| Election Name: | 1938 New York gubernatorial election |
| Country: | New York |
| Flag Image: | Flag of New York (1909–2020).svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 New York state election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1942 New York state election |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 1938 |
| Image1: | Herbert_Lehman.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Herbert H. Lehman |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Alliance1: | American Labor |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,391,286 |
| Percentage1: | 50.38% |
| Nominee2: | Thomas E. Dewey |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Alliance2: | Independent Progressive |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,326,892 |
| Percentage2: | 49.02% |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Herbert H. Lehman |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Herbert H. Lehman |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1938 New York state election was held on November 8, 1938, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state comptroller, the attorney general, two U.S. Senators and two U.S. Representatives-at-large, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. The 1938 election was the first election where the Governor of New York was elected to a four-year term, rather than a two-year term.
The Republican state convention met on September 29, Speaker Oswald D. Heck presided. They nominated D.A. of New York Thomas E. Dewey for governor. Also nominated were Frederic H. Bontecou for lieutenant governor; Julius Rothstein for comptroller; Col. Arthur V. McDermott for attorney general; and John Lord O'Brian and Edward Corsi for the U.S. Senate.[1]
The Democratic state convention met on October 1, and re-nominated the incumbents Lehman, Tremaine, Bennett and Wagner; and completed the ticket with Supreme Court Justice Charles Poletti for lieutenant governor; and John M. Mead for short term in the U.S. Senate.[2]
The Socialist state convention met on October 1, and nominated again Norman Thomas for governor; and Dr. George W. Hartmann for lieutenant governor; Coleman B. Cheney for Comptroller; and Miss Marion L. Severn for attorney general.[3]
The American Labor state convention met on October 3 at the Manhattan Opera House in New York City and nominated the Democratic incumbent Herbert H. Lehman for governor. They also endorsed Democrats Poletti, Wagner, Mead,[4] Merritt and O'Day; and completed the ticket with Langdon W. Post for Comptroller and Joseph V. O'Leary for Attorney-General.[5] Lehman was only able to win reelection due to the votes he received on the American Labor ballot line. Dewey received more votes on the Republican ballot line than Lehman had on the Democratic ballot line.[6]
The "Independent Progressive" Party filed a petition to nominate a ticket headed by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. This was done to have a second ballot line, like Gov. Lehman who ran on two lines also.[7]
The Socialist Labor Party changed its name and filed a petition to nominate candidates as the "Industrial Government Party."[8]
The whole Democratic ticket was elected.
The incumbents Lehman, Tremaine, Bennett, Wagner, Merritt and O'Day were re-elected. This was the first election where governors were elected to four year terms.
| Office | Democratic ticket | Republican ticket | American Labor ticket | Communist ticket | Socialist ticket | Independent Progressive ticket | Industrial Government ticket | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Herbert H. Lehman | 1,971,307 | Thomas E. Dewey | 2,302,505 | Herbert H. Lehman | 419,979 | (none) | Norman Thomas | 24,980 | Thomas E. Dewey | 24,387 | Aaron M. Orange | 3,516 | |||
| Lieutenant Governor | Charles Poletti | 1,976,166 | Frederic H. Bontecou | 2,130,088 | Charles Poletti | 395,313 | George W. Hartmann | 29,282 | Frederic H. Bontecou | 12,030 | Jacob Berlin | 4,012 | ||||
| Comptroller | Morris S. Tremaine | 2,220.931 | Julius Rothstein | 1,829,006 | Langdon W. Post | 413,234 | Langdon W. Post | 25,910 | Julius Rothstein | 10,703 | Jacob Grossman | 4,323 | ||||
| Attorney General | John J. Bennett Jr. | 2,151,831 | Arthur V. McDermott | 1,950,187 | Joseph V. O'Leary | 391,901 | Joseph O'Leary | 23,963 | Arthur V. McDermott | 11,044 | Frank Passonno | 8.756 | ||||
| U.S. Senator (full term) | Robert F. Wagner | 2,098,919 | John Lord O'Brian | 2,046,794 | Robert F. Wagner | 398,410 | Herman J. Hahn | 23,553 | John Lord O'Brian | 11,821 | O. Martin Olson | 3,851 | ||||
| U.S. Senator (short term) | James M. Mead | 2,060,876 | Edward F. Corsi | 2,083,666 | James M. Mead | 378,028 | Harry W. Laidler | 27,161 | ||||||||
| U.S. Representative-at-large | Matthew J. Merritt | 2,023,131 | Richard B. Scandrett Jr. | 1,980,352 | Matthew J. Merritt | 329,029 | Israel Amter | 105,681 | Brendan Sexton | 24,990 | Richard B. Scandrett | 10,103 | Jeremiah D. Crowley | 5,080 | ||
| U.S. Representative-at-large | Caroline O'Day | 2,024,135 | Helen Z. M. Rodgers | 2,000,814 | Caroline O'Day | 339,328 | Edna Mitchell Blue | 25,214 | Helen Z.M. Rogers | 10,753 | William Herlet | 4,291 | ||||
Obs.:
New York Red Book