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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.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer (cross-filing)
- Adam C. Derkum, accountant, unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1946
- Leo Gallagher, lawyer
- Thomas Kuchel, incumbent U.S. Senator (cross-filing)
- Sam Yorty, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| 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
Candidates
- Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer (cross-filing)
- William T. Hooley, fireman
- Thomas Kuchel, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Sam Yorty, incumbent U.S. Representative (cross-filing)
Results
| 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
Candidates
- Isobel M. Cerney, teacher and writer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent–Progressive | Isobel M. Cerney | 3,405 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 3,405 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Results
_senate.svg)
Shift by county_senate.svg)
Trend by county
Legend
- Republican — >15%
- Republican — +12.5−15%
- Republican — +10−12.5%
- Republican — +7.5−10%
- Republican — +5−7.5%
- Republican — +2.5−5%
- Republican — +0−2.5%
- Democratic — +0−2.5%
- Democratic — +2.5−5%
- Democratic — +5−7.5%
- Democratic — +7.5-10%
- Democratic — +10−12.5%
- Democratic — +12.5−15%
- Democratic — >15%
| 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
References
- ^ "Certified List of Candidates for Nomination". Placerville Mountain-Democrat. Placerville, California. May 13, 1954. p. 24. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ CA Primary 1954, p. 13.
- ^ 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
- 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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