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This is Barry Truths. I'm Hank Plobanoff. So I want to tell you a little bit more about the three

governor's controversy, which I made a reference to in the first episode. Gene Townmage was

elected governor of Georgia in 1946, but he died before he could take office. And what happened

next made national headlines. That's because three men rushed forward and each claimed to be the

rightful governor of Georgia. There was Melvin Thompson.

My intention is that the people elected me, Lieutenant Governor of the state of Georgia,

know and that I would say the second man was Ellis Arnold. I will continue to remain governor of

Georgia. And then there was Herman Townmage, the son of Gene Townmage. I have accepted my election,

have taken my oath of office. So how did we end up with this almost comical standoff of state

leadership? Well, let's just say it's a good lesson in how the Townmage political machine operated.

The 1946 Democratic Party primary was hardly a shoe in for Gene Townmage. Yes, he had

passionate supporters across rural Georgia, two decades worth of campaign experience,

and three terms as governor. But Gene Townmage and his trusted aides were deeply concerned.

For one thing, this was the first time blacks in Georgia would be allowed to vote in the democratic

party primary. Townmage and the Ku Klux Klan were doing everything they could to stop it.

...