New York state election, 1936

The 1936 New York state election was held on November 3, 1936, to elect the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, a judge^[1] of the New York Court of Appeals and two U.S. Representatives-at-large, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

Nominations

The Communist state convention met on June 14, and nominated Robert Minor for Governor; Julian S. Sawyer, of Buffalo, for Lieutenant Governor; and Irving Schwab, of New York City, for the Court of Appeals.^[2]

The Socialist state convention met on June 27 at the Hotel Delano in New York City, and nominated Dr. Harry W. Laidler for Governor; the Rev. Herman J. Hahn for Lieutenant Governor; Edward Marks of Freeport for Attorney General; and Coleman B. Cheney for Comptroller.^[3]

The Democratic state convention met on September 29 at Syracuse, New York, and re-nominated the incumbents Lehman, Bray, Tremaine and Bennett; and completed the ticket with Harlan W. Rippey for the Court of Appeals.^[4]

The Republican state convention met on September 29 at Albany, New York, and nominated Justice William F. Bleakley, of Yonkers, for Governor on the first ballot (vote: Bleakley 680, George R. Fearon 348). Also nominated were Col. Ralph K. Robertson for Lieutenant Governor; John A. May for Comptroller; Nathan D. Perlman for Attorney General; and James P. Hill for the Court of Appeals.^[5]

The American Labor Party filed on October 6 a petition to nominate only two candidates: Franklin D. Roosevelt for U.S. President and Herbert H. Lehman for Governor.^[6]

Result

The whole Democratic ticket was elected.

The incumbents Lehman, Bray, Tremaine, Bennett, Merritt and O'Day were re-elected.

1936 state election results

Office	Democratic ticket		Republican ticket		American Labor ticket		Socialist ticket		Communist ticket
Governor	Herbert H. Lehman	2,708,403	William F. Bleakley	2,450,104	Herbert H. Lehman	262,192	Harry W. Laidler	86,897	Robert Minor	35,609
Lieutenant Governor	M. William Bray		Ralph K. Robertson[7]		(none)		Herman J. Hahn[8]		Julian S. Sawyer
Comptroller	Morris S. Tremaine		John A. May[9]		(none)		Coleman B. Cheney[10]
Attorney General	John J. Bennett, Jr.		Nathan D. Perlman		(none)		Edward Marks
Judge of the Court of Appeals	Harlan W. Rippey		James P. Hill[11]		(none)		Darwin J. Meserole[12]		Irving Schwab
U.S. Representative-at-large	Matthew J. Merritt	3,013,931	Anthony J. Contiguglia[13]	2,078,865	(none)		Frank R. Crosswaith	101,184	Roy Hudson	69,336
U.S. Representative-at-large	Caroline O'Day	2,992,057	Natalie F. Couch[14]	2,078,803	(none)		Edna Mitchell Blue	102,133	Simon W. Gerson	68,868

Obs.: The vote for Governor is used to define ballot access.

Notes

1. ^ to succeed Leonard C. Crouch who would reach the constitutional age limit at the end of the year
2. ^ COMMUNISTS PICK SLATE in NYT on June 15, 1936 (subscription required)
3. ^ STATE SOCIALISTS CHOOSE LAIDLER in NYT on June 28, 1936 (subscription required)
4. ^ Harmony Marks Democratic Convention as Entire Ticket Is Swiftly Approved; LEHMAN RENAMED BY ACCLAMATION in NYT on September 30, 1936 (subscription required)
5. ^ BLEAKLEY WINS ON FIRST in NYT on September 30, 1936 (subscription required)
6. ^ LABOR PARTY FILES PETITION AT ALBANY in NYT on October 7, 1936 (subscription required)
7. ^ Major General Ralph K. Robertson (1883-1964), of Buffalo, lawyer, American Expeditionary Force in World War I, U.S. Army general in World War II, Maj. Gen. Ralph K. Robertson, Lawyer and Soldier, Dies at 81 Obit in NYT on October 6, 1964 (subscription required)
8. ^ Rev. Herman J. Hahn, of Buffalo, ran also for Lieutenant Governor in 1928; and for the U.S. Senate in 1938
9. ^ John A. May, of Gloversville, JOHN A. MAY Obit in NYT on June 1, 1958
10. ^ Coleman B. Cheney, ran also for Governor in 1942
11. ^ James P. Hill (1878-1950), of Norwich, later Presiding Justice of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (3rd Dept.), JAMES P. HILL, 72, A RETIRED JURIST Obit in NYT on June 10, 1950 (subscription required)
12. ^ Darwin J. Meserole (1868-1952), ran also for Attorney General in 1920; for Chief Judge in 1926; and for associate judge of the Court of Appeals in 1930, 1933 and 1934; DARWIN J. MESEROLE Obit in NYT on May 22, 1952 (subscription required)
13. ^ Anthony John Contiguglia, of Auburn
14. ^ Natalie F. (Couch) Williams (1890-1956), of Nyack, lawyer, ran also in 1934 while being personal secretary to Supreme Court Justice Arthur S. Tompkins, Journal Clerk of the New York State Assembly, married 1940 Ex-State Senator Lawrence G. Williams, of Buffalo, MRS. WILLIAMS, 66, LEADER IN G.O.P. Obit in NYT on October 20, 1956 (subscription required)

Sources

• Official Result: ROOSEVELT MARGIN 1,112,552 IN STATE; Official Canvass Gives Him 13 Counties, of Which 8 Were Outside New York City.; LEHMAN VOTE 2,970,595 Bleakley Was 520,491 Behind; Socialists Got 86,897; and the Communists 35,609 in NYT on December 1936 (subscription required)

See also

New York gubernatorial elections