“The Nice Lady” of Arkansas Politics: Virginia Johnson and the 1968 Governor’s Race

By allegedly transposing a few hundred votes to protect the nomination of one of its members, Arkansas's "Old Guard" pulled the lid over its own casket.6 Boswell was probably the only Democrat that year who could have dismantled the Rockefeller coalition of educated, urban whites and newly enfranchised African Americans.7 Instead, the progressive Republican was re-elected, marking the beginning of tíie end of 150 years of election shenanigans and race-baiting in political campaigns.8 Johnson's campaign also offers a glimpse of the changes happening within American conservativism, as explicitly segregationist appeals were supplanted by calls for law and order, limited government, and a return to "moral decency." [...]after taking an "emergency phone call" in the secretary of state's office, the Johnsons returned to the filing area. [...]I said with that in mind it just so happens, that my wife Virginia . . . has earned their confidence, and their respect, and their love, and I said if there's some way that I could talk Virginia into running for Governor, then I could make that United States Senate race, and if you can raise any part of the money you said you [can], and bring it here for us, I'll guarantee you with that kind of financing we'll put Virginia in the governor's office and I'll go to the United States Senate. [...]the Gazette advised readers not "to be a party to breaking up the Johnsons' home-sending Jimmy to do battle with the infidels in Washington City and Virginia to try to keep the Capitol dome at Little Rock from flying off on its own in surprise.