1922 United States Senate elections in Pennsylvania

This article is about the elections held in 1922 for Pennsylvania's Class 1 Senate seat. For the special election also held that year for Pennsylvania's Class 3 Senate seat, see 1922 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania.

{{Infobox Election

1922 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

←  1916 November 7, 1922 1928  →

Nominee David A. Reed Samuel E. Shull William J. Burke Party Republican Democratic Progressive Popular vote 802,146 434,583 127,180 Percentage 55.61% 30.13% 8.82%

County results Reed:     50-60%     60-70%     70–80%     80-90% Shull:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election David A. Reed Republican Elected U.S. Senator David A. Reed Republican

The 1922 United States Senate elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 7. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator David A. Reed, who was appointed in August 1922 to fill the vacancy created by the death of William E. Crow, was elected both to complete the remainder of Crow's term, ending in March 1923, and to a full six-year term in his own right, beginning upon the expiration of Crow's term. ^[1]

Background

Incumbent United States Senator Philander C. Knox, who was elected in 1916 for a term set to expire in 1923, died on October 12, 1921. Governor of Pennsylvania William Cameron Sproul appointed State Senator William E. Crow to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected. The special election to complete Knox's term was scheduled for November 7, 1922, simultaneous with the general election to the next term.

Primary elections were held on May 16. ^[2] Crow was not a candidate in the primary election and died himself on August 2, 1922. Sproul appointed David A. Reed, who by then had been nominated by the Republican Party for both elections, to complete the unexpired term pending the results of the special election.

Republican primary

Candidates

• John C. Lowry ^[2]
• David A. Reed, Pittsburgh attorney and World War I field artillery Major

Withdrew

• William J. Burke, U.S. Representative from Pittsburgh (to run in the special election to complete Boies Penrose's term) ^[3]

Special primary

1922 U.S. Senate special Republican primary ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David A. Reed	817,959	99.94%
	Write-in		466	0.06%
Total votes			818,425	100.00%

Regular primary

1922 U.S. Senate Republican primary ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David A. Reed	768,590	89.99%
	Republican	John C. Lowry	85,469	10.01%
Total votes			854,059	100.00%

Special election

Candidates

• David A. Reed, Pittsburgh attorney and interim U.S. Senator (Republican)
• Rachel C. Robinson (Prohibition)
• William J. Van Essen (Socialist)

Results

1922 U.S. Senate special election in Pennsylvania (Class I) ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	David A. Reed (inc.)	860,483	86.17%	29.86
	Prohibition	Rachel C. Robinson	60,390	6.05%	3.56
	Socialist	William J. Van Essen	55,703	5.58%	1.82
	Single Tax	Thomas J. Davis	21,997	2.20%	2.08
	Write-in		287	0.00%	N/A
Total votes			998,860	100.00%

Regular election

Candidates

• William J. Burke, U.S. Representative from Pittsburgh (representing Pennsylvania at-large) (Progressive)
• David A. Reed, Pittsburgh attorney and interim U.S. Senator (Republican)
• Rachel C. Robinson (Prohibition)
• Charles J. Schoales (Single Tax)
• Charles Sehl (Socialist)
• Samuel E. Shull (Democratic)

Results

1922 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	David A. Reed (inc.)	802,146	55.61%	0.70
	Democratic	Samuel E. Shull	434,583	30.13%	7.12
	Progressive	William J. Burke	127,180	8.82%	8.82
	Prohibition	Rachel C. Robinson	41,935	2.91%	0.42
	Socialist	Charles Sehl	33,004	2.29%	1.47
	Single Tax	Charles J. Schoales	3,596	0.25%	0.13
	Write-in		41	0.00%	N/A
Total votes			1,442,485	100.00%

References

1. "REED, David Aiken, (1880 - 1953)". Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
2. Smull's Legislative Handbook and Manual of the State of Pennsylvania, 1921–22. Pennsylvania State University. pp. 769–75. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
3. "Beidleman and Mackey Withdraw" . Hanover Evening Sun. Harrisburg, Pa. April 8, 1922. p. 3. Retrieved December 10, 2022. William J. Burke late yesterday decided he would run as a candidate for the Republican nomination for the unexpired term of Senator Boies Penrose against Senator George Wharton Pepper and withdrew the petition he had filed to be a candidate for the full six year term allowing his petition for the Penrose term to stand. The congressman had filed petitions for both nominations. ... Congressman Burke's withdrawal leaves John C. Lowry, of Somerset, the only opponent of Major David A. Reed, of Pittsburgh.
4. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1922" (PDF). Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House. Retrieved July 9, 2014.