||
| South Dakota | Republican | Retired to run for U.S. Senate, Republican victory | Merrell Q. Sharpe (Republican) 61.51% Lewis W. Bicknell (Democratic) 38.49% [31] | ||
| Tennessee | Prentice Cooper | Democratic | Re-elected, 70.15% | C. N. Frazier (Republican) 29.85% [32] | |
| Texas | Coke R. Stevenson | Democratic | Re-elected, 96.83% | C. K. McDowell (Republican) 3.17% [33] | |
| Vermont | William Henry Wills | Republican | Re-elected, 77.90% | Park H. Pollard (Democratic) 22.10% [34] | |
| Wisconsin | Republican | Defeated, 36.45% | Orland Steen Loomis (Progressive) 49.65%[35] William C. Sullivan (Democratic) 12.25% Frank P. Zeidler (Socialist) 1.41% Fred B. Blair (Independent) 0.14% Georgia Cozzini (Independent) 0.06% Scattering 0.04% [36] | ||
| Wyoming | Republican | Defeated, 48.68% | Lester C. Hunt (Democratic) 51.32% [37] |