# 1944 Montana gubernatorial election

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The 1944 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Governor of Montana Sam C. Ford, who was first elected Governor in 1940, ran for re-election. He won the Republican primary and moved on to the general election, where he was opposed by Leif Erickson, a former Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court and the Democratic nominee. Although then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt comfortably won the state in that year's presidential election, Ford defeated Erickson by a wide margin to win his second and final term as governor. This election is the first time that an incumbent Republican Governor of Montana was re-elected or won re-election.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Leif Erickson, former Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
* Austin B. Middleton, chairman of the Montana Railroad and Public Service Commission
* Roy E. Ayers, former Governor of Montana

### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Leif Erickson | 28,292 | 47.05 |
| | Democratic | Austin B. Middleton | 17,756 | 29.53 |
| | Democratic | Roy E. Ayers | 14,082 | 23.42 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 60,130 | 100.00 |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Sam C. Ford, incumbent Governor of Montana
* Jacob Thorkelson, former United States Congressman from Montana's 1st congressional district

### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Sam C. Ford (incumbent) | 39,826 | 88.24 |
| | Republican | Jacob Thorkelson | 5,306 | 11.76 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 45,132 | 100.00 |

## General election
### Results

Montana gubernatorial election, 1944 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Sam C. Ford (incumbent) | 116,461 | 56.36% | +5.69% |
| | Democratic | Leif Erickson | 89,224 | 43.18% | −5.46% |
| | Prohibition | Charles R. Miller | 960 | 0.46% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27,237 | 13.18% | +11.15% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 222,964 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |