1943 Kentucky gubernatorial election
The 1943 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1943. Republican nominee Simeon Willis defeated Democratic nominee J. Lyter Donaldson with 50.49% of the vote, becoming the first Republican elected Governor of Kentucky since 1927.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 7, 1943.Democratic primary
Candidates
- J. Lyter Donaldson, former Kentucky Highway Commissioner
- Ben Kilgore, former Executive Secretary of the Kentucky Farm Bureau
- Rodes K. Myers, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
- John J. Thobe
General election
Candidates
Major party candidatesOther candidates
- Andrew N. Johnson, Prohibition