1966 Georgia gubernatorial election

1966 Georgia gubernatorial election

← 1962 November 8, 1966 1970 →

Nominee Lester Maddox Bo Callaway Ellis Arnall (write-in) Party Democratic Republican Independent Delegate count 182 66 – Popular vote 450,626 453,665 69,025 Percentage 46.22% 46.53% 7.08%

County results Maddox:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Callaway:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Arnall:      30–40%

Governor before election Carl Sanders Democratic Elected Governor Lester Maddox Democratic

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v t e

The 1966 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966. After an election that exposed divisions within the Georgia Democratic Party (giving the Georgia Republican Party a shot at the Governor's Mansion for the first time in the twentieth century), segregationist Democrat Lester Maddox was elected Governor of Georgia. The voting also brought future President Jimmy Carter to statewide prominence for the first time. The election was the closest in Georgia gubernatorial history; Republican candidate Bo Callaway won a plurality of the popular vote, but lost the contingent election in the Georgia General Assembly to Maddox. It was also the first time since 1916 that the Republican Party contested a gubernatorial election. If Callaway had won the contingent election or a majority of the popular vote, he would have become the only Republican governor of Georgia in the 20th century.

As of 2022, this is the last time that Talbot, Stewart, Richmond, Randolph, Macon, and Dougherty counties voted for the Republican candidate for governor, and the last time that Liberty County did not vote for the Democratic candidate.