Elections for governor were initially held annually. In 1880, a two-year term was introduced and lasted through 1958, when four-year terms were instituted. (See election procedures.) The tables below report the election year, votes for Democrats, Republicans, and the next largest vote getting party. Percentages are given for Democrats, Republicans, and the next largest vote-getting party if the latter received more than 5 percent of the vote.

Annual Elections Period

Year Democrat Republican Next Dem% Rep% Next if 5%+
1820 ======>NationalRepublicans======> 21,083 95.8%
1821 12,887 6,811 52.8% 47.2%
1822 15,476 5,795 69.8% 30.2%
1823 18,550 95.6%
1824 19,779 96.8%
1825 14,206 93.1% 6.9%
1826 20,689 98.2%
1827 19,969 97.6%
1828 25,745 91.6% 8.4%
1829 22,991 23,315 49.4% 50.1%
1830 30,215 28,639 51.1% 48.5%
1831 28,292 21,821 56.3% 43.5%
1832 31,987

27,651

 869 52.8% 45.6%
1833 25,731 27,651 18,112 52.1% 47.9%
1834 38,133 =====>Whigs=====> 33,732 52.2% 47.8%
1835 45,208 16,860 72.1% 27.9%
1836 31,837 22,703 58.2% 41.8%
1837 33,879 34,358 49.4% 50.6%
1838 46,216 42,897 51.6% 48.4%
1839 41,038 34,749 54.0% 46.0%
1840 45,507 45,574 49.9% 50.1%
1841 47,354 36,790 55.0% 45.0%
1842 40,855 26,745 56.9% 43.1%
1843 32,029 20,973 50.7% 49.3%
1844 48,942 38,501 52.1% 47.9%
1845 34,711 26,341 51.5% 48.5%
1846 36,031 29,557 47.6% 52.4%
1847 33,429 24,246 51.2% 48.8%
1848 39,760 29,927 48.3% 51.7%
1849 37,636 28,056 51.0% 49.0%
1850 41,203 32,120 51.1% 48.9%
1851 No election, constitutional change in political year
1852 41,999 Whigs ==>
Republican 		29,127 44.3% 55.7%
1853 36,386 11,027 27,061 43.5% 13.2% 43.3%
1854 28,462 44,565 14,001 31.4% 49.2% 19.4%
1855 48,345 51,441 10,610 43.8% 46.6% 9.7%
1856 43,628 69,574 6,554 36.4% 58.1% 5.5%
1857 42,968 54,655 43.9% 55.8%
1858 52,440 60,380 46.4% 53.5%
1859 45,387 57,230 War Democrat 44.2% 55.8%
1860 52,350 70,030 42.2% 56.4%
1861 19,908 58,689 21,935 19.8% 58.3% 21.9%
1862 32,108 42,744 6,764 39.3% 52.3% 8.4%
1863 50,687 68,339 42.6% 57.4%
1864 46,403 65,583 41.4% 58.6%
1865 31,609 54,430 36.7% 63.2%
1866 41,947 69,637 37.5% 62.2%
1867 45,990 57,332 44.3% 55.3%
1868 56,207

75,523

 42.7% 57.3%
1869 39,033 51,314 4,735 41.1% 54.0% 5.0%
1870 45,733 54,019 45.8% 54.1%
1871 47,578 58,285 44.9% 55.0%
1872 55,343 71,888 43.5% 56.5%
1873 32,920 45,244 2,164 40.7% 55.9%
1874 41,898 50,865 2,093 44.0% 53.4%
1875 53,807 57,812 48.2% 51.8%
1876 60,423 75,867
520
 44.2% 55.4%
1877 42,311 53,585 5,296 41.5% 52.5% 6.0%
1878 28,208 56,554 41,371 22.4% 44.8% 32.8%
1879 21,851 68,967 47,643 15.7% 49.7% 34.6%

 

