construction in 1772. Lane faced George P. Mahoney, a perennial candidate, in the 1950 Democratic primary election held on September 18, 1950. The primary was close and bruising, and left the Lane campaign weakened for the general election against Theodore McKeldin, his opponent in the 1946 election. Additionally, his unpopular sales tax to fund road improvements had caused significant dissent in the state and was used by McKeldin to pull votes away from Lane. On November 7, 1950, Lane was defeated in the general election by 94,000 votes, 57% to 42%. At that point, it was the largest margin of defeat in Maryland history. Lane's term as governor ended on January 10, 1951. After his term as governor, Lane remained active in the Democratic party and engaged in business pursuits. He died of a heart attack in 1967, and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown. Legacy William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (more commonly known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge). Lane Building (demolished in 2006) on the campus of Springfield State Hospital Center, Sykesville, Maryland. References |- |- |- 1892 births 1967 deaths 20th-century American politicians United States Army personnel of World War I Burials at Rose Hill Cemetery (Hagerstown, Maryland) Democratic Party governors of Maryland Maryland Attorneys General Military personnel from Maryland Politicians from Hagerstown, Maryland Recipients of the Silver Star School board members in Maryland University of Virginia School of Law alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians