1916 Louisiana gubernatorial election
The 1916 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held on April 18, 1916. As in most Southern states between the Reconstruction Era and the Civil Rights Movement, Louisiana's Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in terms of electoral support. This meant that the Democratic Party primary held on January 25 was supposed to be the real contest over who would be governor. However, in this particular election, Progressive Party nominee John M. Parker ran an unusually competitive campaign, garnering 37% of the general election vote. The election resulted in the election of Democrat Ruffin G. Pleasant as governor of Louisiana.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Thomas C. Barret, lieutenant governor of Louisiana
- Ruffin G. Pleasant, attorney general of Louisiana
| Candidate | Votes received | Percent |
| Ruffin G. Pleasant | 84,407 | 73.71% |
| Thomas C. Barret | 30,112 | 26.29% |
General election
Candidates
- Horace Noonan
- John M. Parker, president of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange
- Ruffin G. Pleasant, attorney general of Louisiana
| Party | Candidate | Votes received | Percent |
| Democratic | Ruffin G. Pleasant | 80,807 | 62.51% |
| Progressive | John M. Parker | 48,085 | 37.20% |
| Independent | Horace Noonan | 357 | 0.28% |