1914 California gubernatorial election

Background

Hiram Johnson was first elected governor in 1910 as a member of the Republican Party. However, dissatisfaction with the William Howard Taft administration led many Republicans to support Theodore Roosevelt for the 1912 Republican nomination. Facing defeat at the 1912 Republican National Convention, Roosevelt defected to run under a new Bull Moose Party banner, selecting Johnson as his vice-presidential running mate. In California, Roosevelt and Johnson ran on the Republican ticket and carried the state by fewer than 200 votes. Johnson was supremely popular in California.

Early in 1914, it was not immediately clear if Johnson would run for reelection as governor, run for the United States Senate, or retire from public office. On January 6, 1914, Johnson announced that he would stand for re-election as governor under the banner of the Bull Moose Party. Following this announcement, Hiram Johnson and other members of the party began a massive voter registration campaign, to get potential voters to register as Progressives.

Republican primary

Candidates

• John D. Fredericks, Los Angeles County District Attorney since 1903
• Arthur Hathaway Hewitt, former Speaker of the California State Assembly (1911) and assemblyman from Yuba City (190811)

Declined

• Henry T. Gage, former governor (18991903) and U.S. minister to Portugal (1910)
• James C. Needham, former U.S. representative from Modesto (18991913)

Campaign

Early in the year, Los Angeles district attorney John D. Fredericks announced that he was willing to run for governor but qualified the statement by stating that he was willing to stand aside for another qualified candidate. The party faced an uphill battle following Johnson's defection to the Progressive Party. In February, Republican stalwarts met at Santa Barbara to discuss their strategy for the upcoming elections. Phillip A. Stanton and Leroy Wright lead the meeting, which was sponsored by Rudolph Spreckels. At the meeting, Republican leadership resolved to "reconstruct" the party after its 1912 split. Republicans also showed hostility towards California's direct primary law at the meeting and discussed possible candidates for governor including Fredericks, James C. Needham, and Henry Gage. On February 26, Arthur Hewitt declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination.

Fredericks spent over $14,000 on his primary campaign, a considerable amount compared to his primary opponents. Sources outside of California contributed $12,000.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John Curtin, state senator from Tuolumne County since 1899
• Fred H. Hall, former assemblyman from Bakersfield (191113)

Declined

• John B. Sanford, state senator from Ukiah

Campaign

In early 1914, the two candidates who were rumored to be aiming for the democratic nomination were John B. Curtin, a state senator from Sonora, and State Senator John B. Sanford of Ukiah. On February 7, 1914, Curtin made his intentions clear when he announced he was seeking the governorship. Later that month, Fred H. Hall of Bakersfield also entered the race, announcing his candidacy on February 28.

Curtin began his primary campaign in the city of Stockton on May 22, 1914. He would later announce his personal platform and political beliefs that he campaigned under. He advocated for the direct election of appointed state positions, such as Directors and Commissioners of state government offices. Additionally, Curtin advocated for state funding of elementary schooling as opposed to county funding, water conservation for farm irrigation purposes, the abolishment of "useless" government positions, and "an economical administration of the affairs of the state".

General election

Candidates

• John Curtin, state senator from Tuolumne County since 1899 (Democratic)
• John D. Fredericks, Los Angeles County District Attorney since 1903 (Republican)
• Hiram Johnson, incumbent governor since 1911 (Bull Moose)
• Clinton P. Moore (Prohibition)
• Noble A. Richardson, writer (Socialist)

Noble A. Richardson, a writer, won the Socialist primary unopposed. Throughout the primary and general election campaign periods, he toured the state and gave speeches to several socialist gatherings which called attention to his campaign.

Campaign

Johnson officially kicked off his campaign in Los Angeles, where he gave a speech to a large crowd at the Simpson Auditorium. He had no party opposition and secured his nomination on August 26, 1914, allowing him to focus on the general election. On September 15, the Progressive Party held their convention in Sacramento, where they adopted a platform supporting a protective tariff, non-partisan elections, and the continuation of the work done by Johnson in his previous term.

While the campaigns were traveling across the state to appeal to the voters, there were efforts behind the scenes to remove several Progressive candidates from appearing on the general election ballots. Secretary of State Frank C. Jordan asked California Attorney General Ulysses S. Webb to clarify whether candidates can be on the November ballot if they had lost a primary election. Webb responded: "If a registered Progressive, seeking Republican and Democratic nominations, obtains the Progressive nomination, his name will go on the ballot, according to Webb's ruling, even though be loses the Republican and Democratic nominations. On the other hand, if he should lose the Progressive and gain both of the other nominations, he is out of the running and cannot even be an independent candidate."

As a result, members of the Republican Party threatened to file suit against the state if any progressive were allowed to run in the general election after losing another party's primary, as the law indicated, "a candidate losing any party nomination shall not get on the November ballot."

This greatly concerned members of the Progressive Party, many of whom had cross-filed as Republicans, such as John Eshleman and Friend W. Richardson.

