1938 United States Senate special election in Tennessee
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 County results Stewart: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Fowler: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Tennessee |
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 Government |
The 1938 United States Senate special election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1938, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The special election came upon the death of incumbent Democratic Senator Nathan L. Bachman who had died in office.
Democratic Governor Gordon Browning appointed George L. Berry after Bachman's death. Berry ran for a full term but was defeated in the Democratic primary to Tom Stewart.[1] In the general election, Tom Stewart defeated Republican candidate Harvey G. Fowler with 70.5% of the vote.[2]
Eligible to begin serving immediately, Tom Stewart instead waited until the expiry of his term as district attorney on January 16, 1939, to take his Senate seat.[3]
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- John Randolph Neal Jr., attorney, law professor, politician, and activist
- John Ridley Mitchell, U.S. Representative from Tennessee's 4th congressional district
- George L. Berry, incumbent senator
- Tom Stewart, district attorney for the 18th Circuit 1923–1939
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Stewart | 174,940 | 49.26% | |
| Democratic | George L. Berry (incumbent) | 101,966 | 28.71% | |
| Democratic | John Ridley Mitchell | 70,393 | 19.82% | |
| Democratic | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 4,689 | 1.32% | |
| Democratic | C. L. Powell | 3,171 | 0.89% | |
| Total votes | 355,159 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
[edit]The Tennessee Republican Party chose to hold a convention instead of a primary election. Harley G. Fowler, a former president of the Tennessee Bar Association, of Knoxville was declared the party's nominee for U.S. Senate by its executive committee.[5][6]
General election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Stewart | 194,028 | 70.50% | |
| Republican | Harley G. Fowler | 72,098 | 26.20% | |
| Independent | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 9,106 | 3.31% | |
| Majority | 21,930 | 44.30% | ||
| Turnout | 275,232 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Hill, Ray. "The 1938 Senate Primary in Tennessee". The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 08, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ Although eligible and elected, he did not "take his seat" as he preferred to remain as district attorney general. Nevertheless, his service in the Senate begins on the date of election and eligibility, not on the date of an oath.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - Special D Primary Race - Aug 04, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "G.O.P. Primary Off". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. August 4, 1938. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Library of Congress.
- ^ "Fowler Accepts Nomination". The Kingsport Times. Vol. 23, no. 221. September 15, 1938. p. 2. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 08, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.