North Dakota gubernatorial recall election

North Dakota gubernatorial recall election

October 28, 1921

Nominee Ragnvald A. Nestos Lynn Frazier Party Republican/IVA Republican/NPL Popular vote 111,425 107,332 Percentage 50.94% 49.06%

Results by county[1] Nestos:          Frazier:

Governor before election Lynn Frazier Republican/NPL Elected Governor Ragnvald A. Nestos Republican/IVA

Elections in North Dakota
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Presidential Primaries Democratic: 2004 2008 2016 Republican: 2008 2012 U.S. Senate elections 1952 1956 1958 1960 (special) 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1992 (special) 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 U.S. House elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
State government General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Gubernatorial elections 1921 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Ballot measures 2004 Constitutional Measure 1

The North Dakota recall election was a recall election of North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier in 1921. Frazier was the first American governor ever successfully recalled from office; there would not be another successful recall of a governor until California Governor Gray Davis was recalled in 2003. In 2012, Scott Walker of Wisconsin was the third US Governor to face a recall, and the first to survive a recall vote.

Background

The recall stemmed from the conflict between the socialist-leaning Nonpartisan League, of which Governor Frazier was a member, and the Independent Voters Association, a conservative and pro-capitalist faction. Frazier and his party supported state ownership of industries, while the IVA opposed it. A dispute broke out specifically over government ownership of the Bank of North Dakota and State Mill and Elevator.^[2]

By September, the campaigners had been able to gather 73,000 names on petitions asking for the recall of Frazier, Attorney General William Lemke, and Commissioner of Agriculture John Hagan. These men made up the Industrial Commission, which acts as a board of directors for the state-owned entities.^[2] The date of the recall was set for October 28, 1921.^[2]

Results

In the October 28 vote, Ragnvald A. Nestos was elected as governor by a margin of 4,093.^[3] He was sworn in on November 23.

See also

• Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election, 2012
• California gubernatorial recall election, 2003
• Cleveland recall election, 1978

References