Results

Results by county

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Progressive

• Amador
• Calaveras
• Colusa
• El Dorado
• Glenn
• Inyo
• Kern
• Madera
• Mariposa
• Mendocino
• Merced
• Napa
• Placer
• Sacramento
• Siskiyou
• Solano
• Sonoma
• Tehama
• Tuolumne
• Yolo
• Yuba

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Republican

• Alpine
• Kings
• San Diego
• Sutter

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Lake

Notes

References

References

1. (2 January 1914). "AUGURY OF SUCCESS". Napa Weekly Journal.
2. (6 January 1914). "Johnson Out for Re-election FIGURES SHOW S.F. GAIN". San Francisco Call.
3. (3 January 1914). "Governor Johnson is going after the voters". Salinas Index Journal.
4. (8 January 1914). "FREDERICKS IS WILLING Los Angeles Attorney Says He Is Ready to Make Republican Race for Governor". Riverside Daily Press.
5. (7 February 1914). "OLD GUARD CONTROLS AT SANTA BARBARA Leroy Wright and Phil Stanton Are Managing Republican Conference. Program Will Evidently Suit General Otis of Times Fine". Riverside Daily Press.
6. (8 February 1914). "REPUBLICANS RECONSTRUCT, PROGRESS Two Party Conventions and Gubernatorial Candidate Roast Extravagance of Moose". Chico Record.
7. (9 February 1914). "OTIS PROGRAM CARRIED THROUGH - REPUBLICAN CONVENTION AT SANTA BARBARA STEERED ON LINES PLANNED BY TIMES Senator Leroy A. Wright and Phil A. Stanton Were Among the Chief Steerers Only Eight Women Present —Fresno Delegation Endorsed Needham for Governor". Riverside Daily Press.
8. (26 February 1914). "SPEAKER HEWITT CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR Sutter County Statesman Has Decided to Make Race as a Republican. STANDS ON HIS RECORD Points to Progressive Acts of Past Four Years as His Party Achievements.". Sacramento Daily Union.
9. (17 September 1914). "FREDERICKS SPENT $14,896 TO GET G. O. P. NOMINATION Los Angeles Candidate Files Expense Account That Heads the Idst". San Mateo Leader.
10. (7 January 1914). "PROGRESSIVE TICKET FOR CAMPAIGN READY Johnson Will Lead, But Fight for Lieutenant Governorship Is Still Open; Webb to Run Again for Office of Attorney General. HENEY AND ROWELL STILL NECK-AND-NECK FOR SENATE Wallace Announces That He Will Not Be a Candidate for Any Office; Chambers in Race for Office He Now Holds; Hyatt Also Enters. By Associated Press". Hanford Journal (Daily).
11. (13 February 1914). "Curtin Seeks Governorship". Napa Weekly Journal.
12. (6 March 1914). "CUT FOR GOVERNOR Fred H. Hall of Bakersfield Formally Announces His Candidacy for the Democratic Nomination". Napa Weekly Journal.
13. (15 May 1914). "SENATOR CURTIN WILL OPEN IN STOCKTON Democratic Candidate for Governor Will Start His Primary Campaign Next Week". Stockton Independent.
14. (13 June 1914). "Platform of J. B. Curtin". The Union Democrat.
15. (25 July 1914). "SOCIALIST PICNIC SUNDAY AT GRACE BROS.' PARK". The Press Democrat.
16. (25 August 1914). "800 IN RACE AT PRIMARY ELECTION TODAY Californians Are Stamping Ballots to Nominate Many Candidates BIG REGISTRATION ONE OF FEATURES Republicans and Democrats Weeding Out Aspirants at the Polls". Fresno Bee.
17. (18 September 1914). "Will Speak Here". Inyo Independent.
18. (31 October 1914). "RICHARDSON, SOCIALIST FOR GOVERNOR, IS HERE". Los Angeles Herald.
19. (19 February 1914). "JOHNSON FIRES THE FIRST GUN". Healdsburg Tribune.
20. (29 August 1914). "CURTIN, JOHNSON, FREDERICKS WILL HEAD LEADING TICKETS Race is Close Between Conley and Angellotti.— Phelan, Heney and Knowland for United States Senate.— Maddux and Ferguson for State Senate.— Ellis Wins Nomination for Member of Assembly.". Livingston Chronicle.
21. (1914-10-24). "THE PLATFORM OF THE CALIFORNIA PROGRESSIVES". The Washington Press.
22. (20 August 1914). "A MUDDLE OF THE PRIMARY LAW". Chico Record.
23. (15 August 1914). "BULL MOOSE MAY LOSE CANDIDATES Primary Law May Bar From November Election Those Defeated in Any Party Fight. REPUBLICANS TO TEST LAW Courts Will Be Asked for Mandamus Writs to Keep Names Off Final Ballot.". Sacramento Daily Union.
24. California Secretary of State. "Statement of Vote at the General Election held November 3, 1914 in the State of California". State Printing Office.