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All 35 seats in the Alabama State Senate 18 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Winners by vote share Democratic: 60–70% 70–80% 90–100% Unopposed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Alabama |
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The 1938 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 8, 1938, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. The result an electoral wipeout, as all 35 candidates elected were members of the Democratic Party. The election used the same districts first drawn by the Alabama Constitution of 1901.
As the Democratic Party was dominant in the state, state legislative seats were generally decided at the Democratic primary election. The first round of the Democratic primary was held on May 3 with runoff elections on June 14. Four Democratic nominees faced opposition in the general election, with all four facing a Republican and James A. Simpson additionally facing a Communist in Jefferson County's District 13. Joseph N. Poole was unanimously elected President pro tempore at the chamber's opening session on January 10, 1939. [1]
The election took place concurrently with elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state house, and numerous other state and local offices.
Party | Candidates | Seats | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Num. | Vote | % | Before | Won | +/– | ||||
Democratic | 35 | 114,029 | 93.50% | 35 | 35 | ![]() | |||
Republican | 4 | 7,887 | 6.47% | 0 | 0 | ![]() | |||
Communist | 1 | 36 | 0.03% | 0 | 0 | ![]() | |||
Total | 40 | 121,952 | 100% | 35 | 35 | ![]() |
Every incumbent senator in a multi-county district did not seek re-election, as a gentlemen's agreement compelled state senators to give up their seats to allow a candidate from another county to serve. [2] Four senators sought re-election, and four senators sought seats in the Alabama House of Representatives. [3]
District | Democratic | Republican | Communist | Total | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | Maj. | Mrg. | |
13th | James A. Simpson | 12,668 | 94.48% | Frank L. Snedeker | 704 | 5.25% | Robert F. Hall | 36 | 0.27% | 13,408 | +11,964 | +89.23% |
15th | Karl C. Harrison | 5,232 | 64.68% | Fred Allen | 2,857 | 35.32% | — | — | — | 8,089 | +2,375 | +29.36% |
29th | E. M. Baker | 6,227 | 69.20% | J. A. Downer | 2,772 | 30.80% | — | — | — | 8,999 | +3,455 | +38.39% |
31st | Zadoc L. Weatherford | 4,924 | 76.01% | Walter Denson | 1,554 | 23.99% | — | — | — | 6,478 | +3,370 | +52.02% |
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1939 (p. 714–716) [11] |
Every candidate elected without an opponent was a Democrat.
Democratic runoffs were held on June 14. Candidates in boldface advanced to the general election. An asterisk (*) denotes a runoff winner who trailed in the first round.
District | Winner | Loser | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | Maj. | Mrg. | |
5th | Herbert H. Conway* | 6,233 | 59.38% | J. J. Benford | 4,263 | 40.62% | 10,496 | +1,970 | +18.77% |
7th | Frank Glenn Propst* | 2,863 | 50.34% | Henry H. Booth | 2,824 | 49.66% | 5,687 | +39 | +0.69% |
9th | Daniel R. Boyd | 4,928 | 60.10% | J. F. Jackson | 3,272 | 39.90% | 8,200 | +1,656 | +20.20% |
14th | Verdo Elmore | 1,953 | 52.83% | L. W. Wooten | 1,744 | 47.17% | 3,697 | +209 | +5.65% |
15th | Karl C. Harrison | 3,132 | 55.01% | J. A. Hines | 2,561 | 44.99% | 5,693 | +571 | +10.03% |
21st | W. C. Holmes | 5,304 | 53.90% | W. C. Mason | 4,537 | 46.10% | 9,841 | +767 | +7.79% |
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1939 (p. 683–685) [12] |
Additionally, runoffs in District 3, District 6, and District 29 were planned, but were canceled after candidates withdrew from their races. All three withdrawals were from candidates who placed second in the first round.
The first round of the Democratic primary was held on May 3. Candidates in boldface advanced to either the general election or a runoff, first-place winners with an asterisk (*) did not face a runoff.
