1974 Arizona gubernatorial election
The 1974 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Governor Jack Williams decided not to run for a fourth term as governor. Former United States Ambassador to Bolivia Raúl Héctor Castro, who was the Democratic nominee in 1970, won the Democratic nomination again in 1974, and narrowly won the general election, defeating Republican nominee Russell Williams by 0.85%. Castro was sworn into his first and only term as governor on January 6, 1975.
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 County results Castro: 50–60% 60–70% Williams: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Arizona |
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Prior to the election, there was a recall effort led by Cesar Chavez against incumbent Governor Jack Williams, with 180,000 signatures submitted. Many of the signatures were invalidated by the Attorney General Gary Nelson, but this was eventually overturned. By the time this occurred, however, it was meaningless due to the close proximity of the 1974 gubernatorial election, and thus a recall election did not occur.[1]
Approximately two years into his term as governor, Castro would resign to become United States Ambassador to Argentina.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Russell Williams, member of the Arizona Corporation Commission
- Evan Mecham, former state senator, former nominee for U.S. Senate
- William C. Jacquin, President of the State Senate
- John D. Driggs, Mayor of Phoenix
- Milton H. Graham, former Mayor of Phoenix
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Russell Williams | 53,132 | 35.57% | |
| Republican | Evan Mecham | 30,266 | 20.26% | |
| Republican | William C. Jacquin | 27,138 | 18.17% | |
| Republican | John D. Driggs | 23,519 | 15.75% | |
| Republican | Milton H. Graham | 15,315 | 10.25% | |
| Total votes | 149,370 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Raúl Héctor Castro, former United States Ambassador to Bolivia, Democratic nominee for governor in 1970
- Jack Ross, car dealer
- Dave Moss, real estate broker
- Walter "Denver" Caudill, Tubac Country Club golf professional
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raúl Héctor Castro | 115,268 | 67.21% | |
| Democratic | Jack Ross | 31,250 | 18.22% | |
| Democratic | Dave Moss | 19,143 | 11.16% | |
| Democratic | Walter "Denver" Caudill | 5,843 | 3.41% | |
| Total votes | 171,504 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raúl Héctor Castro | 278,375 | 50.41% | +1.30% | |
| Republican | Russell Williams | 273,674 | 49.56% | -1.33% | |
| Independent | Russell Shaw (write-in) | 149 | 0.03% | ||
| Independent | Harold Bates (write-in) | 4 | 0.00% | ||
| Majority | 4,701 | 0.85% | |||
| Turnout | 552,202 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||