The 1956 Oregon gubernatorial special election took place on November 6, 1956. Democratic

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Robert D. Holmes Robert Denison Holmes (May 11, 1909 – June 6, 1976) was an American politician and journalist from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he worked in newspapers and radio before entering politics. Though a Republican earl ...

narrowly defeated Republican incumbent

Elmo Smith Elmo Everett Smith (November 19, 1909July 15, 1968) was an American Republican politician who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957. Early life Smith was born in Grand Junction, Colorado on November 19, 1909. At the age of ten ...

to win the election.

Background

On January 31, 1956, Governor

Paul L. Patterson Paul Linton Patterson (July 18, 1900 – January 31, 1956) was an American Republican politician. A native of Ohio, he served in World War I before becoming an attorney in Oregon. Later he served as President of the Oregon State Senate (1951–1 ...

, who was elected in the 1954 gubernatorial election, died in office of a

coronary occlusion A coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack. In some patients coronary occlusion causes only mild pain, tightness or vague discomfort which may be ignored ...

. Patterson's death elevated

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

President

to governor and a special election for November was called to fill the position for the final two years of Patterson's term. The succession law was changed in 1972 so that the

Oregon Secretary of State The secretary of state of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the governor. The duties of the office are auditor of public accounts, ch ...

is first in line to succeed the governor. Lew Wallace unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination.

Election results

Results by county

References

{{Oregon elections

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

Gubernatorial Oregon Gubernatorial 1956 Oregon 1956 November 1956 events in the United States United States gubernatorial elections in the 1950s November 1956 events November 1956 events in North America 1956 in Oregon Government of Oregon 1950s in Oregon 1956 elections 1956 elections in North America 1956 elections in the United States 1950s Oregon elections