1954 New York state election explained

Election Name:1954 New York gubernatorial election
Country:New York
Flag Image:Flag of New York (1909–2020).svg
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1950 New York state election
Previous Year:1950
Next Election:1958 New York state election
Next Year:1958
Election Date:November 2, 1954
Image1:File:Averell Harriman (1).jpg
Nominee1:W. Averell Harriman
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Alliance1:Liberal Party of New York
Running Mate1:George DeLuca
Popular Vote1:2,560,738
Percentage1:49.61%
Nominee2:Irving Ives
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Running Mate2:J. Raymond McGovern
Popular Vote2:2,549,613
Percentage2:49.40%
Governor
Before Election:Thomas Dewey
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:W. Averell Harriman
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 1954 New York state election was held on November 2, 1954, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state comptroller, the attorney general, the chief judge and three associate judges of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

Background

This was the first election in which the voters were required to cast a single joint vote for governor and lieutenant governor, following the amendment to the State Constitution in 1953.

Chief Judge Edmund H. Lewis would reach the constitutional age limit of 70 years at the end of the year. He was elected in 1953, and John Van Voorhis was re-appointed on January 1, 1954, to the seat vacated by Lewis, to fill the vacancy temporarily.

Albert Conway and Charles S. Desmond had been elected to the Court of Appeals in 1940, thus their 14-year terms would expire at the end of the year.

Nominations

The Socialist Workers nominated David L. Weiss, electronics worker, for governor; Dorothy Haines, of Buffalo, for lieutenant governor; Harold Robins, of New York City, for comptroller; and Catherine Gratta (born c. 1922), machine inspector, of Brooklyn, for attorney general.[1]

The American Labor Party nominated John T. McManus for governor; actress Karen Morley for lieutenant governor; Ralph Powe, lawyer, for Comptroller (the only African-American running for a statewide elective office this year); and George W. Fish, lawyer, of Brooklyn, for attorney general.[2]

The Socialist Labor Party filed a petition to nominate candidates as the Industrial Government Party on September 30. The ticket had only three names: Nathan Karp for governor; Stephen Emery for lieutenant governor; and John Emanuel for comptroller.[3]

The Democratic Party held its convention on September 21, 1954, in New York City. The main contest was for governor which was between former Secretary of Commerce W. Averell Harriman and Representative Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. Harriman had the backing of Tammany Hall and city organizations, Roosevelt agreed to drop out in exchange for his nomination for attorney general. The next week the Liberal Party of New York endorsed the entire Democratic slate.[4]

Result

Almost the whole Democratic/Liberal ticket was elected, only Republican Jacob K. Javits managed to be elected attorney general.

The incumbents Van Voorhis and Desmond were re-elected.

The American Labor Party lost its automatic ballot access and disbanded shortly afterwards.

1954 state election results
OfficeDemocratic ticketRepublican ticketLiberal ticketAmerican Labor ticketSocialist Workers ticketIndustrial Government ticket
GovernorW. Averell Harriman2,296,645Irving M. Ives2,549,613W. Averell Harriman264,093John T. McManus46,886David L. Weiss2,617Nathan Karp[5] 1,720
Lieutenant GovernorGeorge B. DeLucaJ. Raymond McGovernGeorge B. DeLucaKaren MorleyDorothy HainesStephen Emery[6]
ComptrollerArthur Levitt2,260,193Frank Del Vecchio[7] 2,490,184Arthur Levitt255,481Ralph Powe50,911Harold Robins3,569John Emanuel2,244
Attorney GeneralFranklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.2,185,272Jacob K. Javits2,603,858Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.245,687George W. Fish44,287Catherine Gratta4,059
Chief JudgeAlbert Conway2,263,688Albert Conway2,478,694Albert Conway261,153
Judge of the Court of AppealsCharles S. Desmond2,256,907Charles S. Desmond2,459,319Charles S. Desmond259,498
Judge of the Court of AppealsJohn Van Voorhis2,233,168John Van Voorhis2,450,362George Rifkin[8] 280,656
Judge of the Court of AppealsAdrian P. Burke2,297,823Sydney F. Foster[9] 2,411,646Adrian P. Burke257,047

Note: The vote for governor is used to define ballot access, for automatic access are necessary 50,000 votes.

Notes

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/30/archives/alp-legal-future-at-stake-on-tuesday-alp-must-poll-50000-votes-to.html A.L.P. Legal Future At Stake on Tuesday; A.L.P. Must Poll 50,000 Votes To Remain a Recognized Party
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/30/archives/alp-legal-future-at-stake-on-tuesday-alp-must-poll-50000-votes-to.html A.L.P. Legal Future At Stake on Tuesday; A.L.P. Must Poll 50,000 Votes To Remain a Recognized Party
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/01/archives/candidate-slate-filed-industrial-government-party-to-seek-three.html CANDIDATE SLATE FILED; Industrial Government Party to Seek Three Offices
  4. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/01/archives/candidate-slate-filed-industrial-government-party-to-seek-three.html CANDIDATE SLATE FILED; Industrial Government Party to Seek Three Offices
  5. Nathan Karp (born c. 1915), clothing cutter, of Queens, ran also for lieutenant governor in 1950; for the U.S. Senate in 1952; and for Mayor of New York in 1953
  6. Stephen Emery, subway train dispatcher, of New York City, ran also for the U.S. Senate in 1950
  7. Frank Del Vecchio, of Syracuse, D.A. of Onondaga County, later New York Supreme Court justice (5th District)
  8. George Rifkin (c. 1907-1972), labor lawyer, of Queens, GEORGE RIFKIN DIES; LABOR LAWYER, 65 Obit in NYT on February 19, 1972 (subscription required)
  9. Web site: Sydney Francis Foster. 2020-08-24. Historical Society of the New York Courts. en-US.

Sources

See also

New York gubernatorial elections