1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election

1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election
	County results Nestos: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Frazier: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90%
Governor before election; Lynn Frazier; Non-Partisan League	Elected Governor ; Ragnvald A. Nestos; Republican/IVA

The 1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election was a recall election of North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier in 1921. Frazier was the first U.S. governor ever successfully recalled from office; there would not be another successful recall of a governor until California Governor Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.

Background

The recall stemmed from the conflict between the socialist-leaning Nonpartisan League, of which Governor Frazier was a member, and the Independent Voters Association, a conservative and ‘pro-free market’ faction. Frazier and his party supported state ownership of industries, while the IVA opposed it. A dispute broke out specifically over government ownership of the Bank of North Dakota and State Mill and Elevator.^[2]

By September, the campaigners had been able to gather 73,000 names on petitions asking for the recall of Frazier, Attorney General William Lemke, and Commissioner of Agriculture John Hagan. These men made up the Industrial Commission, which acts as a board of directors for the state-owned entities.^[2] The date of the recall was set for October 28, 1921.^[2]

Results

North Dakota gubernatorial election, 1921^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican/IVA	Ragnvald A. Nestos	111,425	50.9
	Non-Partisan League	Lynn Frazier (incumbent)	107,332	49.1
Margin of victory			4,093	1.8
Total votes			218,757	100
	Republican/IVA gain from Non-Partisan League