Henry E. Howell on the 1969 Gubernatorial Democratic Primary

On December 2, 1968, state senator Henry E. Howell, a populist candidate in the Democratic primary for governor, accuses the sitting governor, Mills E. Godwin, of trying to impede his candidacy and the progressive wing of the party. In the 1969 primary election three candidates vied for the Democratic nomination. None of them secured the necessary majority, so there was a run-off between the top two finishers, Howell and William Battle. Godwin, still in office, broke with tradition by endorsing a candidate in the primary. His preference, Battle, went on to defeat Howell.

This news clip is from the WSLS-TV News Film Collection at the University of Virginia Library. WSLS is an NBC-affiliated television station in Roanoke.