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November 4, 1930
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 County results Meier: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Bailey: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% Metschan: 30–40% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Oregon |
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The 1930 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1930, to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Oregon. The Oregon Republican Party, at the time dominant in Oregon politics, initially nominated George W. Joseph, but the nominee died prior to the general election. Joseph's former law partner Julius Meier entered the race as an independent, and defeated replacement Republican nominee Phil Metschan, Jr., Democrat Edward F. Bailey, and Socialist Albert Streiff to become the first and only independent politician to be elected Governor of Oregon.
Primary election
Oregon held primary elections on May 16, 1930.
Republican primary
George W. Joseph won the Republican nomination, but died shortly after. The Republican Party selected Phil Metschan, Jr., son of former Oregon State Treasurer Phil Metschan, as a replacement nominee. Unlike Joseph, Metschan opposed public development of hydroelectric power along the Columbia River.[1]
Candidates
- J. E. Bennett, member of Oregon State Senate
- Harry L. Corbett, member of Oregon State Senate
- Charles Hall, member of Oregon State Senate
- John A. Jeffrey, attorney
- George W. Joseph, former member of Oregon State Senate
- A. W. Norblad, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George W. Joseph | 50,545 | 34.94% | |
| Republican | A. W. Norblad (inc.) | 46,074 | 31.85% | |
| Republican | Harry L. Corbett | 33,861 | 23.41% | |
| Republican | Charles Hall | 9,235 | 6.38% | |
| Republican | J. E. Bennett | 3,426 | 2.37% | |
| Republican | John A. Jeffrey | 1,510 | 1.04% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 8 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 144,659 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic party
The Democrats selected State Senator Edward F. Bailey of Lane County.[3][4]
Candidates
- Edward F. Bailey, member of Oregon State Senate
- A. C. Hough, attorney
- Edward S. Piper
- George R. Wilbur, member of Oregon State Senate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edward F. Bailey | 11,939 | 39.10% | |
| Democratic | George R. Wilbur | 10,388 | 34.02% | |
| Democratic | Edward S. Piper | 4,395 | 14.39% | |
| Democratic | A. C. Hough | 2,679 | 8.77% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 1,134 | 3.71% | |
| Total votes | 30,535 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Campagain
With a key platform of Joseph's campaign now directly opposed by the replacement nominee, Julius Meier, Joseph's former law partner, friend, and general manager of the Meier and Frank department store, agreed to enter the race as an Independent candidate with Joseph's platform. Although opposed by the state's largest newspaper, The Oregonian,[5] Meier won a resounding victory over Metschan and Bailey.[1][6] Meier's victory was viewed as indicating strong public support for public hydropower development.[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Julius Meier | 135,608 | 54.51% | ||
| Democratic | Edward F. Bailey | 62,434 | 25.09% | −16.27% | |
| Republican | Phil Metschan Jr. | 46,480 | 18.83% | −34.32% | |
| Socialist | Albert Streiff | 3,911 | 1.57% | ||
| Write-in | Scattering | 2 | 0.00% | ||
| Total votes | 248,795 | 100.00% | |||
| Majority | 73,174 | 29.41% | |||
| Independent gain from Republican | Swing | +17.64% | |||
Results by county
| County[8] | Julius Meier Independent |
Edward F. Bailey Democratic |
Phil Metschan Jr. Republican |
Albert Streiff Socialist |
Margin[a] | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Baker | 1,851 | 41.12% | 1,475 | 32.76% | 1,108 | 24.61% | 68 | 1.51% | 376 | 8.35% | 4,502 |
| Benton | 1,236 | 24.66% | 1,963 | 39.17% | 1,764 | 35.20% | 49 | 0.98% | -199[b] | -3.97% | 5,012 |
| Clackamas | 8,005 | 64.34% | 2,258 | 18.15% | 1,896 | 15.24% | 282 | 2.27% | 5,747 | 46.19% | 12,441 |
| Clatsop | 2,285 | 41.75% | 1,928 | 35.23% | 1,160 | 21.19% | 100 | 1.83% | 357 | 6.52% | 5,473 |
| Columbia | 2,411 | 56.70% | 922 | 21.68% | 822 | 19.33% | 97 | 2.28% | 1,489 | 35.02% | 4,252 |
| Coos | 3,298 | 49.35% | 2,046 | 30.61% | 1,237 | 18.51% | 102 | 1.53% | 1,252 | 18.73% | 6,683 |
