add to voter lists. He also attacked McCord for implementing a 2% state sales tax (which Crump had reluctantly supported). As the campaign heated up, Crump's hold on state politics appeared to be weakening. Congressman Al Gore, Sr., returned from Washington to canvass for Browning. Various voting blocks began turning against Crump, among them black voters in Memphis, who had grown tired of his control of the city. Returning veterans sympathized with Browning's military experience, while labor groups were angry with McCord for enacting a right-to-work law. On election day, Browning defeated McCord for the nomination, 231,852 votes to 158,854, and Kefauver defeated Stewart. It was the first defeat for a Crump-backed candidate in a major election in over two decades. In the general election, Browning faced country music singer Roy Acuff. Republicans had added Acuff's name to their primary ballot as a publicity stunt to draw attention to the party, and he unexpectedly won the nomination. Though Acuff ran a serious campaign, Browning nevertheless won easily, 363,903 votes to 179,957. During his second tenure as governor, Browning enacted several measures aimed at further weakening Crump and other political bosses, including laws requiring permanent voter registration, open election commission meetings, and metal ballot boxes in places where voting machines were not used. Browning signed legislation that partially eliminated the state's poll tax, which political bosses had used for decades to control votes. Along with election reforms, Browning also increased funding for rural schools and higher education, established a retirement system and minimum salaries for teachers, and expanded the state's system of paved roads from roughly to over . In the 1950 governor's race, Browning beat back a primary challenge by Nashville attorney and state senator Clifford Allen, winning the nomination 267,855 votes to 208,634. For the first time since the Civil War, no Republican ran in the general election. Browning's only opponent was eccentric attorney John R. Neal, who was running as a third party candidate. Browning defeated Neal, 184,437 votes to 51,757. In 1952, rising politician Frank G. Clement challenged Browning for the party's nomination for governor. Clement derided Browning as "dishonest, indecent, and immoral," and criticized the state's purchase of an expensive office building in Nashville. Browning, nearly twice Clement's age, struggled to adapt to the new medium of television. He lost to Clement in the primary, 302,487 votes to 245,156. Later life Following his defeat in 1952,