The Pittsburgh Press (May 10, 1944)
Holt turned back by West Virginia
By the United Press
Former U.S. Senator Rush D. Holt, attempting a political comeback in West Virginia, trailed by more than 3 to 1, in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, while in Ohio, mayors of the state’s two largest cities led their respective tickets for nomination for governor, incomplete returns from yesterday’s primaries showed today.
In addition, West Virginia Democrats selected 18 delegates to the national nominating convention, unpledged but reportedly favoring a fourth term for President Roosevelt, and Republicans “named” 19 delegates, divided between New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey and Ohio Governor John W. Bricker.
Ohio Democrats selected 52 delegates, 51 of whom were nominally pledged to State Auditor Joseph T. Ferguson. But who actually will back Mr. Roosevelt. The 52nd delegate selected at Akron was pledged to Forest Myers, who has also announced his support of President Roosevelt. Fifty Republican delegates named will back Governor Bricker.
WEST VIRGINIA
In the gubernatorial race, returns from 1,439 of the state’s 2,796 precincts gave:
Democratic
| Judge Clarence Meadows | 94,732 |
| Rush D. Holt | 30,067 |
Republican
| Mayor D. Boone Dawson | 47,650 |
| R. J. Funkhouser | 40,927 |
OHIO
In the gubernatorial race, 8,223 of the state’s 9,180 polling places gave:
Democratic
| Mayor Frank J. Lausche | 136,498 |
| Martin L. Sweeney | 55,746 |
| James Huffman | 33,472 |
| Franzier Reams | 19,029 |
| Frank Dye | 10,197 |
| Walter Baertschi | 7,987 |
Republican
| Mayor James Garfield Stewart | 147,057 |
| Thomas J. Herbert | 137,360 |
| Paul Herbert | 128,535 |
| Alkert Payne | 14,231 |
In the two primaries, President Roosevelt picked up 70 delegates. He is expected to pick up 66 more this week and they will be enough to give him an actual convention majority.
A Wyoming Democratic delegation of 16, selected Monday night in convention at Casper, will support Mr. Roosevelt. Texas Democrats met in county conventions yesterday, but the state convention will not be held until May 23.
Governor Bricker, with 50 certain votes, is the favorite son from Ohio, and an undetermined number from West Virginia is in second place in the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination behind Governor Dewey, who although still an unavowed candidate, was far in the lead.
Senator Robert A. Taft was unopposed for renomination in the Ohio Republican primary.
Returns are slow
Ohio voters also chose a complete state ticket, nominees for county officers, and Congressional seats, although returns were slow in coming in.
In West Virginia, nominees were chosen for the state’s Congressional representation in five districts.
Governor M. M. Neely, who cannot succeed himself, and the incumbent Republican, Andrew Schiffler of Wheeling, were unopposed for their respective nominations in the 1st district.