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The1938 New York state election was held on November 8, 1938, to elect thegovernor, thelieutenant governor, thestate comptroller, theattorney general, twoU.S. Senators and twoU.S. Representatives-at-large, as well as all members of theNew York State Assembly and theNew York State Senate. The 1938 election was the first election where the Governor of New York was elected to a four-year term, rather than a two-year term as had been used since the 1894 election.
TheRepublican state convention met on September 29,SpeakerOswald D. Heck presided. They nominated D.A. of New YorkThomas E. Dewey for governor. Also nominated were Frederic H. Bontecou for lieutenant governor; Julius Rothstein for comptroller; Col. Arthur V. McDermott for attorney general; andJohn Lord O'Brian and Edward Corsi for the U.S. Senate.[1]
TheDemocratic state convention met on October 1, and re-nominated the incumbents Lehman, Tremaine, Bennett and Wagner; and completed the ticket with Supreme Court Justice Charles Poletti for lieutenant governor; and John M. Mead for short term in the U.S. Senate.[2]
TheSocialist state convention met on October 1, and nominated again Norman Thomas for governor; and Dr. George W. Hartmann for lieutenant governor; Coleman B. Cheney for Comptroller; and Miss Marion L. Severn for attorney general.[3]
TheAmerican Labor state convention met on October 3 at theManhattan Opera House inNew York City and nominated the Democratic incumbent Herbert H. Lehman for governor. They also endorsed Democrats Poletti, Wagner, Mead,[4] Merritt and O'Day; and completed the ticket withLangdon W. Post for Comptroller andJoseph V. O'Leary for Attorney-General.[5] Lehman was only able to win reelection due to the votes he received on the American Labor ballot line. Dewey received more votes on the Republican ballot line than Lehman had on the Democratic ballot line.[6]
The "Independent Progressive" Party filed a petition to nominate a ticket headed by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. This was done to have a second ballot line, like Gov. Lehman who ran on two lines also.[7]
TheSocialist Labor Party changed its name and filed a petition to nominate candidates as the "Industrial Government Party."[8]
The whole Democratic ticket was elected.
The incumbents Lehman, Tremaine, Bennett, Wagner, Merritt and O'Day were re-elected. This was the first election where governors were elected to four year terms.
| Office | Democratic ticket | Republican ticket | American Labor ticket | Communist ticket | Socialist ticket | Independent Progressive ticket | Industrial Government ticket | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Herbert H. Lehman | 1,971,307 | Thomas E. Dewey | 2,302,505 | Herbert H. Lehman | 419,979 | (none) | Norman Thomas | 24,980 | Thomas E. Dewey | 24,387 | Aaron M. Orange | 3,516 | |
| Lieutenant Governor | Charles Poletti | 1,976,166 | Frederic H. Bontecou | 2,130,088 | Charles Poletti | 395,313 | George W. Hartmann[a] | 29,282 | Frederic H. Bontecou | 12,030 | Jacob Berlin | 4,012 | ||
| Comptroller | Morris S. Tremaine | 2,220.931 | Julius Rothstein | 1,829,006 | Langdon W. Post[b] | 413,234 | Langdon W. Post | 25,910 | Julius Rothstein | 10,703 | Jacob Grossman | 4,323 | ||
| Attorney General | John J. Bennett Jr. | 2,151,831 | Arthur V. McDermott[c] | 1,950,187 | Joseph V. O'Leary | 391,901 | Joseph O'Leary | 23,963 | Arthur V. McDermott | 11,044 | Frank Passonno | 8.756 | ||
| U.S. Senator (full term) | Robert F. Wagner | 2,098,919 | John Lord O'Brian | 2,046,794 | Robert F. Wagner | 398,410 | Herman J. Hahn[d] | 23,553 | John Lord O'Brian | 11,821 | O. Martin Olson[e] | 3,851 | ||
| U.S. Senator (short term)[f] | James M. Mead | 2,060,876 | Edward F. Corsi | 2,083,666 | James M. Mead | 378,028 | Harry W. Laidler | 27,161 | ||||||
| U.S. Representative-at-large | Matthew J. Merritt | 2,023,131 | Richard B. Scandrett Jr. | 1,980,352 | Matthew J. Merritt | 329,029 | Israel Amter | 105,681 | Brendan Sexton | 24,990 | Richard B. Scandrett | 10,103 | Jeremiah D. Crowley[g] | 5,080 |
| U.S. Representative-at-large | Caroline O'Day | 2,024,135 | Helen Z. M. Rodgers | 2,000,814 | Caroline O'Day | 339,328 | Edna Mitchell Blue[h] | 25,214 | Helen Z.M. Rogers | 10,753 | William Herlet | 4,291 | ||
Obs.:
New York Red Book
