1918 United States Senate election in Mississippi

Summary

The 1918 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 3, 1918. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James K. Vardaman ran for re-election to a second term in office, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative Pat Harrison.

1918 U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Mississippi

← 1912 August 20, 1918 1924 →
 
Nominee Pat Harrison James K. Vardaman Edmond Noel
Party Democratic Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 56,715 44,154 6,730
Percentage 52.71% 41.04% 6.26%

County results
Harrison:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Vardaman:      40–50%      50–60%      60-70%      70-80%
Noel:      50-60%

U.S. senator before election

James K. Vardaman
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Pat Harrison
Democratic

Because Harrison faced only nominal opposition in the general election, his victory in the August 20 primary was tantamount to election.

Background edit

In 1911, former Governor of Mississippi James K. Vardaman challenged and defeated Senator LeRoy Percy in the Democratic Party primary election, the first in state history. The victory established Vardaman and Theodore Bilbo as the uncontested leaders of the state Democratic Party. Vardaman established a reputation as a populist opponent of the state's planter elite and a white supremacist critic of the Theodore Roosevelt administration on racial issues.

In 1917, Vardaman stirred controversy by voting with the six-person minority against the United States declaration of war on Germany, defying President Woodrow Wilson and the vast majority of Southern sentiment.

Democratic primary edit

Candidates edit

Campaign edit

Harrison ran with the public support of President Wilson, who opposed Vardaman over his vote against the war.

Results edit

1918 Democratic U.S. Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Pat Harrison 56,715 52.71%
Democratic James K. Vardaman (incumbent) 44,154 41.04%
Democratic Edmond Noel 6,730 6.26%
Total votes 107,599 100.00%

General election edit

Results edit

1918 U.S. Senate election in Mississippi[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Pat Harrison 30,055 95,04%  4.96
Socialist Sumner W. Rose 1,569 4.96% N/A
Total votes 31,624 100.00%

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Rowland, Dunbar (1904). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, 1920-1924. Jackson, Mississippi: Hederman Bros. p. 345.
  2. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1918" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  3. ^ "Our Campaigns - MS US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1918".

Further reading edit

  • Mullins, Phillip. The Ancestors Of George & Hazel Mullins: Chapter 14 - "The Revolt of the Rednecks. University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012.