1941 United States Senate special election in Texas

1941 United States Senate special election in Texas

June 28, 1941

Nominee Pappy O'Daniel Lyndon B. Johnson Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 175,590 174,279 Percentage 30.49% 30.26%   Nominee Gerald Mann Martin Dies Jr. Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 140,807 80,653 Percentage 24.45% 14.01%

O'Daniel:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Johnson:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90% Mann:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Dies:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Andrew Jackson Houston Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Pappy O'Daniel Democratic

The 1941 United States Senate special election in Texas was held on June 28, 1941 to complete the unexpired term of Senator Morris Sheppard, who died in office on April 9. Interim Senator Andrew Jackson Houston did not run for re-election and died only two days before the election. The race was won by Governor Pappy O'Daniel with a plurality of the vote; no majority was required.

O'Daniel very narrowly defeated U.S. Representative Lyndon B. Johnson, who won the seat after O'Daniel's retirement in 1948.

Background

In April 1941, incumbent Senator Morris Sheppard died in office. Governor Pappy O'Daniel appointed Andrew Jackson Houston to fill the seat until a successor could be duly elected, with the election scheduled for June 28. The winner finished Sheppard's term ending in 1943.

Houston did not run to complete the term, only serving as a placeholder for Governor O'Daniel. He died in office only two days before the election.

Candidates

Major candidates

• Martin Dies Jr., U.S. Representative from Lufkin and Chair of the House Un-American Activities Committee
• Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. Representative from Gillespie County
• Gerald Mann, Attorney General of Texas
• Pappy O'Daniel, Governor of Texas

Minor candidates

None of these candidates received more than 0.30% of the popular vote.

• Joseph C. Bean
• John R. Brinkley
• Homer Brooks
• E. A. Calvin
• Arlon Barton "Cyclone" Davis
• Politte Elvins
• Guy B. Fisher
• Enoch Fletcher
• W. E. Gilliland
• A. E. Harding
• Basil Muse Hatfield
• Robert Grammer Head
• O.F. Heath Sr.
• Bubba Hicks
• W. R. Jones
• W. W. "Cap" King
• Starl G. Newsome Jr.
• Floyd E. Ryan
• Walter A. Schulz
• Charles L. Somerville
• Joe Thompson
• Edwin Waller III
• W. C. Welch
• John C. Williams

All of these candidates were Democrats except Evans (Republican), Fletcher (Republican), Jones (Independent), and Brooks (Communist).

Allegations of fraud

In The Path to Power, Johnson biographer Robert Caro argues that the election results were manipulated in O'Daniel's favor by lobbyists from Texas' alcohol industry. O'Daniel was a staunch prohibitionist, and as Governor, he had proposed a bill preventing the sale of alcohol within ten miles of a military base; Caro notes how business interests feared the passing of this bill, as preparations for World War II had brought thousands of young soldiers into the region. To prevent the passing of this bill, lobbyists sought to elect O'Daniel to the Senate to place the "wet" lieutenant governor Coke Stevenson in the governorship, and hence rigged ballots in East Texas, swinging the election in O'Daniel's favor.

Results

1941 U.S. Senate special election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Pappy O'Daniel	175,590	30.49%
	Democratic	Lyndon B. Johnson	174,279	30.26%
	Democratic	Gerald Mann	140,807	24.45%
	Democratic	Martin Dies Jr.	80,653	14.01%
	Various	Minor candidates	4,548	0.79%
Total votes			575,877	100.00%

See also

• 1941 United States Senate elections