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Willis: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Donaldson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1943 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1943.Republican nomineeSimeon Willis defeatedDemocratic nomineeJ. Lyter Donaldson with 50.49% of the vote, becoming the first Republican elected Governor of Kentucky since1927.
Primary elections were held on August 7, 1943.[1]

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. Lyter Donaldson | 135,576 | 53.56 | |
| Democratic | Ben Kilgore | 81,027 | 32.01 | |
| Democratic | Rodes K. Myers | 34,077 | 13.46 | |
| Democratic | John J. Thobe | 2,456 | 0.97 | |
| Total votes | 253,136 | 100.00 | ||
Major party candidates
Other candidates
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Simeon Willis | 279,144 | 50.49% | ||
| Democratic | J. Lyter Donaldson | 270,525 | 48.93% | ||
| Prohibition | Andrew N. Johnson | 3,239 | 0.59% | ||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | 552,908 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | Swing | ||||