Arizona's first elected governor, George Hunt, found himself in a nail-biter of a re-election bid in 1916. When the secretary of state declared his opponent, Republican Thomas Campbell, the winner by a mere 31 votes out of more than 55,000 cast, the Democratic incumbent refused to vacate his office—literally.
Losing was foreign to Hunt, who had served as a member of the territorial legislature, president of the constitutional convention that led to Arizona’s statehood in 1912 and governor for two terms. Known as “Old Walrus” for his bald head and drooping mustache, Hunt challenged the election result and claimed that Campbell’s 31-vote advantage resulted from voter fraud.
Ballot Confusion
At issue were ballots in which voters checked both Campbell’s name for governor as well as a column to select all the Democratic candidates, including Hunt. In spite of the dual selections for governor, those votes were allocated to Campbell.
Believing himself the rightful winner, Hunt raised his right hand and took his own oath of office on the same day that Campbell was sworn in as governor. A progressive with strong support from organized labor, Hunt enlisted the help of dozens of union members and the Maricopa County sheriff, who deputized Hunt’s supporters, gave them Springfield rifles and told them to occupy the governor’s office to prevent Campbell’s entry.
When Campbell attempted to enter the executive chamber after delivering his inaugural address on New Year’s Day in 1917, he found the door locked, only to be told it was for his own safety. The sheriff told the press that he barred the newly inaugurated governor from his office in the interest of “maintaining peace and order” since he had heard rumors that Industrial Workers of the World members threatened to dynamite the Arizona State Capitol if Campbell took his seat.
The Republican again attempted to enter the governor’s office the following day, only to find Hunt and a dozen of his burly supporters blocking the threshold. Campbell formally demanded possession of the executive chamber, and Hunt formally refused. The incumbent handed his political foe a typed message stating that he had no intention of vacating the premises unless a court told him to do so.
A State Supreme Court Appeal
Although his opponents accused him of acting like a dictator, Hunt said he was more than willing to abide by the legal process. “If the Supreme Court should hold that you are entitled to the temporary position, I would immediately turn it over to you, and congratulate you upon your temporary occupancy of the office,” Hunt pledged to Campbell.
With partisan anger running as hot as the Arizona summer, Campbell kept his cool as he departed the state capitol. “There were two courses open to me, that is to occupy the office by force or appeal to the courts,” he declared. “I have chosen the latter course, because I believe that it will be a refreshing example for the people of the state to have a governor who obeys the law.”
While Campbell ran the business of the state from his Phoenix home, Hunt turned the governor’s office into a fortress with labor union members standing at the ready to prevent any seizure of the executive chamber. “The devotion of the miners is beautiful and there are 3 or 4 all the time keeping watch,” Hunt wrote in his diary. Arizona was now a state with two governors—but it might as well have had none. The state treasurer and state auditor decided that they would not honor any checks signed by either man.
The state government sputtered along for nearly a month until the Arizona Supreme Court broke the impasse with a 2-1 ruling on January 27 that Campbell should serve as the de facto governor until the legal resolution of the vote count by virtue of his having received a certificate of election from the secretary of state. As promised, Hunt accepted the court’s decision and granted his rival custody of the governor’s office, leaving its walls barren except for a lone picture of Abraham Lincoln.
Hunt didn’t give up his legal fight, however, and the recount dragged on for the entire year until eight days before Christmas when the state supreme court unanimously declared the “Old Walrus” the victor by 43 votes—28,094 to 28,051. Campbell had been in the northern Arizona town of Prescott to appoint a superior court judge, but upon hearing the news decided to let Hunt make the judicial pick instead. Adding insult to injury, the court also ruled that Campbell was not entitled to collect the governor’s salary and needed to reimburse Hunt’s legal bills and the court’s expenses.
A Belated Peaceful Transfer of Power
More than a year after voters cast their ballots, Hunt returned to the executive chamber on Christmas morning, officially governor once again. There was little pomp and no circumstance as Campbell and Hunt shook hands and wished each other a Merry Christmas. With the 1916 election finally decided, Campbell’s thoughts already turned to the next one, less than a year away. “We will want to take another crack at each other next fall,” he said. Hunt, however, had no desire to hit the campaign trail again. “You may take a crack at somebody, but not at me.”
With Hunt choosing not to run for re-election, Campbell emerged victorious in 1918. This time he sat in the governor’s chair without any resistance after taking his oath of office. The Republican served two terms before losing a re-election bid to his old nemesis, Hunt. Arizona’s first governor served another four terms—seven in total—before his death in 1934.
