1940 United States Senate election in Montana

1940 United States Senate election in Montana

←  1934 November 5, 1940 1946  →

Nominee Burton K. Wheeler E. K. Cheadle Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 176,753 63,941 Percentage 73.43% 26.57%

County results Wheeler:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     90–100%

U.S. senator before election Burton K. Wheeler Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Burton K. Wheeler Democratic

The 1940 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent United States Senator Burton K. Wheeler, who was first elected to the Senate in 1922, and was re-elected in 1928 and 1934, ran for re-election. Though he faced a serious challenger in the Democratic primary, he emerged victorious, and advanced to the general election, where he faced E. K. Cheadle, a state district judge and the Republican nominee. Just like in 1934, Wheeler won re-election in a landslide, winning his fourth term in the Senate.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Burton K. Wheeler, incumbent United States Senator
• H. J. Freebourn, Attorney General of Montana

Results

Democratic Party primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Burton K. Wheeler (incumbent)	75,498	72.86
	Democratic	H. J. Freebourn	28,128	27.14
Total votes			103,626	100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

• E. K. Cheadle, Tenth Judicial Circuit District Judge
• L. Ray Carroll, former State Senator
• Floyd C. Fluent

Results

Republican Primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	H. K. Cheadle	22,273	52.13
	Republican	L. Ray Carroll	13,483	31.56
	Republican	Floyd C. Fluent	6,972	16.32
Total votes			42,728	100.00

General election

Results

United States Senate election in Montana, 1940 ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Burton K. Wheeler (incumbent)	176,753	73.43%	+3.29%
	Republican	E. K. Cheadle	63,941	26.57%	−2.17%
Majority			112,812	46.87%	+5.47%
Turnout			240,694
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

1. "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, July 16, 1940" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
2. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved July 4, 2014.