Two- and Four-Year Elections Period

Year Democrat Republican Next Dem% Rep% 5%+

1880
73,544
73,713
49.8%
50.2%

1882
78,318
63,921
54.3%
45.7%

1884
58,503
78,318
3,017
41.2%
55.1%

1886
55,289
8,850
3,851
81.1%
13.0%
5.9%

1888
61,348
79,401
3,109
42.2%
54.6%

1890
45,360
64,259
2,981
39.8%
56.4%

1892
55,397
67,900
3,864
42.5%
52.1%
5.3%

1894
30,405
69,322
5,328
28.2%
64.3%
7.5%

1896
34,350
82,596
3,292
27.8%
66.9%
5.3%

1898
28,485
53,900
2,326
33.2%
62.9%

1900
40,086
73,470
3,648
34.0%
62.3%

1902
38,107
63,354
4,429
35.3%
58.7%
5.9%

1904
50,146
76,962
2,788
38.1%
58.5%

1906
61,363
69,427
1,551
46.0%
52.0%

1908
66,278
73,551
1,421
46.5%
51.6%

1910
73,304
64,644
1,641
51.8%
45.7%

1912
67,702
70,931
2,081
47.7%
50.0%

1914
62,076
58,887
18,226
43.8%
41.6%
14.6%

1916
67,930
81,760
1,465
44.9%
54.0%

1918
59,050
64,069
48.0%
52.0%

1920
70,047
135,393
34.1%
65.9%

1922
75,256
103,713
42.0%
58.0%

1924
108,626
145,281
42.8%
57.2%

1926
80,748
100,776
44.5%
55.5%

1928
65,572
148,053
30.7%
69.3%

1930
67,172
82,310
44.9%
55.1%

1932
121,158
118,800
1,137
50.3%
49.3%

1934
156,917
133,418
314
54.0%
45.9%

1936
130,466
173,716
5,862
42.1%
56.0%

1938
139,745
157,206
287
47.0%
52.9%

1940
92,003
162,719
325
36.1%
63.8%

1942
58,558
118,047
33.2%
66.8%

1944
55,783
131,849
29.7%
70.3%

1946
69,624
110,327
38.7%
61.3%

1948
76,544
145,956
34.4%
65.6%

1950
94,300
145,823
1,054
39.1%
60.5%

1952
82,538
128,532
35,732
33.2%
51.7%
15.0%

1954
135,673
113,298
54.5%
45.5%

1956
180,254
124,395
59.2%
40.8%

1958
145,673
134,572
52.0%
48.0%

1960
197,447
219,768
47.3%
52.7%

1962
146,121
146,604
49.9%
50.1%

1966
172,036
151,802
53.1%
46.9%

1970
163,138
162,248
50.1%
49.9%

1974
132,219
84,176
146,661
35.9%
22.9%
41.2%

1978
176,493
126,862
65,889
40.4%
29.0%
30.6%

1982
281,066
172,949
6,280
61.1%
37.6%

1986
128,744
170,312
127,805
30.2%
39.9%
29.9%
1990 230,028 244,366 48,377 44.0% 46.7% 9.3%
1994 172,951 117,990 180,829 33.8% 23.1% 43.1%
1998 50,506 79,716 246,772 12.0% 18.9% 58.6%
2002 238,197 209,196 46,903 48.2% 42.3% 9.5%
2006 209,927 166,425 118,715 31.1% 30.2% 21.6%
2010 109,387 218,065 208,270 18.8% 37.6% 40.9%
2014 final results pending 43.3% 48.2% 8.4%

2 Comments

  1. Maine’s four year gubernatorial term started with the 1958 election, not 1962. Clinton A. Clauson was elected governor that year. He died December 30, 1959, and was succeeded by John H. Reed, then president of the state senate, who served out the remaining three years of Governor Clauson’s term. Governor Reed was elected governor for a full term in 1962, becoming the first governor to serve four years in a single term.

     Reply

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