The 1950 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 7, 1950, 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.
34 of the 35 Democratic nominees did not face any opposition in the general election. 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 2 with runoff elections on May 30. Only one Republican, Hubert E. Mitchell, sought a state senate seat, in District 3.
Nearly every incumbent senator in a multi-county district chose not to 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]
District 33: Thomas A. Johnston III won re-election. Johnston succeeded Joseph N. Langan, who resigned in May 1950 after he had already lost the Democratic primary to Johnston.
Eliminated in primary
District 3: C. B. Harvey lost the Democratic nomination to B. R. Fant.
District 4: Bob Lowe lost the Democratic nomination to Joe S. Foster.
District 7: Tom Blake Howle lost the Democratic nomination to Elvin McCary.
District 20: T. B. Perry sought re-election but withdrew from the Democratic primary.
Did not seek re-election
District 1: David U. Patton unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.[3]
District 2: Noble J. Russell was elected to Morgan County's first seat in the state house.[4]
District 5: Chalmers Weathers did not seek re-election. Weathers succeeded C. J. Owens, who died of a heart attack in December 1949.
District 6: James Allen was elected lieutenant governor.[5]
District 9: Paul J. Hooton did not seek re-election.
District 10: Broughton Lamberth did not seek re-election.
District 11: Henry H. Mize did not seek re-election.
District 12: Fuller A. Kimbrell did not seek re-election.
District 14: W. E. Barrett did not seek re-election, and died of an illness in November 1950.
District 15: W. A. Gulledge did not seek re-election.
District 17: Robert G. Kendall was elected to Conecuh County's seat in the state house.[4]
District 18: W. H. Cooper did not seek re-election.
District 19: Ben Nash Glover did not seek re-election.
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1951 (p.573–574),[7] The Troy Messenger[8]
Additionally, a runoff between W. B. Mahan and A. W. Todd in District 31 was planned, but was cancelled after Mahan withdrew citing health issues, giving Todd the Democratic nomination.[9]
First round results by district
Candidates in boldface advanced to either the general election or a runoff, first-place winners with an asterisk (*) did not face a runoff.
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1951 (p.561–565)[10]
↑ C. B. Harvey (inc.): 2,605 votes, 19.97%; R. F. Donehou: 1,590 votes, 12.19%; Bart J. Cowart: 1,298 votes, 9.95%
↑ Tom Blake Howle (inc.): 2,581 votes, 26.54%; F. A. McCartney: 1,178 votes, 12.11%; M. J. Williams Jr.: 659 votes, 6.78%; O. G. Megginson: 36 votes, 0.37%
↑ Budd Humphrey: 1,159 votes, 13.00%; J. Alex Still: 940 votes, 10.55%
↑ Frank F. Earle: 2,548 votes, 19.51%; James A. Carney: 496 votes, 3.80%
Nominated without opposition
The following candidates automatically won the Democratic nomination, as no opponent filed to run against them:
District 14: John H. Pinson
District 16: C. Mac Golson (inc.)
District 17: T. Werth Thagard
District 19: Robert Locke
District 24: Preston C. Clayton (inc.)
District 25: H. B. Larkins
District 26: Lawrence K. Andrews
District 30: George P. Quarles (inc.)
District 32: Herbert B. Byars
1947–1950 special elections
District 5 (Jackson–Marshall)
A special election in District 5 (Jackson–Marshall) was triggered by the death of C. J. Owens in December 1949. Governor Jim Folsom requested the Marshall County Democratic Executive Committee to choose the Democratic nominee, as Owens was from Marshall County. The committee chose Chalmers L. Weathers over T. C. Satterfield at a meeting in June 1950.[11] John B. Benson, who had won the regular Democratic primary in May, was ineligible for the special election as he was from Jackson County. C. L. Weathers ran in the general election unopposed.
1952 Alabama Senate District 5 special general election August 8, 1950[12]
A special election in District 33 (Mobile County) was triggered by the resignation of Joseph N. Langan in May 1950 among speculation that Governor Jim Folsom would call an extraordinary session of the Alabama Legislature for the purposes of reapportionment.[13] Thomas A. Johnston III, who had already defeated Langan for re-election in the regular Democratic primary in early May, ran in the special election unopposed.
1952 Alabama Senate District 33 special general election August 8, 1950[12]
Only one Republican, attorney Hubert E. Mitchell, filed to run for the District 3 Senate seat against Democrat B. R. Fant. District 3 contained the counties of Blount, Cullman, and Winston, the latter of which being a Republican stronghold. He was nominated at a convention in Jasper on June 7.[14]
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