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1940 Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election

Rhode Island · 2 candidates · See every 1940 Governor race

Who won the 1940 Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election?

J. Howard McGrath won the 1940 Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election. J. Howard McGrath received 177,937 popular votes (55.84%). The main challenger was William Henry Vanderbilt III (44.08%).

See the full head-to-head between McGrath and III

McGrath +11.8 pts · won by 37,457 votes
J. Howard McGrathDemocraticWINNER55.84%
177,937 votes
William Henry Vanderbilt IIIRepublican44.08%
140,480 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.