1962 Georgia gubernatorial election

1962 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial primary

September 12, 1962

Nominee Carl Sanders Marvin Griffin Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 494,978 332,746 Percentage 58.07% 39.04%

County results Sanders:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Griffin:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Governor before election Ernest Vandiver Democratic Elected Governor Carl Sanders Democratic

The 1962 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1962.

Carl Sanders won the Democratic primary on September 12 with 58.07% of the vote, defeating former governor Marvin Griffin. At this time, Georgia was a one-party state, and the Democratic nomination was tantamount to victory. Sanders won the November general election without an opponent.

This election was notable for a number of reasons. First, it was the last Georgia gubernatorial election to date where the Republican Party did not field a candidate. Second, the primary election was the first that took place under a winner-take-all system, as the previously used County Unit System had been struck down by the US Supreme Court in Gray v. Sanders. Finally, upon election, Carl Sanders became the youngest governor of a state at the time (aged 37) and the first governor from an urban area since the 1920s. He beat former governor Marvin Griffin in the Democratic primary.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Marvin Griffin, former governor of Georgia (1955–59)
• Cecil L. Langham
• Hoke O'Kelley, perennial candidate
• Carl Sanders, state senator from Augusta and President pro tempore of the Georgia Senate
• Grace Wilkey Thomas, candidate for governor in 1954 and desegregationist

Results

Candidate	Votes	%
Carl Sanders	494,978	58.07
Marvin Griffin	332,746	39.04
Grace Wilkey Thomas	12,579	1.48
Hoke O'Kelley	8,728	1.02
Cecil L. Langham	3,319	0.39
Total	852,350	100.00
Source:

General election results

1962 Georgia gubernatorial election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Carl Sanders	311,524	99.95%	0.05
	N/A	write-ins	167	0.05%	0.05
Total votes			311,691	100.00%
	Democratic hold