The 1936 United States Senate Special Election within the State of Iowa occurred on November 3, 1936, following the death of incumbent Senator Richard Louis Murphy in an automobile accident.[1] Representative Guy Mark Gillette (D-IA) and Editor of the Chariton Herald-Patriot, Berry F. Halden(R-IA)[2] were the two major party contenders in this election. George F. Buresh (FL-IA) and two other candidates also ran. The result of this election was Gillette beating out both other candidates, and winning with 52% of the votes cast.[3]
 | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
 County Results Gillette: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Halden: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
_LCCN2016871060_(cropped).jpg)
Republican primary
editBerry F. Halden won the Republican nomination at the Republican Party's State Convention on the fifth ballot, with 1,682 votes.[4] Other candidates within the primary were James R. Rhodes, a publisher for the Newton News, and Guy Linville, a lawyer from Cedar Rapids.[4]
Democratic primary
editGuy M. Gillette was named the Democratic Party's Candidate at the Democratic Party's State Convention.[5] Ray Murphy, Former National Commander of the American Legion, declined to contest the Primary.[5]
Farmer-Labor primary
editWhile the Farmer-Labor Party initially sought out and declared Former Republican Senator Smith W. Brookhart to be their nominee,[4][5] Ernest R. Quick ran as their eventual candidate for the Special Election.
General Election
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Guy M. Gillette | 536,075 | 51.91 | N/A | |
| Republican | Berry F. Halden | 478,521 | 46.43 | N/A | |
| Farmer–Labor | Ernest R. Quick | 16,179 | 1.57 | N/A | |
| Socialist | Tom Johnson | 1,008 | 0.10 | N/A | |
| Prohibition | A. U. Coates | 960 | 0.09 | N/A | |
| Total votes | 1,032,743 | 100 | |||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Details Page - The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa - The University of Iowa Libraries". uipress.lib.uiowa.edu. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Myers, Frank D. (March 22, 2018). "The Lucas Countyan: What in the world happened to Berry F. Halden?". The Lucas Countyan. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Archived Election Results and Statistics". sos.iowa.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c "IOWANS NAME EDITOR FOR SENATORIAL RACE; Republicans Choose Halden to Oppose Gillette -- Farmer-Laborites Pick Brookhart". The New York Times. July 26, 1936. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c Jones, Rolan M. (August 9, 1936). "POLITICAL ODDITIES DEVELOPEDIN IOWA; Employer and Employe Win Nominations in Opposite Party Primaries. TWO SENATORIALCONTESTS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Election Statistics: 1920 to Present - 1936 Election Statistics". history.house.gov.