 With a successful legislative session behind him , <unk> made a bold political move in June 1906 : he orchestrated an effort to set the Democratic gubernatorial and <unk> primaries in November – a full year before the gubernatorial election and two years before the <unk> election . <unk> wanted the Senate seat , and moving the primary up two years would allow him to secure his party 's nomination while he was still governor . It also allowed him to use his influence as governor to sway the party 's choice of his potential successor as governor . State <unk> Samuel Wilbur <unk> was <unk> 's choice for governor and easily won the early primary over <unk> <unk> <unk> . Former governor James B. <unk> challenged <unk> for the <unk> nomination , but <unk> won by more than 11 @,@ 000 votes . 
