1950 United States Senate elections in Kentucky
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County results (regular election) Clements: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Dawson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Kentucky |
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| Government |
Two United States Senate elections for the Class 3 U.S. Senate seat from Kentucky were held simultaneously on November 7, 1950.
After Senator Alben Barkley resigned on January 19, 1949, to become Vice President of the United States, Governor Earle Clements appointed Garrett L. Withers to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected to complete the expired term. The special election was scheduled for November 7, 1950, concurrent with the regular election to the next term. Clements appointed Withers with the intention of running for the seat himself, which he did, defeating Republican former judge Charles I. Dawson in both elections.
Primary elections
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Earle Clements, Governor of Kentucky
- James L. Delk
- George G. Hatcher, Secretary of State of Kentucky
- Dennis E. McQueary
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Earle Clements | 114,482 | 70.88 | |
| Democratic | George G. Hatcher | 38,010 | 23.53 | |
| Democratic | Dennis E. McQueary | 4,874 | 3.02 | |
| Democratic | James L. Delk | 4,156 | 2.57 | |
| Total votes | 161,522 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- James W. Brown
- Charles I. Dawson, former Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
- Charles E. Whittle
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles I. Dawson | 36,461 | 76.07 | |
| Republican | James W. Brown | 5,763 | 12.02 | |
| Republican | Charles E. Whittle | 5,710 | 11.91 | |
| Total votes | 47,934 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Earle Clements, Governor of Kentucky (Democratic)
- Charles I. Dawson, Louisville attorney and former Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky (Republican)
- James E. Olson (Independent)[a]
- ^ Olson did not contest the special election for the remainder of the term.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Earle Clements | 334,249 | 54.16% | ||
| Republican | Charles I. Dawson | 278,368 | 45.11% | ||
| Independent | James E. Olson | 4,496 | 0.73% | ||
| Majority | 55,881 | 9.05% | |||
| Turnout | 617,113 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Special election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Earle Clements | 317,320 | 54.40% | ||
| Republican | Charles I. Dawson | 265,994 | 45.60% | ||
| Majority | 51,326 | 8.80% | |||
| Turnout | 583,314 | 19.82% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
References
- ^ Jewell, Malcolm E. (1963). Kentucky Votes. Vol. 1. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 60–61. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ Jewell, Malcolm E. (1963). Kentucky Votes. Vol. 1. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 62–63. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Clerk of the House of Representatives (1951). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1950" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
Bibliography
- Congressional Elections, 1946-1996. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-248-4.
- Jewell, Malcolm E. (1963). Kentucky Votes. Vol. 1. University of Kentucky Press.