1960 United States Senate elections in Oregon

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1960 United States Senate elections in Oregon
Flag of Oregon.svg
  1954 November 8, 1960 1966  
  Maurine Brown Neuberger.jpg Elmo Smith portrait.jpg
Nominee Maurine Neuberger Elmo Smith
Party Democratic Republican
Regular election412,757
54.61%
343,009
45.38%
Special election422,024
54.98%
345,464
45.01%

1960 United States Senate election in Oregon results map by county.svg
Regular/special election county results [lower-alpha 1]
Neuberger:      50–60%     60–70%
Smith:      50-60%

U.S. senator before election

Hall S. Lusk
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Maurine Neuberger
Democratic

The 1960 United States Senate elections in Oregon took place on November 8, 1960.

Contents

First-term Democrat Richard L. Neuberger had been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1958 that became terminal by 1960 — but was kept from the public. Neuberger remained at home in early 1960, reportedly battling the flu. Though still publicly seeking re-election, he told his campaign chair, attorney Jack Beatty, "Remember, there's always another Neuberger," referring to his wife. The comment, combined with Neuberger's reluctance to meet in public and weak voice on the phone, led Beatty to believe that Neuberger's condition was grave, a suspicion confirmed by the Senator's physician shortly before Neuberger died at Good Samaritan Hospital on March 9, 1960. [1] [2]

Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court Hall S. Lusk was appointed on March 16, 1960, by Republican governor Mark Hatfield to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held. [3] [4]

Hatfield stated that he intended to have appointed Neuberger, but that he wanted to appoint someone who would be focused on completing the remaining eight months of the term and not running in the regular-term Senate election as Neuberger had announced she would. [5] Some observers noted that Hatfield, a Republican, though required by state law to appoint someone of the same political party as the late Senator Neuberger, did not want to give the other party the political advantage of incumbency. [5] [6]

Two elections for the Class 2 Senate seat were held on the same day; one as a special election to fill the remainder of Neuberger's original six-year term, and another to select a Senator to serve the next six-year term. Senator Lusk did not run for election.

Neuberger's widow Maurine Brown Neuberger was elected on November 8, 1960, both to finish the term and to the next term. Democrats would not win this seat again until 2008.

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on May 20, 1960.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Maurine Neuberger was the only candidate for the special election to finish Richard Neuberger's term. Cox was ineligible for the nomination as he had not properly registered in time as a voter. [8]

Results

Regular election
Democratic primary results [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Maurine Neuberger 211,961 77.88%
Democratic Harry C. Fowler28,03210.30%
Democratic William B. Murphy16,2455.97%
Democratic Roscoe Imrie Conn7,1642.63%
Democratic Fred O. Like5,3521.97%
Democratic Daniel N. Cox3,1421.15%
Write-in 2830.10%
Total votes272,179
Special election
Democratic primary results [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Maurine Neuberger 244,865 99.49%
Write-in 1,2490.51%
Total votes246,114

Republican primary

Candidates

Cook and Killam were not candidates for the special election to finish Neuberger's term.

Results

Regular election
Republican primary results [9] [10] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Elmo Smith 179,575 76.53%
Republican George Altvater20,4388.71%
Republican R. F. Cook19,4438.29%
Republican Thomas Killam14,4906.18%
Write-in 7010.30%
Total votes234,647
Special election
Republican primary results [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Elmo Smith 201,024 85.52%
Republican George Altvater33,02214.05%
Write-in 1,0130.43%
Total votes235,059

General election

Results

Regular election

1960 United States Senate election in Oregon [13] [14] [15] [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Maurine Neuberger 412,757 54.61%
Republican Elmo Smith 343,00945.38%
Write-in 1090.01%
Majority69,7489.23%
Turnout 755,875
Democratic hold

Special election

1960 United States Senate special election in Oregon [13] [14] [17] [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Maurine Neuberger 422,024 54.98%
Republican Elmo Smith 345,46445.01%
Write-in 930.01%
Majority76,5609.97%
Turnout 767,581
Democratic hold

See also

Notes

  1. While there were some slight differences in the particular percentages, the county results for the regular and special elections, both in their winners and percent ranges, were identical.

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References

  1. Beatty, Jack (2010). The Politics of Public Virtue. pp. 261–268.
  2. "Sen. Neuberger, Jewish Member of U.S. Senate, Dies; Was 47 Years Old". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. March 10, 1960.
  3. "Lusk Meets President, Takes Oath as Senator". Evening star. Washington, D.C. March 23, 1960. p. A-5. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  4. Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office. Vol. Four. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 157. ISBN   9780160632563.
  5. 1 2 "Oregon Justice, Democrat, gets Neuberger's seat in U. S. Senate" (PDF). The New York Times . March 16, 1960. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  6. "Women in Congress: Maurine B. Neuberger, Senator from Oregon". United States Congress. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Neuberger's Widow Faces 4 in Primary". Evening star. Washington, D.C. March 12, 1960. p. A-2. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  8. "14 Contests, One Measure on Ballot for Oregon Voters Friday". Medford Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. May 19, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 147.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Oregon Primary Returns 1960, p. 16.
  11. "OR US Senate, 1960 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  12. "OR US Senate, 1960 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 95.
  14. 1 2 Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (1961). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1960" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
  15. Oregon General Election Returns 1960, p. 6.
  16. "OR US Senate, 1960". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  17. Oregon General Election Returns 1960, p. 5.
  18. "OR US Senate, 1960 - Special Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 19, 2022.

Bibliography