The 1956 Election in Colorado

Abstract

HE TWO most interesting and unexpected results recorded in 1956 election in Colorado were (1) victory of Democrat John Carroll over former Governor, Republican Dan Thornton, in contest for United States Senate, and (2) capture of both houses of state legislature by Democrats for first time in twenty years. These developments are quite startling in view of Republican strength in Colorado during recent years, and particularly in view of fact that President Eisenhower received roughly 60 per cent of vote cast in presidential election. Eisenhower polled 394,479 votes and Stevenson 263,997, giving President a margin of 131,582, slightly fewer than his majority of nearly 135,000 in 1952. Carroll's victory by a margin of 2,770 votes is even more amazing when one recalls that he had been defeated in his bids for Senate in 1950 and 1954. On other hand, Thornton had scored smashing victories in two previous bids for governorship of state in 1950 and 1952, winning latter contest by over 100,000 votes. The Democrats made a net gain of five seats over 1954 to win control of state Senate, and won lower house with a net gain of ten seats. All four incumbent congressmen, two Democrats and two Republicans, were re-elected; but Republican majority of 55.4 per cent of votes cast for congressmen in Colorado in 1954 was turned into a minority of 47.2 per cent in 1956 election. Democrat Stephen L. R. McNichols defeated his Republican opponent for governorship by 17,333 votes, but a Republican lieutenant governor was elected by a margin of 1,946. Quite obviously a prediction made by Governor of Colorado, Big Ed Johnson, prior to election was very sound. Governor Johnson stated that the voters are going to scratch their ballots in this election just like an old hen scratching for corn. Colorado had a record registration of 789,204 in 1956; comparable figures were 752,030 in 1954, and 737,027 in 1952. The state cast a record total of 663,074 votes in 1956 compared with 630,103 in 1952, previous high year. The presidential race was simply no contest. As one working politician put it: In Colorado nothing ever really rhymed with Adlai. Eisenhower led second most popular Republican in state by more than 60,000 votes and garnered some 53,000 more votes than most popular Democrat. Stevenson carried only two counties out of a total of sixty-three. Both of these counties (Costilla and Huerfano latter is Spanish