1946 United States Senate election in Washington

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1946 United States Senate election in Washington
Flag of Washington (1923-1967).svg
  1940 November 5, 1946 1952  
  HP Cain Senate (cropped).jpg Hugh Mitchell.jpg
Nominee Harry Cain Hugh Mitchell
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote358,847298,683
Percentage54.34%45.23%

1946 United States Senate election in Washington results map by county.svg
County results
Cain:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Mitchell:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Hugh Mitchell
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Harry Cain
Republican

The 1946 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 5, 1946. Incumbent Democrat Hugh Mitchell, who had been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Monrad Wallgren, ran for a full term in office, but was defeated by Republican Mayor of Tacoma Harry Cain.

Contents

After this election, no Republican would be elected to either of Washington's U.S. Senate seats until 1980, when Slade Gorton defeated incumbent Warren Magnuson; while no Republican would win this Senate seat until 1983; when Daniel J. Evans defeated Mike Lowry in the special election after the death of Cain's successor, Henry M. Jackson.

Blanket primary

Candidates

Democratic

  • Sam C. Herren
  • Russell Fluent, Washington State Treasurer
  • Hugh Mitchell, interim U.S. Senator since 1945

Republican

Results

1946 U.S. Senate primary election in Washington [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Harry Cain 158,596 43.88%
Democratic Hugh Mitchell (incumbent) 134,286 37.15%
Democratic Russell H. Fluent35,7589.89%
Republican Ed F. Oldfield21,0175.82%
Republican Sam C. Herren11,7893.26%
Total votes361,446 100.00%

General election

Results

1946 U.S. Senate election in Washington [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Harry Cain 358,847 54.34% Increase2.svg8.50
Democratic Hugh Mitchell (incumbent)298,68345.23%Decrease2.svg8.93
Socialist Labor Harry Morton2,2970.35%N/A
Socialist Workers Charles R. Swett5150.08%N/A
Total votes660,342 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

See also

References

  1. "Elections Search Results - July 1946 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  2. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1946" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved April 3, 2021.