A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 7, 1922. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Democrats improved considerably from their performances in 1918, with William B. Ross winning the gubernatorial election and almost all of their statewide candidates outpacing their 1918 nominees. However, Republicans held all of the other statewide offices.
Incumbent Republican Governor Robert D. Carey ran for re-election to a second term. However, he was defeated in the Republican primary by banker Frank Hay. In the general election, William B. Ross, the Democratic nominee and the former Laramie County Attorney, narrowly defeated Hay. However, Ross would not serve a full term as Governor; he died on October 2, 1924, triggering a special election the next month, which his wife, Nellie Tayloe Ross, won.
Incumbent Republican Secretary of State William E. Chaplin opted to not seek re-election, and instead managed Congressman Frank W. Mondell's unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate.[2] A crowded Republican primary developed to replace him, with State Senator Frank E. Lucas, L. Curtis Hinkle, and State Treasurer A. D. Hoskins all running. The primary was quite close, and Lucas was not declared the winner over Hinkle for several weeks.[3] In the general election, Lucas faced Cheyenne Mayor Edwin P. Taylor, the Democratic nominee. Following a close campaign, Lucas narrowly defeated Taylor to win election as Secretary of State. During Lucas's term, Governor Ross would die in office, temporarily (and briefly) elevating Lucas to the governorship.
Incumbent State Auditor I. C. Jefferis, a Republican first elected in 1918, ran for re-election to a second term. He faced a strong challenge in the Republican primary from Deputy Attorney General Vincent Carter, and narrowly lost renomination to Carter. In the general election, he faced G. H. Little, the Democratic nominee, and defeated him by a narrow margin to win his first of two terms as State Auditor.
Incumbent Republican State Treasurer A. D. Hoskins was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, and instead waged an unsuccessful campaign for Secretary of State. State Highway Commissioner John M. Snyder emerged as the Republican nominee, and faced former Sheridan City Commissioner Harry A. Loucks in the general election. Snyder, like most other statewide Republican candidates, ended up narrowly defeating Loucks.
Democratic primary[]
Candidates[]
Harry A. Loucks, former Sheridan City Commissioner[8]
Incumbent Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Katharine A. Morton ran for re-election to a second term. She was challenged in the Republican primary by Mrs. Cyrus Beard, the former Superintendent of Schools for the city of Evanston. Morton defeated Beard by a wide margin and advanced to the general election, where she was opposed by the Democratic nominee, teacher Cecilia H. Hendricks. Unlike every other Republican candidate, Morton won her race in a landslide, improving on her performance from 1918.
1922 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election[1]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Katharine A. Morton (inc.)
33,041
57.16%
+5.59%
Democratic
Cecilia H. Hendricks
24,759
42.84%
-5.59%
Majority
8,282
14.33%
+11.18%
Turnout
57,800
Republicanhold
References[]
^ abcdefghijklLucas, Frank E. (1923). 1923 Official Directory of Wyoming and Election Returns for 1922. Cheyenne, Wyo.: Wyoming Labor Journal. p. 38-41.
