# 1974 Nevada gubernatorial election

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in Nevada :
Federal government
U.S. President
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
Dem
GOP
1916
Dem
GOP
1920
Dem
GOP
1924
Dem
GOP
1928
Dem
GOP
1932
Dem
GOP
1936
Dem
GOP
1940
Dem
GOP
1944
Dem
GOP
1948
Dem
GOP
1952
Dem
GOP
1956
Dem
GOP
1960
Dem
GOP
1964
Dem
GOP
1968
Dem
GOP
1972
Dem
GOP
1976
Dem
GOP
1980
Dem
GOP
1984
Dem
GOP
1988
Dem
GOP
1992
Dem
GOP
1996
Dem
GOP
2000
Dem
GOP
2004
Dem
GOP
2008
Dem
GOP
2012
Dem
GOP
2016
Dem
GOP
2020
Dem
GOP
2024
Dem
GOP
U.S. Senate
1865
1867
1869
1873
1875
1879
1881
1885
1887
1891
1893
1897
1899
1902
1903
1905
1909
1911
1913 (Sp)
1914
1916
1918 (Sp)
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1938
1940
1942 (Sp)
1944
1946
1950
1952
1954 (Sp)
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
U.S. House
1864
1865
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2nd
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special elections
2nd district, 2011 :
State government
General
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial
1864
1866
1870
1874
1878
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Nevada Attorney General
2014
2018
2022
2026
Nevada Senate
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Nevada Assembly
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2002, 2016, and 2024
2002 Nevada Question 2
2016 Nevada Question 2
2024 Nevada Question 6 :
Henderson
Mayoral
2017
2022 :
Las Vegas
Mayoral
1909
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2024 :
North Las Vegas
Mayoral
2013
2017
2022 :
Reno
Mayoral
1868
1870
1874
1878
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
None of These Candidates
Nevada portal :
vte :
The 1974 Nevada gubernatorial election occurred on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Democrat Mike O'Callaghan successfully ran for re-election to a second term as Governor of Nevada, defeating Republican nominee Shirley Crumpler and Independent American nominee James Hay Houston.

## Campaign
### Democratic primary

There was no Democratic primary as the Nevada Democratic Party fully committed fully behind incumbent governor Mike O'Callaghan and expected an easy re-election due to O'Callaghan being young, just 45 at the time, and running a scandal-less first term, as well as being generally charismatic and likeable.

### Republican primary

Four Republicans sought their party's nod for nomination with two front runners; Bill Bickerstaff from Sparks and Shirley Crumpler a 39-year-old Las Vegas based real estate developer and tax consultant. Crumpler would win and was the first woman ever nominated for Governor of Nevada and was also the first Republican woman ever nominated for Governor in the nation.

### Other

The Independent American Party of Nevada nominated James R. Houston, a wealthy 38-year-old silver speculator, for governor.

### General election

The central issue of the general election was the fact Crumpler was a woman, with Crumpler stating in an interview with The New York Times that convincing voters that a woman can handle the burden of holding political office just as much as a man to be "the hard part" of her campaign. Crumpler centered her campaign on accusing O'Callaghan of neglecting his constituents during his election campaign, and that he only implements policy for popularity boosts for re-election. O'Callaghan would defeat Crumpler by 85,155 votes.

## Results

Nevada gubernatorial election, 1974 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Mike O'Callaghan (inc.) | 114,114 | 67.38% | +19.28% |
| | Republican | Shirley Crumpler | 28,959 | 17.10% | −26.71% |
| | Independent American | James Ray Houston | 26,285 | 15.52% | +11.84% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 85,155 | 50.28% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 169,358 | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | +45.62% | |

### County results

| County | Mike O'Callaghan Democratic | Mike O'Callaghan Democratic | Shirley Crumpler Republican | Shirley Crumpler Republican | James Ray Houston Independent American | James Ray Houston Independent American | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Carson City | 5,099 | 59.50% | 1,723 | 20.11% | 1,748 | 20.40% | 3,351 | 39.10% | 8,570 |
| Churchill | 2,806 | 65.01% | 603 | 13.97% | 907 | 21.01% | 1,899 | 44.00% | 4,316 |
| Clark | 56,614 | 69.28% | 12,509 | 15.31% | 12,589 | 15.41% | 44,025 | 53.88% | 81,712 |
| Douglas | 2,470 | 55.37% | 1,270 | 28.47% | 721 | 16.16% | 1,200 | 26.90% | 4,461 |
| Elko | 3,696 | 71.66% | 873 | 16.93% | 589 | 11.42% | 2,823 | 54.73% | 5,158 |
| Esmeralda | 237 | 59.10% | 40 | 9.98% | 124 | 30.92% | 113 | 28.18% | 401 |
| Eureka | 296 | 60.16% | 126 | 25.61% | 70 | 14.23% | 170 | 34.55% | 492 |
| Humboldt | 1,515 | 65.50% | 487 | 21.05% | 311 | 13.45% | 1,028 | 44.44% | 2,313 |
| Lander | 787 | 62.36% | 201 | 15.93% | 274 | 21.71% | 513 | 40.65% | 1,262 |
| Lincoln | 1,010 | 80.16% | 149 | 11.83% | 101 | 8.02% | 861 | 68.33% | 1,260 |
| Lyon | 2,696 | 67.70% | 612 | 15.37% | 674 | 16.93% | 2,022 | 50.78% | 3,982 |
| Mineral | 1,913 | 69.82% | 314 | 11.46% | 513 | 18.72% | 1,400 | 51.09% | 2,740 |
| Nye | 1,478 | 66.82% | 342 | 15.46% | 392 | 17.72% | 1,086 | 49.10% | 2,212 |
| Pershing | 816 | 65.49% | 225 | 18.06% | 205 | 16.45% | 591 | 47.43% | 1,246 |
| Storey | 419 | 68.46% | 90 | 14.71% | 103 | 16.83% | 316 | 51.63% | 612 |
| Washoe | 29,440 | 65.89% | 8,815 | 19.73% | 6,425 | 14.38% | 20,625 | 46.16% | 44,680 |
| White Pine | 2,822 | 71.61% | 580 | 14.72% | 539 | 13.68% | 2,242 | 56.89% | 3,941 |
| Totals | 114,114 | 67.38% | 28,959 | 17.10% | 26,285 | 15.52% | 85,155 | 50.28% | 169,358 |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Carson City
* Douglas
* Eureka
* Washoe