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1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

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1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

← 1938 November 7, 1944 1950 →
  Oklahoma Senator. Washington, D.C., April 19, 1939 A new informal picture of Senator Elmer Thomas, Democrat of Oklahoma LCCN2016875466 (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Elmer Thomas William J. Otjen
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 390,851 309,222
Percentage 55.65% 44.02%

U.S. senator before election

Elmer Thomas
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Elmer Thomas
Democratic

The 1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a fourth term. Thomas once again faced a stiff challenge in the Democratic primary, this time from Congressman Wesley E. Disney and Lieutenant Governor James E. Berry. As was the case in 1938, Thomas won renomination only with a narrow plurality. In the general election, he faced former State Senator William J. Otjen, the 1942 Republican nominee for Governor. Though Thomas's performance was much reduced compared to six years prior, he still defeated Otjen by a wide margin.

Discover more about 1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma related topics

Elmer Thomas

Elmer Thomas

John William Elmer Thomas was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the Lawton area. Representative and a Senator from Oklahoma. In 1922, he ran successfully on the Democratic Party ticket for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1926; he won this race and held the seat until 1950, when he lost the party nomination to A.S. (Mike) Monroney. Thomas returned to a private law practice in Washington, D.C., and in 1957 moved his practice back to Lawton, where he died in 1965.

Wesley E. Disney

Wesley E. Disney

Wesley Ernest Disney was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. He was also a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

James E. Berry

James E. Berry

James Edward Berry was an American politician who served as the sixth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma from 1935 to 1955. No other person has beaten or even tied Berry's record for holding that office. Although he tried twice to win a seat in the U.S. Senate, he was unsuccessful in both attempts. He was finally upset in a primary runoff election against Cowboy Pink Williams in 1954.

1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

The 1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 8, 1938. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a third term. He faced a spirited challenge in the Democratic primary from Congressman Gomer Smith and Governor E. W. Marland, but won the nomination with a slim plurality. In the general election, Thomas faced former State Senator Harry O. Glasser, the Republican nominee. Despite the nationwide trend favoring Republicans, Thomas overwhelmingly won re-election.

1942 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

1942 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

The 1942 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1942, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma. Democrat Robert S. Kerr defeated Republican William J. Otjen. Edward W. Fickinger was also on the ballot representing the Prohibition Party. Gomer Griffith Smith and Robert Burns unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Elmer Thomas (inc.) 85,672 36.30%
Democratic Wesley E. Disney 64,322 33.75%
Democratic James E. Berry 62,244 26.37%
Democratic Elmer Fraker 5,810 2.46%
Democratic Fletcher S. Riley 4,835 2.05%
Democratic A. F. Shaw 4,786 2.03%
Democratic Dan Nelson 2,725 1.15%
Democratic Charles West 2,304 0.98%
Democratic Lily Allen Lasley 1,963 0.83%
Democratic Lattie Hughes 138 0.57%
Total votes 235,999 100.00%

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Elmer Thomas

Elmer Thomas

John William Elmer Thomas was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the Lawton area. Representative and a Senator from Oklahoma. In 1922, he ran successfully on the Democratic Party ticket for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1926; he won this race and held the seat until 1950, when he lost the party nomination to A.S. (Mike) Monroney. Thomas returned to a private law practice in Washington, D.C., and in 1957 moved his practice back to Lawton, where he died in 1965.

Wesley E. Disney

Wesley E. Disney

Wesley Ernest Disney was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. He was also a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Oklahoma's 1st congressional district

Oklahoma's 1st congressional district

Oklahoma's 1st congressional district is in the northeastern corner of the state and borders Kansas. Anchored by Tulsa, it is largely coextensive with the Tulsa metropolitan area. It includes all of Tulsa, Washington and Wagoner counties, and parts of Rogers and Creek counties. Although it has long been reckoned as the Tulsa district, a small portion of Tulsa itself is located in the 3rd district.

James E. Berry

James E. Berry

James Edward Berry was an American politician who served as the sixth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma from 1935 to 1955. No other person has beaten or even tied Berry's record for holding that office. Although he tried twice to win a seat in the U.S. Senate, he was unsuccessful in both attempts. He was finally upset in a primary runoff election against Cowboy Pink Williams in 1954.

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s, with both parties being big tents of competing and often opposing viewpoints. Modern American liberalism — a variant of social liberalism — is the party's majority ideology. The party also has notable centrist, social democratic, and left-libertarian factions.

