Question

What made the 1946 gubernatorial election so unusual?
A. It was the first time a governor was elected to a four-year term.
B. It was the first time a Republican ever became governor of Georgia.
C. It resulted in a power struggle over the office of governor that had to be settled by the
State Supreme Court.
D. It was the first election after the Supreme Court struck down the white primary system.

Answer 1

C.

The 1946 Georgia governor's race produced the "Three Governors" controversy: governor-elect Eugene Talmadge died after winning the election but before taking office, triggering competing claims (his supporters backed his son Herman, the lieutenant-governor‑elect Melvin Thompson claimed the office, and outgoing Governor Ellis Arnall initially refused to leave). The dispute was resolved by the Georgia Supreme Court, which ruled that Thompson should serve until a special election.