1962 United States Senate election in Arizona

1962 United States Senate election in Arizona

←  1956 November 6, 1962 1968  →

Nominee Carl Hayden Evan Mecham Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 199,217 163,338 Percentage 54.94% 45.06%

County results Hayden:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Mecham:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Carl Hayden Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Carl Hayden Democratic

The 1962 United States Senate election in Arizona took place on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Carl Hayden ran for reelection to a seventh term, defeating Republican State Senator Evan Mecham in the general election. Mecham became Governor of Arizona more than two decades later, and was subsequently impeached and removed from office.

This would be Hayden's final run for U.S. Senate, as he would be succeeded in office by Barry Goldwater in 1968. This was the last time Democrats won the Class 3 Senate seat from Arizona until Mark Kelly's victory in the 2020 special election, and the last time until 2022, when Kelly was reelected, that Democrats won a full term in this seat.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Carl T. Hayden, incumbent U.S. Senator
• W. Lee McLane

Results

Democratic primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carl T. Hayden (incumbent)	117,688	76.5%
	Democratic	W. Lee McLane	36,158	23.5%
Total votes			153,846	100.0%

Republican primary

State Senator Evan Mecham ran for U.S. Senate, and was challenged by political operative and strategist Stephen Shadegg. Shadegg, who had served as campaign manager for both Republican and Democratic candidates, had run at the urging of Senator Barry Goldwater, but Goldwater failed to officially endorse any candidate in the Republican primary. ^[2] Shadegg later said that he was "terribly let down" by Goldwater's position of neutrality in the primary after Goldwater had urged Shadegg to seek the seat. ^[3]

Candidates

• Evan Mecham, State Senator & future Governor of Arizona
• Stephen Shadegg, political strategist

Results

Republican primary results ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Evan Mecham	40,300	59.0%
	Republican	Stephen Shadegg	27,965	41.0%
Total votes			68,265	100.0%

General election

United States Senate election in Arizona, 1962 ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Carl T. Hayden (incumbent)	199,217	54.94%	−6.45%
	Republican	Evan Mecham	163,388	45.06%	+6.45%
Majority			35,829	9.88%	−12.89%
Turnout			362,605
	Democratic hold		Swing

See also

• 1962 United States Senate elections

References

1. "Our Campaigns – AZ US Senate – D Primary Race – Sep 11, 1962". www.ourcampaigns.com.
2. "Nation: Out from Backstage". Time. April 13, 1962. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
3. Fowler, Glenn (May 24, 1990). "Stephen Shadegg, Goldwater Adviser And Alter Ego, 80". The New York Times . Retrieved August 29, 2014.
4. "Our Campaigns – AZ US Senate – R Primary Race – Sep 11, 1962". www.ourcampaigns.com.
5. "Our Campaigns – AZ US Senate Race – Nov 06, 1962". www.ourcampaigns.com.