Republican primary

Candidates

  • William J. Otjen, former State Senator, 1942 Republican nominee for Governor[2]
  • Pat W. Murphy, Cushing clergyman[2]
  • Harry O. Glasser, former State Senator, 1938 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate[3]
  • O. O. Owens
  • Frank A. Anderson
  • Fred E. Pickard
  • John M. Claypool
  • S. M. Stauffer
  • Sim L. Liles

Results

Republican primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican William J. Otjen 21,970 50.53%
Republican Pat W. Murphy 7,340 16.88%
Republican Harry O. Glasser 6,169 14.19%
Republican O. O. Owens 2,791 6.42%
Republican Frank A. Anderson 2,009 4.62%
Republican Fred E. Pickard 1,137 2.61%
Republican John M. Claypool 887 2.04%
Republican S. M. Stauffer 811 1.87%
Republican Sim L. Liles 368 0.85%
Total votes 43,482 100.00%

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1942 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

1942 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

The 1942 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1942, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma. Democrat Robert S. Kerr defeated Republican William J. Otjen. Edward W. Fickinger was also on the ballot representing the Prohibition Party. Gomer Griffith Smith and Robert Burns unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination.

Cushing, Oklahoma

Cushing, Oklahoma

Cushing is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 7,826 at the time of the 2010 census, a decline of 6.5% since 8,371 in 2000. Cushing was established after the Land Run of 1891 by William "Billy Rae" Little. It was named for Marshall Cushing, private secretary to U.S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker.

1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

The 1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 8, 1938. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a third term. He faced a spirited challenge in the Democratic primary from Congressman Gomer Smith and Governor E. W. Marland, but won the nomination with a slim plurality. In the general election, Thomas faced former State Senator Harry O. Glasser, the Republican nominee. Despite the nationwide trend favoring Republicans, Thomas overwhelmingly won re-election.

Republican Party (United States)

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. It has been the main political rival of the Democratic Party since the mid-1850s. Like them, the Republican Party is a big tent of competing and often opposing ideologies. Presently, the Republican Party contains prominent conservative, centrist, populist, and right-libertarian factions.

General election

Results

1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Elmer Thomas (inc.) 390,851 55.65% -9.72%
Republican William J. Otjen 309,222 44.02% +10.11%
Independent Paul V. Beck 1,128 0.16%
Independent T. B. Williams 674 0.10%
Independent Paul R. Nagle 519 0.07%
Majority 81,629 11.62% -19.84%
Turnout 702,394
Democratic hold

Discover more about General election related topics

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s, with both parties being big tents of competing and often opposing viewpoints. Modern American liberalism — a variant of social liberalism — is the party's majority ideology. The party also has notable centrist, social democratic, and left-libertarian factions.

Elmer Thomas

Elmer Thomas

John William Elmer Thomas was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the Lawton area. Representative and a Senator from Oklahoma. In 1922, he ran successfully on the Democratic Party ticket for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1926; he won this race and held the seat until 1950, when he lost the party nomination to A.S. (Mike) Monroney. Thomas returned to a private law practice in Washington, D.C., and in 1957 moved his practice back to Lawton, where he died in 1965.

Incumbent

Incumbent

The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-election or not. In some situations, there may not be an incumbent at time of an election for that office or position, in which case the office or position is regarded as vacant or open. In the United States, an election without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat or open contest.

Republican Party (United States)

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. It has been the main political rival of the Democratic Party since the mid-1850s. Like them, the Republican Party is a big tent of competing and often opposing ideologies. Presently, the Republican Party contains prominent conservative, centrist, populist, and right-libertarian factions.

Voter turnout

Voter turnout

In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate of a given election. This is typically either the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford University political scientists Adam Bonica and Michael McFaul, there is a consensus among political scientists that "democracies perform better when more people vote."

Source: "1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 21st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_United_States_Senate_election_in_Oklahoma.

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References
  1. ^ a b c "1934-1938 Election Results" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "GOP Senatorial Scramble Seen: Lew Wentz Leaves Field Wide Open". Okmulgee Daily Times. Okmulgee, Okla. February 10, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  3. ^ "Glasser First GOP Candidate". Okmulgee Daily Times. Okmulgee, Okla. February 17, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved June 14, 2021.

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