The 1946 Colorado gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1946. Democratic nominee William Lee Knous defeated Republican nominee Leon Lavington with 52.11% of the vote, becoming the first Democrat to win the governorship since 1936.
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![]() County results Knous: 50–60% 60–70% Lavington: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary elections
editPrimary elections were held on September 10, 1946.[1]
Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- William Lee Knous, Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | William Lee Knous | 45,104 | 100.00 |
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- Leon Lavington, Auditor of Colorado
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Leon Lavington | 39,646 | 100.00 |
General election
editCandidates
edit- William Lee Knous, Democratic
- Leon Lavington, Republican
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | William Lee Knous | 174,604 | 52.11% | +4.51% | |
Republican | Leon Lavington | 160,483 | 47.89% | −4.51% | |
Majority | 14,121 | 4.22% | |||
Turnout | 335,087 | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican | Swing |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "State of Colorado Abstract of Votes Cast 1946" (PDF). Secretary of State of Colorado. 1946. Retrieved February 15, 2020.