1974 Texas gubernatorial election
The 1974 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dolph Briscoe was easily re-elected to a second term, winning 61% of the vote to the 31% of Republican Jim Granberry, the former mayor of Lubbock. Raza Unida candidate Ramsey Muniz won 6%, while the remaining 2% were cast for other candidates.[1]
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![]() County results Briscoe: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Granberry: 50–60% Muñiz: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Texas |
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Briscoe was sworn in for his second term on January 21, 1975. As the Constitution of Texas had been amended in 1972 to extend the governor's term from 2 years to 4 years, Briscoe became the first governor to be sworn in for a four-year term since Edmund J. Davis.
Briscoe carried 249 out of 254 counties in his landslide reelection victory. As of 2023, this remains the last time that a Democrat was reelected as Governor of Texas.
Primaries
Republican
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Granberry | 53,617 | 77.59% | |
| Republican | Odell McBrayer | 15,484 | 22.41% | |
| Total votes | 69,101 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dolph Briscoe (Inc.) | 1,025,632 | 67.42% | |
| Democratic | Frances Farenthold | 437,287 | 28.47% | |
| Democratic | William H. Posey | 31,498 | 2.07% | |
| Democratic | Steve S. Alexander | 26,889 | 1.77% | |
| Total votes | 1,521,306 | 100.00% | ||
Results

- 0–5%
- 5–10%
- 10–15%
- 15–20%
- 20–25%
- 25–30%
- >30%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dolph Briscoe (Inc.) | 1,016,334 | 61.41% | |
| Republican | Jim Granberry | 514,725 | 31.07% | |
| Raza Unida | Ramsey Muniz | 93,295 | 5.63% | |
| American Independent | S. W. McDonnell | 22,208 | 1.34% | |
| Socialist Workers | Sherry Smith | 8,171 | 0.49% | |
| Total votes | 1,654,984 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- "Our Campaigns - TX Governor Race - Nov 05, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
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