The 1938 United States Senate election in Iowa took place on November 8, 1938. Incumbent Democratic Senator Guy M. Gillette, who won a special election to complete the unexpired term of Richard Louis Murphy, won a full term in office by defeating Republican former Senator Lester J. Dickinson. Gillette and Dickinson had briefly served together in the final months of 1936.
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 County results Gillette: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Dickinson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary elections were held on June 6. Gillette overcame a primary challenge from U.S. Representative Otha Wearin, who was personally recruited by President Franklin D. Roosevelt given Gillette's opposition to New Deal programs.[1] Dickinson defeated Representative Lloyd Thurston for the Republican nomination.
Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Wilson G. Byerhoff
- Guy M. Gillette, incumbent Senator since 1936
- Joseph J. Meyers
- Mrs. Ellsworth Richardson
- Otha Wearin, U.S. Representative from Glenwood
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Guy M. Gillette (incumbent) | 81,605 | 51.96% | |
| Democratic | Otha Wearin | 43,044 | 27.41% | |
| Democratic | Joseph J. Meyers | 17,497 | 11.14% | |
| Democratic | Mrs. Ellsworth Richardson | 9,445 | 6.01% | |
| Democratic | Wilson G. Byerhoff | 5,465 | 3.48% | |
| Total votes | 157,056 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- Lester J. Dickinson, former U.S. Senator (1931–37)
- Lloyd Thurston, U.S. Representative from Osceola
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lester J. Dickinson | 146,764 | 56.97% | |
| Republican | Lloyd Thurston | 110,847 | 43.03% | |
| Total votes | 257,611 | 100.00% | ||
General election
editCandidates
edit- G.W. Bauseman (Prohibition)
- George F. Buresh (Farmer-Labor)
- Lester J. Dickinson, former U.S. Senator (1931–37) (Republican)
- Guy M. Gillette, incumbent Senator since 1936 (Democratic)
- Raymond E. Hanke (Progressive)
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Guy M. Gillette (incumbent) | 413,788 | 49.74% |  2.17
| |
| Republican | Lester J. Dickinson | 410.983 | 49.41% |  3.07
| |
| Farmer–Labor | George F. Buresh | 4,723 | 0.57% | 1.00
| |
| Progressive Party (United States, 1924–34) | Raymond E. Hanke | 1,525 | 0.18% | N/A | |
| Prohibition | G. W. Bauseman | 820 | 0.10% | 0.01
| |
| Total votes | 831,839 | 100.00% | |||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Obituary, Otha D. Wearin; Politician and Writer, 87". The New York Times. April 5, 1990.
- ^ a b Iowa State Register, 1939–40. pp. 445–46.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - IA US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1938". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1939). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1938" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Miller, Earl G. (November 8, 1938). CANVASS OF THE VOTE GENERAL ELECTION (PDF) (Report). p. 2. Retrieved May 25, 2022.