Maine gubernatorial election, 1954

Maine gubernatorial election, 1954

1952 ←
September 13, 1954
→ 1956

 
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 135,673 113,298
Percentage 54.49% 45.51%

Election results by county
Republican (Red), Democrat (Blue)

Governor before election

Burton M. Cross
Republican

Elected Governor

Edmund Muskie
Democratic

The 1954 Maine gubernatorial election took place on September 13, 1954. Incumbent Republican Governor Burton M. Cross was seeking a second term which would have made him the fifth consecutive Governor (all Republicans) to be elected twice. Democratic state representative Edmund Muskie, widely viewed as the underdog due to Maine's solidly Republican history, was able to pull an upset victory and become the first Democrat to be elected to the Blaine House since Louis J. Brann in 1934. His election is widely viewed as the beginning of the rise of the Democratic Party in Maine, and the end of Republican dominance in the state.

Results

1954 Gubernatorial Election, Maine[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Edmund Muskie 135,673 54.49% -
Republican Burton M. Cross 113,298 45.51% -
Majority 22,375 8.99%

Notes