The 1924 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 4, 1924. Incumbent Senator Thomas Sterling ran for re-election to a third term, but he was defeated in the Republican primary by Governor William H. McMaster. In the general election, McMaster was opposed by attorney Ulysses Simpson Grant Cherry, the Democratic nominee, and several independent candidates. McMaster defeated his opponents by a wide margin, but fell far short of a majority, winning only 44% of the vote.
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Democratic PrimaryEdit
CandidatesEdit
- Ulysses Simpson Grant Cherry, Sioux Falls attorney,[1] 1920 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate
- Mark P. Bates
ResultsEdit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ulysses Simpson Grant Cherry | 7,103 | 68.44% | |
| Democratic | Mark P. Bates | 3,276 | 31.56% | |
| Total votes | 10,379 | 100.00% | ||
Republican PrimaryEdit
CandidatesEdit
- William H. McMaster, former Governor of South Dakota
- Thomas Sterling, incumbent U.S. Senator
ResultsEdit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William H. McMaster | 45,213 | 58.34% | |
| Republican | Thomas Sterling (inc.) | 32,292 | 41.66% | |
| Total votes | 77,505 | 100.00% | ||
Farmer–Labor PrimaryEdit
CandidatesEdit
- Tom Ayres
- Mark P. Bates
ResultsEdit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer–Labor | Tom Ayres | 2,827 | 64.71% | |
| Farmer–Labor | Mark P. Bates | 1,542 | 31.56% | |
| Total votes | 4,369 | 100.00% | ||
General electionEdit
ResultsEdit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William H. McMaster | 90,006 | 44.13% | -10.94% | |
| Democratic | Ulysses Simpson Grant Cherry | 63,728 | 31.24% | -7.70% | |
| Farmer–Labor | Tom Ayres | 20,952 | 10.27% | — | |
| Independent | George W. Egan | 14,484 | 7.10% | — | |
| Independent | Mark P. Bates | 8,442 | 4.14% | — | |
| Independent | C. H. Dillon | 3,835 | 1.88% | — | |
| Independent | H. L. Loucks | 1,378 | 0.68% | — | |
| Independent | Don Livingston | 1,138 | 0.56% | — | |
| Majority | 26,278 | 12.88% | -3.24% | ||
| Turnout | 203,963 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Tingley, Ralph R. (1982). "The Crowded Field: Eight Men for the Senate". In Pressler, Larry (ed.). U.S. Senators from the Prairie. South Dakota Press. pp. 316–336. ISBN 9780882490335.
- ^ a b c d Nelson, Nelson; Heinrich, Chad W., eds. (2005). "Chapter 8: Elections". Legislative Manual: South Dakota, 2005. Pierre, S.D. p. 623.