1926 United States Senate election in Kentucky
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 County results Barkley: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Ernst: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Kentucky |
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The 1926 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 1926. Republican Senator Richard P. Ernst ran for re-election to a second term in office but was defeated by Democratic U.S. Representative Alben W. Barkley, who would go on to serve for twenty-two years before ascending to become Vice President of the United States.
General election[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Alben W. Barkley, U.S. Representative from Paducah and candidate for Governor in 1923 (Democratic)
- Richard P. Ernst, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1921 (Republican)
Campaign[edit]
Barkley announced his campaign on April 26 with the support of organized labor in the state; because of his role in crafting the Railway Labor Act, the Associated Railway Labor Organizations endorsed him in advance.[1] Since his failed 1923 gubernatorial campaign, he had distanced himself from political boss Percy Haly and promised that he would not push a national ban on parimutuel betting if elected.[2] Consequently, he had no opposition in the primary.[3] Congressman (and future Chief Justice of the United States) Fred M. Vinson managed his general election campaign.[2]
President Calvin Coolidge supported Ernst, and Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover campaigned in the state on his behalf.[4] Ernst had opposed a bonus for veterans of World War I, an unpopular position in Kentucky, and at 68 years old, his age worked against him.[2][5] Barkley contrasted his impoverished upbringing with Ernst's affluent lifestyle as a corporate attorney and attacked him for supporting Michigan senator Truman Handy Newberry, who had resigned due to allegations of election fraud.[4] Republican voters were angered that Ernst did not support Republican Congressman John W. Langley when Langley was charged with illegally aiding a large bootlegging operation in Louisville.[5] Ernst tried to resurrect the issues of Barkley's support for the coal tax and opposition to parimutuel betting.[2]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alben W. Barkley | 286,997 | 51.84% | ||
| Republican | Richard P. Ernst (incumbent) | 266,657 | 48.16% | ||
| Majority | 20,340 | 3.68% | |||
| Total votes | 553,654 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Libbey 1979, p. 46.
- ^ a b c d Klotter 1996, p. 284.
- ^ Libbey 1992, p. 53.
- ^ a b Finch 1971, p. 288.
- ^ a b Harrison & Klotter 1997, p. 355.
- ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (1927). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1926" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
Bibliography[edit]
- Congressional Elections, 1946–1996. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-248-4.
- Finch, Glenn (July 1971). "The Election of United States Senators in Kentucky: The Barkley Period". Filson Club History Quarterly. 45 (3).
- Harrison, Lowell H.; Klotter, James C. (1997). A New History of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2008-X. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Jewell, Malcolm E. (1963). Kentucky Votes. Vol. 1. University of Kentucky Press.
- Klotter, James C. (1996). Kentucky: Portraits in Paradox, 1900–1950. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-916968-24-3. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
- Libbey, James K. (1979). Dear Alben: Mr. Barkley of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0238-3. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Libbey, James K. (1992). "Barkley, Alben William". In John E. Kleber (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Associate editors: Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2012.