The 1954 United States Senate special election in California was held on November 2, 1954, to elect a U.S. Senator to complete the unexpired term of Senator Richard Nixon, who resigned on becoming Vice President of the United States following the 1952 presidential election. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel, who had been appointed by Governor Earl Warren, won election to the remainder of the term, defeating Democratic nominee Sam Yorty.
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 County results:
Thomas Kuchel: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Sam Yorty: 50-60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary elections
editPrimary elections were held on June 8, 1954.
Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer[1] (cross-filing)
- Adam C. Derkum, accountant,[1] unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1946
- Leo Gallagher, lawyer[1]
- Thomas Kuchel, incumbent U.S. Senator (cross-filing)
- Sam Yorty, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Yorty | 829,977 | 52.38 | |
| Republican | Thomas Kuchel | 455,530 | 28.75 | |
| Democratic | Leo Gallagher | 168,970 | 10.66 | |
| Democratic | Adam C. Derkum | 103,484 | 6.53 | |
| Independent–Progressive | Isobel M. Cerney | 26,667 | 1.68 | |
| Total votes | 1,584,628 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer (cross-filing)
- William T. Hooley, fireman[1]
- Thomas Kuchel, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Sam Yorty, incumbent U.S. Representative (cross-filing)
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Thomas Kuchel | 1,118,312 | 88.57 | |
| Democratic | Sam Yorty | 100,746 | 7.98 | |
| Republican | William T. Hooley | 32,684 | 2.59 | |
| Independent–Progressive | Isobel M. Cerney | 10,826 | 0.86 | |
| Total votes | 1,262,568 | 100.00 | ||
Independent–Progressive primary
editCandidates
edit- Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent–Progressive | Isobel M. Cerney | 3,405 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 3,405 | 100.00 | ||
General election
editResults
edit_senate.svg)
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Thomas Kuchel (Incumbent) | 2,090,836 | 53.21 | |
| Democratic | Sam Yorty | 1,788,071 | 45.50 | |
| Independent–Progressive | Isobel M. Cerney | 50,506 | 1.29 | |
| None | Scattering | 255 | 0.01 | |
| Majority | 302,765 | 7.71 | ||
| Turnout | 3,929,668 | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Certified List of Candidates for Nomination". Placerville Mountain-Democrat. Placerville, California. May 13, 1954. p. 24. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ a b c CA Primary 1954, p. 13.
- ^ a b Barclay, p. 598.
- ^ "CA US Senate Special, 1954 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "CA US Senate Special, 1954 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "CA US Senate Special, 1954". Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ CA General 1954, p. 10.
- ^ Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (October 15, 1955). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1954" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 83.
Bibliography
edit- Compiled by Frank M. Jordan, Secretary of State (1940). State of California. Statement of Vote. Direct Primary Election June 8, 1954. California State Printing Office.
- Compiled by Frank M. Jordan, Secretary of State (1940). State of California. Statement of Vote. General Election November 2, 1954. California State Printing Office.
- Congressional Elections, 1946-1996. California, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-248-4.
- Barclay, Thomas S. (December 1954). "The 1954 Election in California". The Western Political Quarterly. 7 (4). University of Utah on behalf of the Western Political Science Association: 597–604. doi:10.2307/442809. JSTOR 442809. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
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