1953 New York state election

Summary

The 1953 New York state election was held on November 3, 1953, to elect the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Besides, nine amendments to the State Constitution, among them one that required the voter to cast a single joint vote for the candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on any ticket, were proposed, and all were accepted by the electorate.

Background edit

On March 31, 1953, Chief Judge John T. Loughran died. On April 22, Governor Thomas E. Dewey appointed Judge Edmund H. Lewis to fill the vacancy temporarily.[1] On April 23, Dewey appointed John Van Voorhis temporarily to the seat vacated by Lewis.[2]

Result edit

The appointed incumbent Chief Judge Lewis was elected. This required another election the next year, since Lewis would reach the constitutional age limit of 70 years at the end of 1954.

1953 state election result
Office Republican Democratic American Labor
Chief Judge Edmund H. Lewis 1,983,220 Edmund H. Lewis 1,784,614 Edward Kuntz[3] 65,035

Obs.: "Blank, void and scattering" votes: 853,875

Notes edit

  1. ^ JUDGE EDMUND LEWIS ELEVATED BY DEWEY in NYT on April 23, 1953 (subscription required)
  2. ^ APPEALS BENCH IS FILLED; Governor Appoints Van Voorhis to State's Highest Court in NYT on April 24, 1953 (subscription required)
  3. ^ Edward Kuntz (ca. 1895-1957), lawyer, of New York City, defended Morton Sobell in 1950, EDWARD KUNTZ, LAWYER 40 YEARS Obit in NYT on April 11, 1957 (subscription required)

Sources edit

  • Official result: 9 AMENDMENTS APPROVED; But State's Voters Generally Cast Blanks or Void Ballots in NYT on December 16, 1953 (subscription required)

See also edit