1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{for|related races|1952 United States gubernatorial elections}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election
| country = Tennessee
| type = Presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1950 Tennessee gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 1950
| next_election = 1954 Tennessee gubernatorial election
| next_year = 1954
| election_date = November 4, 1952
| image1 = File:Frank Clement 1958 (cropped, 3x4).jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee1 = Frank G. Clement
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 640,290
| percentage1 = 79.37%
| image2 = File:3x4.svg
| nominee2 = R. Beecher Witt
| party2 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 166,377
| percentage2 = 20.62%
| map_image = 1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
| map_size = 300px
| map_caption = County results
Clement: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}} {{legend0|#0d056c|>90%}}
Witt: {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}}
| title = Governor
| before_election = Gordon Browning
| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
| after_election = Frank G. Clement
| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)
}}{{ElectionsTN}}
The 1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1952, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor, Gordon Browning was defeated in the primary by Frank G. Clement. In the general election, Clement defeated Republican nominee R. Beecher Witt with 79.4% of the vote.
In the primary election, Clement derided Governor Browning as "dishonest, indecent, and immoral,"Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 325-329, 340-350. and criticized the state's purchase of an expensive office building in Nashville. Browning, nearly twice Clement's age, struggled to adapt to the new medium of television.Fred Rolater, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=149 Gordon Weaver Browning]," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 12 December 2012. He lost to Clement in the primary, 302,491 votes to 245,166.
Primary elections
=Democratic primary=
==Candidates==
- Frank G. Clement, attorney
- Gordon Browning, incumbent governor
- Clifford Allen, State Senator
- Clifford Pierce
==Results==
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Frank G. Clement
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 302,491
| percentage = 46.74%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Gordon Browning (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 245,166
| percentage = 37.89%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Clifford Allen
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 75,269
| percentage = 11.63%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Clifford Pierce
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 24,191
| percentage = 3.74%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 647,117
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
=Candidates=
- Frank G. Clement, Democratic
- R. Beecher Witt, Republican
=Results=
{{Election box begin | title=1952 Tennessee gubernatorial election{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=46A7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA421 |title=America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook |date= 26 October 2017|isbn=9781506368993 |access-date=2019-06-24|last1=Cook |first1=Rhodes }}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Frank G. Clement
| votes = 640,290
| percentage = 79.37%
| change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = R. Beecher Witt
| votes = 166,377
| percentage = 20.62%
| change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
| party =
| candidate =
| votes = 104
| percentage = 0.01%
| change =
}}
{{Election box majority|
| votes = 473,913
| percentage =
| change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
| votes = 806,771
| percentage =
| change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
| loser =
| swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}