Summary
The 1938 United States Senate special election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1938, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The special election came upon the death of incumbent Democratic Senator Nathan L. Bachman who had died in office.
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Democratic Governor Gordon Browning appointed George L. Berry after Bachman's death. Berry ran for a full term but was defeated in the Democratic primary to Tom Stewart.[1] In the general election, Tom Stewart defeted Republican candidate Harvey G. Fowler with 70.5% of the vote.[2]
Eligible to begin serving immediately, Tom Stewart instead waited until the expiry of his term as district attorney on January 16, 1939, to take his Senate seat.[3]
Democratic primary edit
Candidates edit
- John Randolph Neal Jr., attorney, law professor, politician, and activist
- John Ridley Mitchell, U.S. Representative from Tennessee's 4th congressional district
- George L. Berry, incumbent senator
- Tom Stewart, district attorney for the 18th Circuit 1923–1939
Results edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Stewart | 174,940 | 49.26% | |
| Democratic | George L. Berry (incumbent) | 101,966 | 28.71% | |
| Democratic | John Ridley Mitchell | 70,393 | 19.82% | |
| Democratic | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 4,689 | 1.32% | |
| Democratic | C. L. Powell | 3,171 | 0.89% | |
| Total votes | 355,159 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary edit
General election edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Stewart | 194,028 | 70.50% | |
| Republican | Harley G. Fowler | 72,098 | 26.20% | |
| Independent | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 9,106 | 3.31% | |
| Majority | 21,930 | 44.30% | ||
| Turnout | 275,232 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Hill, Ray. "The 1938 Senate Primary in Tennessee". The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 08, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ Although eligible and elected, he did not "take his seat" as he preferred to remain as district attorney general. Nevertheless, his service in the Senate begins on the date of election and eligibility, not on the date of an oath.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - Special D Primary Race - Aug 04, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 08, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.