1954 Iowa Senate election

Summary

The 1954 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1954 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in 21 of the state senate's 50 districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.

1954 Iowa Senate election

← 1952 November 2, 1954 1956 →

21 out of 50 seats in the Iowa State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Ralph Zastrow George E. O'Malley
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat 44th
(retired)
30th
Last election 46 4
Seats after 44 6
Seat change Decrease2 Increase2

Majority Leader before election

Ralph Zastrow
Republican

Elected Majority Leader

Duane E. Dewel
Republican

A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the 1954 elections is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.

The primary election on June 7, 1954 determined which candidates appeared on the November 2, 1954 general election ballot.[1][2]

Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 46 seats to Democrats' 4 seats.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 22 Senate seats.[a]

Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1954 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 44 seats and Democrats having 6 seats (a net gain of 2 seats for Democrats).

Summary of Results edit

  • Note: The 29 holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.[3]
State Senate District Incumbent Party Incoming Senator Party
1st Stanley Lawrence Hart Rep Edward Joseph McManus Dem
7th Earl C. Fishbaugh Rep Frank Hoxie Rep
9th Thomas J. Dailey Dem Thomas J. Dailey Dem
10th Carl T. Anderson Rep Carl T. Anderson Rep
12th Wilbur Cleland Molison Rep Wilbur Cleland Molison Rep
13th Elmer K. Bekman Rep Samuel H. Burton Dem
18th Jay C. Colburn Rep John David Shoeman Rep
20th Herman B. Lord Rep George W. Weber Rep
21st Philip T. Hedin Rep Jack Schroeder Rep
22nd Erwin A. Schoening Rep David O. Shaff Rep
29th James Harold Nesmith Rep Jack Morris Wormley Rep
30th George E. O'Malley Dem George E. O'Malley Dem
34th Eli Clarence Myrland Rep Albert Weiss Rep
35th Arnold Utzig Dem Arnold Utzig Dem
37th Rex R. Bateson Rep John A. Walker Rep
38th John Peter Berg Rep Arch Wallace McFarlane Rep
42nd William Linnevold Rep Frank D. Elwood Rep
44th Ralph W. Zastrow Rep Robert R. Rigler Rep
45th Harry E. Weichman Rep Lawrence Putney Rep
48th Alan William Vest Rep Alan William Vest Rep
50th R. J. Oltman Rep Guy G. Butler Rep

Source:[4]

Detailed Results edit

  • NOTE: The 29 districts that did not hold elections in 1954 are not listed here.

District 1District 7District 9District 10District 12District 13District 18District 20District 21District 22District 29District 30District 34District 35District 37District 38District 42District 44District 45District 48District 50

  • Note: If a district does not list a primary, then that district did not have a competitive primary (i.e., there may have only been one candidate file for that district).[5]

District 1 edit

Iowa Senate, District 1 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward J. McManus 8,356 55.4
Republican Stanley L. Hart (incumbent) 6,726 44.6
Total votes 15,082 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

District 7 edit

Iowa Senate, District 7 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank Hoxie 7,677 67.6
Democratic Jay Leeka 3,680 32.4
Total votes 11,357 100.0
Republican hold

District 9 edit

Iowa Senate, District 9 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John N. Calhoun 1,756 52.2
Republican Blythe C. Conn 1,609 47.8
Total votes 3,365 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 9 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas J. Dailey (incumbent) 8,287 59.0
Republican John N. Calhoun 5,757 41.0
Total votes 14,044 100.0
Democratic hold

District 10 edit

Iowa Senate, District 10 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Carl T. Anderson (incumbent) 7,629 59.5
Democratic James T. McCabe 5,189 40.5
Total votes 12,818 100.0
Republican hold

District 12 edit

Iowa Senate, District 12 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wilbur C. Molison (incumbent) 6,904 55.8
Democratic William W. Augustine 5,473 44.2
Total votes 12,377 100.0
Republican hold

District 13 edit

Iowa Senate, District 13 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sam Burton 8,446 53.9
Republican Elmer K. Bekman (incumbent) 7,221 46.1
Total votes 15,667 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

