1930 Oregon gubernatorial election

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1930 Oregon gubernatorial election

| country = Oregon

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1926 Oregon gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1926

| next_election = 1934 Oregon gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1934

| election_date = November 4, 1930

| image1 = File:Julius L. Meier 1911.png

| image_size = 150x150px

| nominee1 = Julius Meier

| party1 = Independent (politician)

| popular_vote1 = 135,608

| percentage1 = 54.5%

| image2 = File:3x4.svg

| nominee2 = Edward F. Bailey

| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 62,434

| percentage2 = 25.1%

| image3 = File:Phil Metschan, Jr. from 1930 voter guide.png

| nominee3 = Phil Metschan Jr.

| party3 = Republican Party (United States)

| popular_vote3 = 46,480

| percentage3 = 18.8%

| map_image = 1930 Oregon gubernatorial election results map by county.svg

| map_size = 250px

| map_caption = County results
Meier: {{legend0|#E6E6E6|30–40%}} {{legend0|#D9D9D9|40–50%}} {{legend0|#BDBDBD|50–60%}} {{legend0|#969696|60–70%}} {{legend0|#737373|70–80%}}
Bailey: {{legend0|#c8cff9|30-40%}} {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}}
Metschan: {{legend0|#ffc8cd|30–40%}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = A. W. Norblad

| before_party = Republican Party (United States)

| after_election = Julius Meier

| after_party = Independent (politician)

}}

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.

Background and campaign

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/lib/governors/jlm.htm|title=Official biography of Julius L. Meier|publisher=Oregon State Library|access-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111522/http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/lib/governors/jlm.htm|archive-date=July 16, 2011}} The Democrats selected State Senator Edward F. Bailey of Lane County.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6043892/edward-bailey-democratic-nominee/|title=Ed F. Bailey, Democratic Nominee|newspaper=La Grande Observer|date=August 29, 1930|access-date=July 20, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,739306,00.html|title=National Affairs: Oregon Vote|access-date=July 20, 2021|work=Time}}

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,{{cite news

|title= The Press: Snap the Whip

|date=January 23, 1950

|work=Time magazine

|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858588,00.html

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131132539/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858588,00.html

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=January 31, 2011

|access-date=July 8, 2011

}} Meier won a resounding victory over Metschan and Bailey.{{cite news

|title=Oregon's Governor-elect carries on for dead friend

|work=The Washington Post

|date=November 30, 1930

|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/225490392.html?dids=225490392:225490392&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=NOV+06%2C+1930&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Oregon%27s+Governor-Elect+Carries+On+for+Dead+Friend&pqatl=google

}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Meier's victory was viewed as indicating strong public support for public hydropower development.{{cite journal

|title=The Movement for Public Ownership of Power in Oregon

|first=Emerson P.

|last=Schmidt

|journal=The Journal of Land & Public Utility Economics

|volume= 7| issue = 1

| pages=57

|date=February 1931

|jstor=3138633

}}

Election results

{{Election box begin no change| title=Oregon gubernatorial election, 1930{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=41&year=1930&f=0&off=5&elect=0|title=1930 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Oregon|publisher=US Election Atlas|access-date=July 20, 2021}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Julius Meier

|votes = 135,608

|percentage = 54.51

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Edward F. Bailey

|votes = 62,434

|percentage = 25.10

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Phil Metschan Jr.

|votes = 46,480

|percentage = 18.83

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Socialist Party USA

|candidate = Albert Streiff

|votes = 3,911

|percentage = 1.57

}}

{{Election box candidate no change|

| party =

| candidate = write-ins

| votes = 2

| percentage = 0.00

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 248,435 | percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box gain with party link without swing|

|winner = Independent (politician)

|loser = Republican Party (United States)

}}

References

Gubernatorial

1930

Oregon

Category:November 1930 in the United States