James Murray, Sr.

{{short description|American politician from New Mexico (1889-1946)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025|cs1-dates=ly}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = James Marshall Murray Sr. | birth_date = April 9, 1889 | death_date = {{death date and age|1946|1|16|1889|4|9}} | birth_place = [[St. Marys, Ohio]], U.S. | death_place = [[Hobbs, New Mexico]], U.S. | office = 11th [[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico]] | term_start = January 1, 1939 | term_end = January 1, 1941 | governor = [[John E. Miles]] | predecessor = [[Hiram M. Dow]] | successor = [[Ceferino Quintana]] | party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] | children = 6 | education = }} '''James Marshall Murray Sr.''' (April 9, 1889 – January 16, 1946) was an American entrepreneur and politician who served as the 11th [[lieutenant governor of New Mexico]] as a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic party]] from January 1, 1939, to January 1, 1941.<ref name=QQQ>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/New-Mexico/James-M-Murray-Senior_3tj47c |title=James M Murray Senior in the 1940 Census |publisher=ancestry.com |date=1940 |access-date=2023-11-20}}</ref>

== Early life == Murray was born in [[St. Marys, Ohio]] to Richard H. Murray (1849-1935) and Carrie A. Guyer (1855-1893) as the second youngest of five children. Murray went on to marry Cora Edna Hornaday (1889-1966) on August 23, 1910, in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. He went on to have 7 children and moved to [[Hobbs, New Mexico]] in the 1930s.<ref name=SDR>{{cite web |url=https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LRBB-6C2/james-marshall-murray-sr.-1889-1946 |title=James Marshall Murray Sr. |publisher=familysearch.org |date= |access-date=2023-11-20}}</ref> In 1933 he founded the Me-Tex Supply Company with his son James Jr. (1912-1991).<ref name=DER>{{cite web |url=https://www.me-tex.com/history/ |title=Me-tex |publisher=me-tex.com |date=2012 |access-date=2023-11-20}}</ref>

== Political career and death == Murray ran as a candidate for the [[1938 New Mexico lieutenant gubernatorial election]], and secured the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nomination. He went on to defeat [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee Joseph F. Tondre in the general election on November 8, 1938, with 86,884 votes (56.33%) against Tondre's 67,078 votes (43.49%).<ref name=GGR>{{cite web |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=929460 |title=NM Lt. Governor |publisher=ourcampaigns.com |date=December 30, 2020 |access-date=2023-11-20}}</ref> Murray was sworn in as the 11th [[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico|lieutenant governor of New Mexico]] on January 1, 1939, serving under [[Governor of New Mexico|Governor]] [[John E. Miles]]. [[1940 Democratic National Convention|In July 1940]], Murray was a delegate to [[Democratic National Convention]] from [[New Mexico]] in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. Murray's term as Lieutenant Governor ended on January 1, 1941.<ref name=BBN>{{cite web |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/murray5.html#562.76.01 |title=Murray, J. M., Sr. |publisher=politicalgraveyard.com |date= |access-date=2023-11-20}}</ref>

Murray died on January 16, 1946, in [[Hobbs, New Mexico]].

== References == {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Hiram M. Dow]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico]]|years=1939-1941}} {{s-aft|after=[[Ceferino Quintana]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray Sr, James}} [[Category:1889 births]] [[Category:1946 deaths]] [[Category:People from St. Mary's, Ohio]] [[Category:People from Auglaize County, Ohio]] [[Category:New Mexico Democrats]] [[Category:Lieutenant governors of New Mexico]] [[Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians]] [[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]] [[Category:20th-century New Mexico politicians]]