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 County results Bacon: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1940 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic GovernorRichard McMullen originally ran for re-election to a second term, and was renominated by the Democratic Party. However, less than a month before the election, McMullen suffered a heart attack and he dropped out of the race. The state party named Secretary of StateJosiah Marvel Jr., as McMullen's replacement on the ballot.[1] On the Republican side,Wilmington MayorWalter W. Bacon was nominated by the Republican Party for Governor.[2]
Ultimately, even as PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt washandily winning Delaware en route to re-election nationwide, and as DemocratJames M. Tunnell wasnarrowly elected to the Senate, Bacon defeated Marvel by a decisive margin to regain the governorship for the Republican Party. Bacon received 52% of the vote to Marvel's 45%.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Walter W. Bacon | 70,629 | 52.39% | +9.82% | |
| Democratic | Josiah Marvel Jr. | 61,237 | 45.42% | −4.94% | |
| Liberal Democratic | Ivan Culbertson | 2,958 | 2.19% | — | |
| Majority | 9,392 | 6.97% | −0.82% | ||
| Turnout | 134,824 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