District 18 edit

Iowa Senate, District 18 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John D. Shoeman 7,815 65.9
Democratic J. Bruce Potter 4,046 34.1
Total votes 11,861 100.0
Republican hold

District 20 edit

Iowa Senate, District 20 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George W. Weber 2,488 57.6
Republican Kenneth R. Moore 1,834 42.4
Total votes 4,322 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 20 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George W. Weber 7,620 57.7
Democratic Charles E. Yoder 5,592 42.3
Total votes 13,212 100.0
Republican hold

District 21 edit

Iowa Senate, District 21 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Schroeder 17,285 55.8
Democratic Vernon B. Trevellyan 13,689 44.2
Total votes 30,974 100.0
Republican hold

District 22 edit

Iowa Senate, District 22 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David O. Shaff 2,201 51.6
Republican Erwin Schoening (incumbent) 2,067 48.4
Total votes 4,268 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 22 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David O. Shaff 9,621 62.3
Democratic John M. Yackshaw 5,810 37.7
Total votes 15,431 100.0
Republican hold

District 29 edit

Iowa Senate, District 29 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack M. Wormley 1,740 52.3
Republican Henry L. Kling 837 25.1
Republican William P. Gannon 753 22.6
Total votes 3,330 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 29 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack M. Wormley 5,768 51.8
Democratic Eugene M. Hill 5,376 48.2
Total votes 11,144 100.0
Republican hold

District 30 edit

Iowa Senate, District 30 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George E. O'Malley (incumbent) 39,709 55.6
Republican Milton W. Strickler 31,762 44.4
Total votes 71,471 100.0
Democratic hold

District 34 edit

Iowa Senate, District 34 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Albert Weiss 2,190 54.8
Republican E. C. Myrland (incumbent) 1,804 45.2
Total votes 3,994 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 34 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Albert Weiss 9,351 55.9
Democratic Elroy Maule 7,385 44.1
Total votes 16,736 100.0
Republican hold

District 35 edit

Iowa Senate, District 35 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Arnold Utzig (incumbent) 13,146 100.0
Total votes 13,146 100.0
Democratic hold

District 37 edit

Iowa Senate, District 37 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John A. Walker 11,198 64.6
Democratic Mrs. G. H. Maxon 6,123 35.4
Total votes 17,321 100.0
Republican hold

District 38 edit

Iowa Senate, District 38 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arch W. McFarlane 3,661 52.1
Republican Bernard R. Balch 3,364 47.9
Total votes 7,025 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 38 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arch W. McFarlane 14,734 51.5
Democratic Iver Christoffersen 13,869 48.5
Total votes 28,603 100.0
Republican hold

District 42 edit

Iowa Senate, District 42 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank D. Elwood 7,726 59.1
Democratic Henry P. Field 5,340 40.9
Total votes 13,066 100.0
Republican hold

District 44 edit

Iowa Senate, District 44 Republican Primary Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert R. Rigler 3,154 61.3
Republican Mark Eischeid 1,987 38.7
Total votes 5,141 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 44 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert R. Rigler 7,456 62.9
Democratic Bernard Speltz 4,389 37.1
Total votes 11,845 100.0
Republican hold

District 45 edit

Iowa Senate, District 45 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lawrence Putney 9,554 56.8
Democratic Chester Hagan 7,267 43.2
Total votes 16,821 100.0
Republican hold

District 48 edit

Iowa Senate, District 48 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Vest (incumbent) 9,310 56.5
Democratic Frank W. Mattes 7,170 43.5
Total votes 16,480 100.0
Republican hold

District 50 edit

Iowa Senate, District 50 General Election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Guy G. Butler 9,557 100.0
Total votes 9,557 100.0
Republican hold
  1. ^ It was impossible for Democrats to flip control of the Iowa state Senate in the 1954 election given that only 21 seats were up for election and 22 were needed for Democrats to take control.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Primary Election 1954 For State Senator". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  2. ^ "General Election 1954 For State Senator". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "Holdover State Senators". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. ^ "Legislators". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "Primary Election for State Senator 1954". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 6, 2020.