For related races, see 1956 United States gubernatorial elections.
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| Turnout | 83.20% 2.50 | ||||||||||||||||
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 County resultsAronson: 50–60% 60–70% Olsen: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1956 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent governor of Montana J. Hugo Aronson, who was first elected Governor in 1952, ran for re-election. He was unopposed in the Republican primary and advanced to the general election, where he faced Arnold Olsen, the Attorney General of Montana and the Democratic nominee. Despite the fact that then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower won the state in a landslide that year in the presidential election, Aronson only narrowly defeated Arnold to win his second and final term as governor.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Arnold Olsen, Attorney General of Montana
- John W. Bonner, former governor of Montana
- Danny O'Neill, livestock man
- J. M. Nickey
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Arnold Olsen | 55,269 | 44.94 | |
| Democratic | John W. Bonner | 51,306 | 41.72 | |
| Democratic | Danny O'Neill | 14,777 | 12.01 | |
| Democratic | J. M. Nickey | 1,639 | 1.33 | |
| Total votes | 122,991 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- J. Hugo Aronson, incumbent governor of Montana
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | J. Hugo Aronson (incumbent) | 50,444 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 50,444 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | J. Hugo Aronson (incumbent) | 138,878 | 51.37% | +0.41% | |
| Democratic | Arnold Olsen | 131,488 | 48.63% | −0.41% | |
| Majority | 7,390 | 2.73% | +0.82% | ||
| Turnout | 270,366 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
- "Montana Voter Turnout". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary election Held in the State of Montana, June 5, 1956" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- "Official Montana General Election Results, November 6, 1956" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
| (1955 ←) 1956 United States elections (→ 1957) | |
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