Unusual state election results and vote patterns

[Alcibiades]

The Arkansas 1966 gubernatorial election is interesting, with Winthrop Rockefeller sweeping the majority black counties and indeed many of the whiter (though still with a substantial black majority) counties in southern Arkansas such as Clark which were voting Dem at all levels well into the 2000s. In some ways it is not surprising that a (literal) Rockefeller Republican would win black support against a segregationist Democrat, but on the other hand Southern blacks have largely been voting Democratic since their enfranchisement, not to mention how rare a breed liberal Republicans were in the South.

[Alcibiades]

This Minnesota one is sort of weird

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Minnesota_gubernatorial_election

More than “sort of”.

[Alcibiades]

This Minnesota one is sort of weird

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Minnesota_gubernatorial_election

More than “sort of”.

This one has an explanation. DFLer Perpich was nationally considered a great governor in the 80s but he was getting old and possibly senile with some weird statements. The original IR candidate was hard right Grunseth but 2 teenage girls accused him of skinny dipping with them. He also admitted to affairs and there were rumors that he had paid for an abortion. He ended up dropping out a week before the election and Arne Carlson was a moderate republican who stepped in.

Many Ds and independents picked Carlson over Perpich. Since Carlson was originally mounting a 3rd party bid, he also had that vote.

Carlson winning Ramsey County in a narrow election was a remarkable feat; at the presidential level it hasn’t voted Republican since 1924.