The 1952 Maine gubernatorial election took place on September 8, 1952. Incumbent Republican

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Frederick G. Payne Frederick George Payne (July 24, 1904 – June 15, 1978) was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a United States Senate, U.S. Senator from Maine from 1953 to ...

was term limited and seeking election to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, thus did not run. Maine Senate President

Burton M. Cross Burton Melvin Cross (November 15, 1902 – October 22, 1998) was an American Republican businessman and politician. Cross was Maine's 61st and 63rd Governor, though his two terms were separated by just 25 hours. Biography Born in Augusta, Mai ...

faced off against Democratic challenger, former Congressman

James C. Oliver James Churchill Oliver (August 6, 1895 – December 25, 1986) was a U.S. Representative from Maine. He served three consecutive congressional terms as a Republican from 1937 to 1943, then later served a fourth term as a Democrat from 1959 to 196 ...

(who served in Congress as a Republican) and

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Neil Bishop in the general election, easily defeating both men. Burton's election was the ninth consecutive victory for the Republicans in Maine gubernatorial races. The period after the election itself was rather unusual. Cross actually became Governor about two weeks prior to the start of his elected term of office – the outgoing Governor,

had resigned on December 25, 1952, to prepare for his term in the United States Senate. Cross, as President of the Senate became Governor through constitutional succession. Cross himself resigned as Senate President (and Governor) at 10:00am January 6, 1953 and was replaced for the next 25 hours by

Nathaniel Haskell Nathaniel Mervin Haskell (September 27, 1912 – February 8, 1983) was an American attorney and Republican politician from Maine. Haskell served as the 62nd Governor of Maine for 25 hours starting at 10:00 a.m. on January 6, 1953. Biog ...

. At 11:00am on January 7, 1953, Cross' official elected term of office began.

Results

Notes

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

September 1952 events in the United States {{Maine-election-stub