1954 United States Senate special election in California

Last updated

1954 United States Senate special election in California
Flag of California.svg
  1950 November 2, 1954 1956  
  ThomasKuchel.jpg Sam Yorty, 1954.jpg
Nominee Thomas Kuchel Sam Yorty
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote2,090,8361,788,071
Percentage53.21%45.50%

1954 United States Senate special election in California results map by county.svg
County results:

Thomas Kuchel:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%

Sam Yorty:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election

Thomas Kuchel
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Thomas Kuchel
Republican

The 1954 United States Senate special election in California was held on November 2, 1954, to elect a U.S. Senator to complete the unexpired term of Senator Richard Nixon, who resigned on becoming Vice President of the United States following the 1952 presidential election. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel, who had been appointed by Governor Earl Warren, won election to the remainder of the term, defeating Democratic nominee Sam Yorty.

Contents

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results [2] [3] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Sam Yorty 829,977 52.38
Republican Thomas Kuchel 455,53028.75
Democratic Leo Gallagher168,97010.66
Democratic Adam C. Derkum103,4846.53
Independent–ProgressiveIsobel M. Cerney26,6671.68
Total votes1,584,628 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [2] [3] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Thomas Kuchel 1,118,312 88.57
Democratic Sam Yorty 100,7467.98
Republican William T. Hooley32,6842.59
Independent–ProgressiveIsobel M. Cerney10,8260.86
Total votes1,262,568 100.00

Independent–Progressive primary

Candidates

  • Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer

Results

Independent–Progressive primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent–Progressive Isobel M. Cerney 3,405 100.00
Total votes3,405 100.00

General election

Results

1954 United States Senate special election in California [6] [7] [8] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Thomas Kuchel (Incumbent) 2,090,836 53.21
Democratic Sam Yorty 1,788,07145.50
Independent–ProgressiveIsobel M. Cerney50,5061.29
NoneScattering2550.01
Majority302,7657.71
Turnout 3,929,668
Republican hold

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Yorty</span> American politician (1909–1998)

Samuel William Yorty was an American radio host, attorney, and politician from Los Angeles, California. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the California State Assembly, but he is most remembered for his turbulent three terms as the 37th Mayor of Los Angeles from 1961 to 1973. Though Yorty spent almost all of his political career as a Democrat, he became a Republican in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Kuchel</span> Former United States senator from California

Thomas Henry Kuchel was an American politician. A moderate Republican, he served as a US Senator from California from 1953 to 1969 and was the minority whip in the Senate, where he was the co-manager on the floor for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Kuchel voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court, while Kuchel did not vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1968 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the presidential election of the same year. Although Richard Nixon won the presidential election narrowly, the Republicans picked up five net seats in the Senate. Republicans would gain another seat after the election when Alaska Republican Ted Stevens was appointed to replace Democrat Bob Bartlett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1964 United States Senate elections coincided with the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson by an overwhelming majority, to a full term. His Democratic Party picked up a net two seats from the Republicans. As of 2022, this was the last time either party has had a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which would have hypothetically allowed the Senate Democrats to override a veto, propose constitutional amendments, convict and expel certain officials, or invoke cloture without any votes from Senate Republicans. In practice, however, internal divisions effectively prevented the Democrats from doing so. The Senate election coincided with Democratic gains in the House in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1954 United States Senate elections was a midterm election in the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. Eisenhower's Republican party lost a net of two seats to the Democratic opposition. This small change was just enough to give Democrats control of the chamber with the support of an Independent who caucused with them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 United States Senate election in West Virginia</span>

The 1954 United States Senate election in West Virginia took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Matthew M. Neely was re-elected to a fifth term in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate election in California</span>

The 1980 United States Senate election in California took place on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Alan Cranston easily won re-election to a third term, even as the state's former Republican governor, Ronald Reagan, claimed a landslide victory in the presidential election, and a target of the National Conservative Political Action Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate election in Idaho</span> Election in Idaho

The 1956 United States Senate election in Idaho took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Republican Senator Herman Welker was defeated for re-election by Democratic nominee Frank Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate election in New Hampshire</span> United States Senate election in New Hampshire

The 1956 United States Senate election in New Hampshire took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Republican Senator Norris Cotton won re-election to a full term, having first been elected in a 1954 special election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate election in Kentucky</span> Election in Kentucky

The 1956 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Democratic Senator Earle Clements was defeated for re-election by Democratic nominee Thruston B. Morton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate election in California</span>

The 1956 United States Senate election in California was held on November 6, 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire</span>

The 1954 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire took place on November 2, 1954, to elect a U.S. Senator to complete the unexpired term of Senator Charles W. Tobey, who died on July 24, 1953. Former President of the New Hampshire Bar Association Robert W. Upton was appointed on August 14, 1953 by Governor Hugh Gregg to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1940 United States Senate election in California</span>

The United States Senate election in California of 1940 was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Republican Senator Hiram Johnson was re-elected to his fifth term in office, though he would die in office in 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 United States Senate election in New Mexico</span> Election in New Mexico

The 1960 United States Senate election in New Mexico took place on November 8, 1960. Incumbent Democratic Senator Clinton Anderson won re-election to a third term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire</span>

The 1962 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire took place on November 6, 1962, to elect a U.S. Senator to complete the unexpired term of Senator Styles Bridges, who died on November 26, 1961. New Hampshire Attorney General Maurice J. Murphy Jr. was appointed on December 7, 1961 by Governor Wesley Powell to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 United States Senate election in California</span>

The 1962 United States Senate election in California was held on November 6, 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 United States Senate election in Kansas</span> US election

The 1966 United States Senate election in Kansas took place on November 8, 1966, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 United States Senate election in New Hampshire</span>

The 1966 United States Senate election in New Hampshire took place on November 8, 1966. Incumbent Democratic Senator Thomas J. McIntyre won re-election to a full term, having first been elected in a special election in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 United States Senate election in California</span>

The 1968 United States Senate election in California was held on November 5, 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate special election in West Virginia</span> United States Senate special election

The 1956 United States Senate special election in West Virginia took place on November 6, 1956, to elect a U.S. Senator to complete the unexpired term of Senator Harley M. Kilgore, who died on February 28. 1956. State Tax Commissioner William Laird III was appointed to fill this seat by Governor William C. Marland to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held and assumed office on March 13, 1956.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Certified List of Candidates for Nomination". Placerville Mountain-Democrat. Placerville, California. May 13, 1954. p. 24. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 CA Primary 1954, p. 13.
  3. 1 2 Barclay, p. 598.
  4. "CA US Senate Special, 1954 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  5. "CA US Senate Special, 1954 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  6. "CA US Senate Special, 1954". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  7. CA General 1954, p. 10.
  8. Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (1955-10-15). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1954" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
  9. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 83.

Bibliography