"Happy" For Governor

In the course of Kentucky's gubernatorial election last week two citizens were shot dead. As a result of the election James Aloysius Farley claimed a great New Deal triumph. Neither of those commonplace occurrences was news. What did make news was the fact that a spectacular young political upstart had bucked the old-line Democratic and Republican machines which traditionally divide Kentucky's rule between them, rolled up the biggest majority for Governor in State history. The New Deal gave Lieutenant-Governor Albert Benjamin ("Happy") Chandler a helpful boost toward the Governor's chair. Governor Ruby Laffoon & friends had planned to hand-pick a member of their machine for Democratic nominee at the usual party convention. But potent Kentucky New Dealers got busy on President Roosevelt and a pious letter from him, expressing hope that candidates would be chosen by primary elections, gave young Lieutenant-Governor Chandler his excuse to call a special session of the Legislature in Governor Laffoon's absence. The Legislature passed a primary law, by which, on Governor Laffoon's insistence, a majority was required for victory (TIME, Sept. 23). The Laffoon candidate led the Democratic primary with a plurality, lost the run-off to New Dealer Chandler. Aside from fervent hosannas for President Roosevelt, Candidate Chandler's campaign platform--economy, no State sales tax--differed not at all from that of his Republican opponent, austere Judge King Swope. But loud, toothy, red-headed "Happy" Chandler, onetime newsboy, jazz bandleader and football coach, got himself a sound truck with a live rooster for a radiator emblem, put on a Huey Longish campaign such as Kentuckians had not enjoyed for years. Result: a 95,000 majority for Chandler.

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