If you think Georgia politics is crazy right now – think again.
For a brief time in 1947, Georgia had three governors and the controversy spiraled out of control into fist fights, lock-changing and a Supreme Court decision.
This was known as the “Three Governors Controversy.”
The bizarre episode began in 1946 when Eugene Talmadge won a fourth term as Georgia’s governor. But he died in December before his inauguration.
That set off a series of events in uncharted territory. At that time, the state constitution did not specify who would assume the governorship in such a situation.
After Talmadge’s death, three men made claims to the governorship: Ellis Arnall, the outgoing governor, Melvin Thompson, the lieutenant governor-elect, and Herman Talmadge, Eugene Talmadge’s son.
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To fill the vacancy, Herman Talmadge was appointed by the state Legislature. But Thompson claimed to be governor as well. Without a clear winner, Arnall physically refused to leave.
Fistfights broke out, and after the legislature chose Talmadge, he ordered state troopers to remove Arnall from the governor’s office.
On Jan. 15, 1947, both Talmadge and Arnall sat in the Georgia State Capitol claiming to be the governor. The next day, Talmadge took control of the governor’s office and ordered the locks changed. Soon after, Arnall abandoned his claim and then supported Talmadge as governor.
In March, the Georgia Supreme Court finally ruled that Thompson was the rightful governor because he was lieutenant governor–elect when Talmadge died.
The court said Thompson would be the acting governor until a special election could be held to decide the remainder of the original term, which would have run from 1947 to 1951.
Within hours of the court’s decision, Talmadge agreed to turn over the office of governor to Thompson.
Talmadge then began campaigning for the special election in September 1948. He later won the election and then later reelected, serving through 1955.