District | First place | Runners-up | Others | Total | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | Maj. | Mrg. | |
1st | William W. Malone* | 4,418 | 57.58% | R. H. Walker | 3,255 | 42.42% | — | — | — | 7,673 | +1,163 | +15.16% |
3rd | Finis E. St. John Jr.* | 4,116 | 48.36% | W. E. James [a] | 3,189 | 37.47% | Bart J. Cowart | 1,206 | 14.17% | 8,511 | +927 | +10.89% |
4th | Charles E. Shaver* | 4,217 | 64.14% | H. M. Robertson | 2,358 | 35.86% | — | — | — | 6,575 | +1,859 | +28.27% |
5th | J. J. Benford | 3,607 | 37.39% | Herbert H. Conway | 3,039 | 31.51% | Joe Johnson | 3,000 | 31.10% | 9,646 | +568 | +5.89% |
6th | John A. Lusk Jr.* | 5,613 | 48.16% | Bob Leath [b] | 2,386 | 20.47% | 2 others [c] | 3,655 | 31.37% | 11,654 | +3,227 | +27.69% |
7th | Henry H. Booth | 2,160 | 35.92% | Frank Glenn Propst | 1,711 | 28.46% | 2 others [d] | 2,142 | 35.61% | 6,013 | +449 | +7.47% |
8th | W. L. Howard* | 3,009 | 58.03% | W. M. Rozelle | 2,176 | 41.97% | — | — | — | 5,185 | +833 | +16.07% |
9th | Daniel R. Boyd | 3,467 | 41.88% | J. F. Jackson | 2,746 | 33.17% | D. T. Ware | 2,065 | 24.95% | 8,278 | +721 | +8.71% |
10th | T. H. Street* | 5,634 | 54.65% | R. W. Stuckey | 2,685 | 26.04% | Mike J. Bulger | 1,991 | 19.31% | 10,310 | +2,949 | +28.60% |
11th | Hayse Tucker* | 4,450 | 56.88% | Luther Hearn | 2,096 | 26.79% | Ed Long | 1,277 | 16.32% | 7,823 | +2,354 | +30.09% |
12th | Oliver E. Young* | 9,039 | 62.92% | A. U. Hollis | 5,327 | 37.08% | — | — | — | 14,366 | +3,712 | +25.84% |
13th | James A. Simpson* | 24,460 | 61.90% | Ben F. Ray | 15,058 | 38.10% | — | — | — | 39,518 | +9,402 | +23.79% |
14th | Verdo Elmore | 1,657 | 41.08% | L. W. Wooten | 1,443 | 35.77% | E. P. Windham | 934 | 23.15% | 4,034 | +214 | +5.30% |
15th | Karl C. Harrison | 3,059 | 39.83% | J. F. McGraw | 2,171 | 28.26% | J. A. Hines | 2,451 | 31.91% | 7,681 | +888 | +11.56% |
17th | Joe N. Poole* | 6,342 | 70.22% | J. W. Joyner | 2,690 | 29.78% | — | — | — | 9,032 | +3,652 | +40.43% |
18th | Howard Cooper* | 2,690 | 55.65% | John S. Ward | 2,144 | 44.35% | — | — | — | 4,834 | +546 | +11.29% |
19th | P. F. DeVane* | 5,104 | 54.23% | O. B. Christopher | 4,307 | 45.77% | — | — | — | 9,411 | +797 | +8.47% |
20th | O. D. Carlton* | 1,820 | 56.89% | S. W. Compton | 1,379 | 43.11% | — | — | — | 3,199 | +441 | +13.79% |
21st | W. C. Holmes | 4,455 | 45.18% | W. C. Mason | 3,301 | 33.48% | A. B. McPhaul | 2,105 | 21.35% | 9,861 | +1,154 | +11.70% |
23rd | T. S. Faulk* | 3,872 | 51.05% | Joel E. Johnson | 3,713 | 48.95% | — | — | — | 7,585 | +159 | +2.10% |
24th | Preston C. Clayton* | 1,962 | 59.91% | Millard I. Jackson | 1,313 | 40.09% | — | — | — | 3,275 | +649 | +19.82% |
26th | Watkins C. Johnston* | 1,643 | 51.85% | R. H. Powell | 1,526 | 48.15% | — | — | — | 3,169 | +117 | +3.69% |
27th | W. A. Dozier* | 3,305 | 58.10% | T. W. Britton | 2,383 | 41.90% | — | — | — | 5,688 | +922 | +16.21% |
28th | Charles A. Stakely* | 10,154 | 78.02% | Charles B. Teasley | 2,860 | 21.98% | — | — | — | 13,014 | +7,294 | +56.05% |
29th | E. M. Baker | 4,062 | 49.28% | Lewis W. Fowler | 2,556 | 31.01% | W. B. Thompson | 1,624 | 19.70% | 8,242 | +1,506 | +18.27% |
31st | Zadoc L. Weatherford* | 5,717 | 55.22% | M. D. Hansbrough | 2,563 | 24.75% | Charles G. Richeson | 2,074 | 20.03% | 10,354 | +3,154 | +30.46% |
32nd | E. F. Hildreth* | 1,623 | 50.37% | D. G. Mayes | 1,599 | 49.63% | — | — | — | 3,222 | +24 | +0.74% |
33rd | Daniel T. McCall* | 9,167 | 65.97% | Alfred L. Staples | 4,728 | 34.03% | — | — | — | 13,895 | +4,439 | +31.95% |
34th | A. L. Crumpton* | 3,329 | 50.45% | O. O. Mitchell | 3,269 | 49.55% | — | — | — | 6,598 | +60 | +0.91% |
35th | W. Perry Calhoun* | 4,804 | 62.69% | N. Frank Pridgen | 2,859 | 37.31% | — | — | — | 7,663 | +1,945 | +25.38% |
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1939 (p. 650–655) [16] |
The following candidates won the Democratic nomination by default as they were the only to run in their respective district:
A special election in Senate District 25 (Coffee–Crenshaw–Pike) was made necessary by the death of incumbent senator Thomas J. Thrower on July 12, 1935. W. H. Stoddard of Crenshaw County won the Democratic nomination unopposed, and did not face opposition at the September 11, 1935 general special election. [17] [18]
A special election in Senate District 4 (Madison County) was made necessary by the death of incumbent senator John A. Rogers on September 22, 1936. Marcus E. McConnell won the Democratic nomination unanimously and did not face opposition at the November 3, 1936 general special election. [19]
A special election in Senate District 4 (Madison County) was made necessary by the death of incumbent senator Shelby S. Fletcher on July 1, 1936. Attorney Schuyler H. Richardson won the Democratic nomination unanimously and did not face opposition at the November 3, 1936 general special election. [20] Richardson was later appointed judge of the 23rd Judicial Circuit on December 10, 1937. [21]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Schuyler H. Richardson | 4,542 | 99.28% | |
Write-in | Charles D. Lane | 33 | 0.72% | |
Total votes | 4,575 | 100.00% |