Maryland gubernatorial election, 1966

The Maryland gubernatorial election of 1966 was held on November 8 and was notable for several reasons:

1. This was the second-to-last time that a Republican Party candidate was elected Governor of Maryland.
2. Spiro Agnew's victory was the beginning of one of the quickest political rises in United States history - six years from County Executive to the Vice President of the United States. His governorship bring him to the national attention and prominence, without this he probably would not have been a candidate for national office.

Democratic Party nomination

Maryland was and still is a state with a long history of Democratic Party political domination. Although Maryland is often counted as a southern state, it is also regarded as rather liberal, than a former confederate (while Maryland remained in the Union) Deep South, now a Republican stronghold.

Incumbent Democratic Governor J. Millard Tawes was term-limited, which left the Democratic primary race open.

Candidates:

• 1962 gubernatorial candidate Morgan L. Amaimo
• State Attorney General Thomas B. Finan
• 1962 gubernatorial candidate Charles J. Luthardt, Sr.
• Former member of the Democratic National Committee and frequent candidare George P. Mahoney
• Clarence W. Miles
• Frequent candidate Ross Zimmerman Pierpont
• Representative Carlton R. Sickles

Carlton R. Sickles was early viewed as a favorite to win both nomination and the general election. However multiple presence of candidates caused narrow victory of Mahoney, who was a staunch segregationist and supporter of George Wallace. Thus outraged many Maryland's democrats from supporting him.

Republican Party nomination

Because of heavy Democratic domination in the state, no Republican Party candidate sought nomination except Baltimore County Executive Spiro Agnew, who became a candidate without an opposition.

Other candidates

Democratic Baltimore City Comptroller Hyman A. Pressman ran as independent, opposing Mahoney.^[1]

General election

Agnew ran on his executive record as a moderate and pro-integration Republican reformer. This caused many Democrats, despite party affiliation, to support him rather than segregationist Mahoney, who in 1968 ran for the U.S. Senate as an independent, Wallace-backed candidate.

Also the Pressman candidacy may have helped Agnew with split Democratic votes.

• Spiro Agnew (R) - 455,318 (49.50%)
• George P. Mahoney (D) - 373,543 (40.61%)
• Hyman A. Pressman (I) - 90,899 (9.88%)

References

1. ^ "My Unexpected Journey: The Autobiography of Governor Harry Roe Hughes". The History Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=aQ7YIoSwQogC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=Hyman+A.+Pressman&source=web&ots=zI8jhT9Oix&sig=7aWZKpLeVSZJMWfpPCwwtITA0vg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 

• General election results
• Democratic primary