# 1946 Wyoming state elections

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 5, 1946. All of the state's executive officers—the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction—were up for election. The election was largely a rout for the Republican Party. Though Democratic governor Lester C. Hunt was narrowly re-elected, Democrats lost their two other state offices: auditor and secretary of State (which they picked up following a vacancy). Moreover, they were unable to win back any other state offices.
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## Governor

Incumbent Democratic governor Lester C. Hunt ran for re-election to a second term. Though his predecessor, former governor Nels H. Smith, planned a rematch against Hunt, he lost the Republican primary to State Treasurer Earl Wright. In the general election, Hunt defeated Wright by a narrow margin, but improved from his 1942 election. During Hunt's second term, he would be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1948, vacating his office. Secretary of State Arthur G. Crane ascended to the governorship, while still acting as secretary of state.
1946 Wyoming gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Lester C. Hunt (inc.) | 43,020 | 52.88% | +1.56% |
| | Republican | Earl Wright | 38,333 | 47.12% | −1.56% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,687 | 5.76% | +3.13% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 81,353 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

## Secretary of State

In 1944, Republican secretary of state Mart Christensen died while in office. Governor Hunt appointed longtime State Auditor William M. Jack as Christensen's replacement. Jack declined to run for re-election or for any other office, creating an open seat. Earl R. Burns, the Chairman of the Wyoming Public Service Commission, won the Democratic nomination unopposed and advanced to the general election against Arthur G. Crane, the former President of the University of Wyoming. The general election was not close, and Crane was elected secretary of state over Burns by a landslide. During Crane's term, Governor Hunt would be elected to the U.S. Senate, and Crane would serve as both acting governor and secretary of state.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Earl R. Burns, chairman of the Wyoming Public Service Commission

#### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Earl R. Burns | 15,272 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,272 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Arthur G. Crane, former President of the University of Wyoming
* Thomas A. Nicholas, former Campbell County and Crook County Prosecuting Attorney, 1938 Republican candidate for Governor

#### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Arthur G. Crane | 14,964 | 59.09% |
| | Republican | Thomas A. Nicholas | 10,365 | 40.92% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,329 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1946 Wyoming Secretary of State election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Arthur G. Crane | 45,502 | 58.48% | −0.38% |
| | Democratic | Earl R. Burns | 32,304 | 41.52% | +0.38% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,198 | 16.96% | −0.76% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 77,806 | | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

## Auditor

Following the death of Secretary of State Mart T. Christensen, Democratic state auditor William M. Jack was appointed as his replacement by governor, who, in turn, appointed Carl Robinson as Jack's successor. In 1945, Robinson resigned from office and Governor Hunt appointed former Congressman John J. McIntyre as his replacement. McIntyre opted to run for Congress rather than seek re-election, and no other Democratic candidates filed for the election. In early July, however, Major Alvin C. Wade of the United States Army announced a write-in campaign, and won enough votes to receive the Democratic nomination. In the general election, Copenhaver defeated Wade by a decisive margin.

### Democratic primary

No Democratic candidates filed to run for auditor. However, on July 8, Major Alvin C. Wade of the U.S. Army announced that he would run as a write-in candidate for the party's nomination. He accepted the nomination upon receiving the requisite number of write-in votes.

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Everett T. Copenhaver, assistant state examiner, former deputy secretary of state, former state representative from Converse County, 1942 Republican nominee for auditor

#### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Everett T. Copenhaver | 22,133 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 22,133 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1946 Wyoming Auditor election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Everett T. Copenhaver | 42,819 | 55.60% | +10.39% |
| | Democratic | Alvin C. Wade | 34,196 | 44.40% | −10.39% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,623 | 11.20% | +1.61% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 77,015 | | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

## Treasurer

Incumbent Republican state treasurer Earl Wright, unable to seek re-election, instead opted to run for Governor. Doc Rogers, who had unsuccessfully run for Auditor in 1938 and Treasurer in 1942, ran against State Senator Thomas Stirling and former state representative Carl Dallam in a close Republican primary. Rogers was narrowly leading Stirling as votes were tallied on election night, with the final tally putting him ahead of Stirling by 99 votes. However, alleged irregularities with how the primary was conducted in Natrona County were raised, namely that "candidate names had not been properly placed on ballots and that ballots had been opened before being placed in ballot boxes." However, the secretary of state's office concluded that it was without jurisdiction to evaluate the allegations and certified Rogers's nomination.
In the general election, Rogers faced Democratic nominee David B. Gilfillan, the State Commissioner of Labor. Despite the closeness of the Republican primary and allegations of impropriety, the general election was not close, and Rogers defeated Gilfillan in a landslide.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* David B. Gilfillan

#### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | David B. Gilfillan | 14,163 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,163 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Doc Rogers, former Deputy Secretary of State, 1942 Republican candidate for treasurer, 1938 Republican nominee for Auditor
* Thomas Stirling, state senator from Weston County
* Carl A. Dallam, former state representative

#### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Doc Rogers | 8,861 | 37.69% |
| | Republican | Thomas Stirling | 8,762 | 37.27% |
| | Republican | Carl A. Dallam | 5,885 | 25.03% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,508 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1946 Wyoming Treasurer election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Doc Rogers | 43,903 | 57.49% | −1.73% |
| | Democratic | David B. Gilfillan | 32,459 | 42.51% | +1.73% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,444 | 14.99% | −3.47% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 76,362 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Superintendent of public instruction

Incumbent Republican superintendent of public instruction Esther Anderson declined to run for a third term, instead endorsing Edna B. Stolt, the Supervisor of Elementary and Special Education the State Department of Education, as her successor. Stolt faced high school teacher Nancy L. Jones and former governor Alonzo M. Clark in the Republican primary, whom she narrowly defeated to advance to the general election. Velma Linford, a high school teacher, won the Democratic primary unopposed and opposed Stolt in the general election. Despite the broad support for Republican candidates around the state, the race between Stolt and Linford was close, with Stolt only beating her opponent by 2,545 votes.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Velma Linford, Laramie High School teacher

#### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Velma Linford | 14,168 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,168 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Edna B. Stolt, Wyoming Department of Education supervisor of elementary and special education
* Nancy L. Jones, Laramie High School teacher
* Alonzo M. Clark, former governor of Wyoming

#### Results

Republican Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Edna B. Stolt | 8,837 | 37.29% |
| | Republican | Nancy L. Jones | 8,134 | 34.33% |
| | Republican | Alonzo M. Clark | 6,725 | 28.38% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,696 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1946 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Edna B. Stolt | 39,638 | 51.66% | −9.17% |
| | Democratic | Velma Linford | 37,093 | 48.34% | +9.17% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,545 | 3.32% | −18.34% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 76,731 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |