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County results Thomson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Whitaker: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Wyoming |
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The 1960 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 8, 1960. Incumbent Democratic Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney was first appointed to the U.S. Senate from Wyoming's Class 1 Senate seat in 1934, and was re-elected in 1934, 1940, and 1946 before losing re-election in 1952. He was then elected to the Class 2 Senate seat in 1954. O'Mahoney, in failing health and increasingly limited in his mobility, declined to run for a fifth non-consecutive term in the Senate. The winner of this election, Keith Thomson, died before assuming his elected office.
Accordingly, a competitive race for the open seat ensued. Congressman Keith Thomson won the Republican primary over former U.S. Senator and former Governor Frank A. Barrett, while 1958 Democratic congressional nominee Raymond B. Whitaker, the former Natrona County Prosecuting Attorney, beat out State Superintendent Velma Linford to win the Democratic nomination, queueing up a rematch between Thomson and Whitaker. Despite Democrats' recent history of winning competitive Senate elections in Wyoming, however, Thomson defeated Whitaker by a wide margin, closely matching Richard M. Nixon's margin over John F. Kennedy in the presidential election. However, Thomson died of a heart attack on December 9, prior to his assuming office. Democratic Governor John J. Hickey appointed himself to fill the vacancy; Hickey would serve until his defeat in the 1962 special election.
A Republican gain turned into a Democratic retention of the seat following Thomson's death and Hickey's decision to have himself appointed.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Raymond B. Whitaker | 18,031 | 40.21% | |
Democratic | Velma Linford | 13,792 | 30.75% | |
Democratic | Carl A. Johnson | 5,370 | 11.97% | |
Democratic | Charles B. Chittim | 3,653 | 8.15% | |
Total votes | 40,846 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Keith Thomson | 31,596 | 69.08% | |
Republican | Frank A. Barrett | 13,380 | 29.25% | |
Republican | Miff M. Butler | 765 | 1.67% | |
Total votes | 45,741 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Keith Thomson | 78,103 | 56.37% | +7.90% | |
Democratic | Raymond B. Whitaker | 60,447 | 43.63% | -7.90% | |
Majority | 17,656 | 12.74% | +9.68% | ||
Turnout | 138,550 | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic |
Senator-elect Thomson died on December 9, 1960, and with the appointment of Governor John Hickey at the beginning of what should've been Thomson's term, the Democrats retained this seat until a special election was held in 1962.
John Joseph Hickey, known as Joe or J. J. Hickey, was an American judge and politician who served the 24th Governor of Wyoming and Senator as a Democrat before sitting on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He was the first Governor of Wyoming to be born in the 20th century.
The Wyoming Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in Wyoming, headquartered in Cheyenne. The party was strong during Wyoming's territorial days, but suffered a decline in its early statehood. It rose to prominence again from the 1930s to the 1950s before experiencing another decline.
The 1958 United States Senate election in Wyoming took place November 4, 1958. Incumbent Republican Senator Frank A. Barrett ran for re-election to his second term. He was challenged by Gale W. McGee, a University of Wyoming professor and the Democratic nominee. Despite the state's strong Republican lean, McGee ran an energetic campaign against Barrett, earning the support of the national Democratic establishment. McGee ultimately narrowly upset Barrett, winning 51% of the vote to Barrett's 49%.
The 1940 United States Senate election in Wyoming took place on November 5, 1940. Democratic Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney ran for re-election to a second full term. He faced Republican Milward Simpson, a member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and a former State Representative, in the general election. Though the presidential election in Wyoming was relatively close, O'Mahoney outperformed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's narrow win, and defeated Simpson in a landslide to win his second term.
The 1972 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Senator Clifford Hansen ran for re-election to a second term. He was challenged by Democratic nominee Mike Vinich, a former aide to Congressman Teno Roncalio and a bar owner in Hudson. As Hansen ran for re-election, President Richard Nixon was overwhelmingly defeating Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern in Wyoming. Hansen managed to outperform even Nixon, winning his second term in a landslide over Vinich.
The 1978 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator Clifford Hansen declined to seek a third term in office. Former State Representative Alan K. Simpson, the son of former Senator Milward Simpson, won a contested Republican primary and faced Raymond B. Whitaker, the 1960 Democratic nominee for the Senate, in the general election. Despite a favorable environment for Republicans nationwide, Simpson's performance decreased considerably from Hansen's 1972 landslide. Nonetheless, he easily defeated Whitaker, winning 62% of the vote to Whitaker's 38%.
The 1962 Wyoming gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1962. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jack R. Gage, who ascended to the governorship after his predecessor, John J. Hickey, appointed himself to the U.S. Senate in 1961, ran for re-election. After beating back a strong challenge from former Secretary of State William M. Jack in the Democratic primary, he then faced Republican nominee Clifford Hansen, the President of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and a former Teton County Commissioner. The year proved poor for Wyoming Democrats, as Hansen handily defeated Gage and as Senator Hickey was defeated for re-election by former Governor Milward Simpson.
The 1954 Wyoming gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican Governor Clifford Joy Rogers ran for a full term as Governor of Wyoming after Frank A. Barrett was elected to the U.S. Senate, but lost the nomination to former State Representative Milward Simpson. Simpson narrowly defeated Democratic former Secretary of State William Jack in the general election.
The 1950 Wyoming gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1950. Incumbent Republican Governor Arthur G. Crane, who ascended to the governorship when Lester C. Hunt was elected to the Senate in 1948, declined to seek re-election. Congressman Frank A. Barrett won the Republican primary to succeed Crane and faced former State Auditor John J. McIntyre, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. Helped by the strong performance nationwide of the Republican Party, Barrett defeated McIntyre by a wide margin.
Velma Linford was an American educator, author, and politician who served as the 12th Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction as a Democrat.
Keith B. Goodenough is an American politician who served as a member of the Casper, Wyoming, City Council from 2006 to 2014. He previously served as a Democrat in the Wyoming Senate from 1995 to 2005 and in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1989 to 1993. In 2008, he ran for the U.S. Senate, but lost in the Democratic primary. Since then, he launched two unsuccessful campaigns for the Natrona County Commission as an independent candidate in 2012 and 2014.
The 1934 United States Senate elections in Wyoming took place on November 6, 1934. Incumbent Democratic Senator John B. Kendrick died on November 3, 1933, and Joseph C. O'Mahoney was appointed by Governor Leslie A. Miller as Kendrick's replacement. Two elections for the same Senate seat were held on the same day; one as a special election to fill the remainder of Kendrick's original six-year term, and another to select a Senator to serve the next six-year term. O'Mahoney ran for re-election in both elections. He was opposed by Republican Congressman Vincent Carter. Aided by the strong performance by the Democratic Party throughout the country in 1934, and by Governor Miller's landslide re-election, O'Mahoney handily defeated Carter to win re-election.
The 1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Lester C. Hunt, who decided not to be a candidate for re-election, committed suicide by firearm on June 19, 1954, and Republican Governor Clifford J. Rogers appointed former state highway commissioner Edward D. Crippa to replace him. Two elections for the Senate seat were held on the same day; one as a special election to fill the remainder of Hunt's original six-year term, and another to select a Senator to serve the next six-year term. Senator Crippa did not run for re-election.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 5, 1946. All of the state's executive officers—the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction—were up for election. The election was largely a rout for the Republican Party. Though Democratic governor Lester C. Hunt was narrowly re-elected, Democrats lost their two other state offices: auditor and secretary of State. Moreover, they were unable to win back any other state offices.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 7, 1950. All of the state's executive officers—the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction—were up for election. The Republican Party swept all of the offices. Following Democratic governor Lester C. Hunt's election to the U.S. Senate in 1948, Republican secretary of state Arthur G. Crane had been acting as governor. Republican Congressman Frank A. Barrett was elected governor, and Republican candidates won the other statewide races.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 2, 1954. All of the state's executive officers—the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction—were up for election. The result was largely a continuation of Republican rule, though Democrat Velma Linford won the election for Superintendent and the margins in most of the other races shrunk considerably from 1950.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 4, 1958. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Democrats had a largely good year, picking up the Governorship and the Secretary of State's office and holding the State Superintendent's office, though Republicans were returned as State Auditor and State Treasurer.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 7, 1962. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Republicans ran the table on the state's executive offices, defeating incumbent Governor Jack R. Gage and incumbent Superintendent Velma Linford and picking up the Secretary of State's office. Republican State Auditor Minnie A. Mitchell was re-elected and Republicans also held the Treasurer's office.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 8, 1966. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. After winning all of the statewide executive offices in 1962, Republicans did even better in 1966, improving their margins of victory in each race and holding all the offices.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 3, 1914. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Governor Joseph M. Carey declined to seek re-election to a second term, and Democratic State Senator John B. Kendrick was elected as his successor. Republicans, however, won all of the other statewide executive offices, including picking up the Superintendent's office.