GOVERNORS: The Rolling Tide

The Republicans swept into the nation’s statehouses too. Of the 30 governorships to be filled, the G.O.P. took 19*for sure, and seemed to have aft even chance in two more where the result was still in doubt on the morning after. Outside the South, only four Democratic standard-bearers were left with their heads clearly above water.

The Republicans re-elected their incumbent governors in twelve states: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. They also won in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska and New Hampshire.

As expected, the Democrats won handily in Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, and clung to their capitols in Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

Among the principal contests:

Illinois. Republican William G. Stratton, 38, defeated Adlai Stevenson’s lieutenant governor, Sherwood Dixon, by at least 175,000 votes. Dixon took an early lead, but could not hold it.

Massachusetts. Paul Dever, the Democratic incumbent and the hoarse, perspiring National Convention keynoter, found himself in a seesaw battle with Republican Congressman Christian Herter. Dever’s great strength was in Boston, which he carried by more than 120,000 votes (while Stevenson was carrying it by only 65,000). But it was not quite enough. Scholarly Christian Herter carried the state by more than 15,000.

Michigan. Republican Fred Alger and Democratic Governor G. Mennen (“Soapy”) Williams battled each other in another hairbreadth affair. By the morning after, Alger held a 35,000 lead, and Soapy’s only hope seemed to be in the lagging returns from some strong Democratic districts.

Ohio. In Ohio, many a Democrat considered Democratic Governor Frank J. Lausche too conservative; many a Republican considered Bob Taft’s younger brother, Charles P. Taft, too liberal. In the showdown, Democrat Lausche kept his seat, took the state with a majority of more than 300,000—the best showing of any Democratic governorship candidate outside the South.

*Including Maine’s, in last September’s election.