The Democratic primary election was held on July 23, 1932. As no candidate won a majority of votes, there was a run-off on August 27, 1932, between the two highest ranking candidates former Governor of TexasMiriam A. Ferguson and incumbent Governor of TexasRoss S. Sterling. Ferguson would eventually win the primary with 50.20% against Sterling, which marked the closest primary defeat for an incumbent governor in United States history.[2]
Similar to her 1924 campaign, Ferguson's candidacy saw a large number of defections.[4] After his lawsuit to keep Ferguson off of the ballot failed,[5] Democratic incumbent Ross Sterling crossed party lines to endorse Orville Bullington.[6] On election day, November 8, 1932, Democratic nominee Miriam A. Ferguson won re-election by a margin of 204,805 votes against her foremost opponent Republican nominee Orville Bullington, thereby retaining Democratic control over the office of Governor. By contrast, Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover by a margin of 662,389 votes in the concurrent presidential election.[7] Ferguson was sworn in as the 32nd Governor of Texas on January 17, 1933.[8]
^Duckworth, Allen (1947). "Democratic Dilemma in Texas". Southwest Review. 32 (1). Southern Methodist University: 34–40. JSTOR43466794.
^Associated Press (October 9, 1932). "Mrs. Ferguson's Name To Go on Dem Ballot". Brownsville Herald. Vol. 41, no. 83. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers at the Library of Congress.
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