| Crook | 498 | 40.19% | 446 | 36.00% | 290 | 23.41% | 5 | 0.40% | 52 | 4.20% | 1,239 |
| Curry | 442 | 38.81% | 422 | 37.05% | 23 | 20.46% | 42 | 3.69% | 20 | 1.76% | 1,139 |
| Deschutes | 1,746 | 53.39% | 798 | 24.40% | 699 | 21.38% | 27 | 0.83% | 948 | 28.99% | 3,270 |
| Douglas | 2,361 | 38.92% | 2,260 | 37.26% | 1,374 | 22.65% | 71 | 1.17% | 101 | 1.67% | 6,066 |
| Gilliam | 391 | 42.27% | 293 | 31.68% | 237 | 25.62% | 4 | 0.43% | 98 | 10.59% | 925 |
| Grant | 609 | 36.16% | 491 | 29.16% | 566 | 33.61% | 17 | 1.01% | 43[c] | 2.55% | 1,684[d] |
| Harney | 418 | 34.49% | 330 | 27.23% | 452 | 37.29% | 12 | 0.99% | -34[e] | -2.81% | 1,212 |
| Hood River | 923 | 45.45% | 658 | 32.40% | 434 | 21.37% | 15 | 0.74% | 265 | 13.05% | 2,031[d] |
| Jackson | 3,453 | 40.42% | 2,310 | 27.04% | 2,666 | 31.21% | 113 | 1.32% | 787[c] | 9.21% | 8,542 |
| Jefferson | 253 | 41.41% | 183 | 29.95% | 162 | 26.51% | 13 | 2.13% | 70 | 11.46% | 611 |
| Josephine | 1,562 | 54.96% | 609 | 21.43% | 633 | 22.27% | 38 | 1.34% | 929[c] | 32.69% | 2,842 |
| Klamath | 2,998 | 48.49% | 1,410 | 22.80% | 1,681 | 27.19% | 94 | 1.52% | 1,317[c] | 21.30% | 6,183 |
| Lake | 694 | 42.71% | 376 | 23.14% | 542 | 33.35% | 13 | 0.80% | 152[c] | 9.35% | 1,625 |
| Lane | 2,775 | 22.34% | 7,117 | 57.30% | 2,334 | 18.79% | 194 | 1.56% | -4,342 | -34.96% | 12,420 |
| Lincoln | 991 | 36.19% | 1,050 | 38.35% | 645 | 23.56% | 52 | 1.90% | -59 | -2.15% | 2,738 |
| Linn | 2,316 | 31.89% | 3,342 | 46.01% | 1,546 | 21.29% | 59 | 0.81% | -1,026 | -14.13% | 7,263 |
| Malheur | 889 | 36.69% | 679 | 28.02% | 828 | 34.17% | 27 | 1.11% | 61[c] | 2.52% | 2,423 |
| Marion | 6,777 | 46.05% | 4,935 | 33.53% | 2,833 | 19.25% | 173 | 1.18% | 1,842 | 12.52% | 14,718 |
| Morrow | 510 | 36.96% | 487 | 35.29% | 370 | 26.81% | 13 | 0.94% | 23 | 1.67% | 1,380 |
| Multnomah | 68,121 | 71.87% | 12,036 | 12.70% | 12,855 | 13.56% | 1,775 | 1.87% | 55,266[c] | 58.31% | 94,787 |
| Polk | 1,554 | 36.75% | 1,788 | 42.56% | 807 | 19.21% | 62 | 1.48% | -244 | -5.81% | 4,201 |
| Sherman | 349 | 38.14% | 297 | 32.46% | 262 | 28.63% | 7 | 0.77% | 52 | 5.68% | 915 |
| Tillamook | 1,415 | 49.48% | 878 | 30.70% | 522 | 18.25% | 45 | 1.57% | 537 | 18.78% | 2,860 |
| Umatilla | 2,119 | 38.78% | 2,079 | 38.05% | 1,213 | 22.20% | 53 | 0.97% | 40 | 0.73% | 5,464 |
| Union | 2,022 | 50.59% | 1,220 | 30.52% | 710 | 17.76% | 45 | 1.13% | 802 | 20.07% | 3,997 |
| Wallowa | 838 | 42.78% | 644 | 32.87% | 457 | 23.33% | 20 | 1.02% | 194 | 9.90% | 1,959 |
| Wasco | 1,450 | 44.02% | 778 | 23.62% | 1,038 | 31.51% | 28 | 0.85% | 412[c] | 12.51% | 3,294 |
| Washington | 5,016 | 67.34% | 1,239 | 16.63% | 1,080 | 14.50% | 114 | 1.53% | 3,777 | 50.70% | 7,449 |
| Wheeler | 339 | 31.68% | 291 | 27.20% | 427 | 39.91% | 13 | 1.21% | -88[e] | -8.22% | 1,070 |
| Yamhill | 2,703 | 44.13% | 2,396 | 39.12% | 957 | 15.62% | 69 | 1.13% | 307 | 5.01% | 6,125 |
| Total | 135,608 | 54.51% | 62,434 | 25.09% | 46,840 | 18.83% | 3,911 | 1.57% | 73,174 | 29.41% | 248,795 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Independent
Counties that flipped from Republican to Independent
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Notes
- Meier over Bailey unless otherwise noted
- Bailey's margin over Metschan
- Meier's margin over Metschan
- Includes 1 Scattering vote
- Metschan's margin over Meier
References
- "Official biography of Julius L. Meier". Oregon State Library. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- "Abstract of Votes Cast in the several counties of the State of Oregon at the Primary Election held on the 16th day of May, 1930". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- "Ed F. Bailey, Democratic Nominee". La Grande Observer. August 29, 1930. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- "National Affairs: Oregon Vote". Time. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- "The Press: Snap the Whip". Time magazine. January 23, 1950. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- "Oregon's Governor-elect carries on for dead friend". The Washington Post. November 30, 1930.
- Schmidt, Emerson P. (February 1931). "The Movement for Public Ownership of Power in Oregon". The Journal of Land & Public Utility Economics. 7 (1): 57. JSTOR 3138633.
- "Abstract of Votes Cast in the several counties of the State of Oregon at the General Election held on the Fourth day of November, A.D. 1930". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved April 10, 2026.