1954 Alabama Senate election
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All 35 seats in the Alabama State Senate 18 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Alabama |
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 Government |
The 1954 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 2, 1954, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. The result an electoral wipeout, as all 35 candidates elected were members of the Democratic Party. The election used the same districts first drawn by the Alabama Constitution of 1901.
None of the 35 Democratic nominees faced significant opposition in the general election. As the Democratic Party was dominant in the state, state legislative seats were generally decided at the Democratic primary election. The Democratic primary election was held on May 4 with runoff elections on June 1. Only one Republican, Warren Wallace Bailey, sought the District 3 senate seat, but withdrew before the general election. A few Republicans sought state house seats.[1]
Newly-elected Senator Broughton Lamberth of Tallapoosa County, with the support of Governor Jim Folsom, was unanimously chosen to be President pro tempore of the Senate on January 11, 1955.[2]
The election took place concurrently with elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state house, and numerous other state and local offices.
Summary
| Party | Candidates | Seats | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Num. | Vote | % | Before | Won | +/– | ||||
| Democratic | 35 | 263,982 | 99.998% | 35 | 35 | 
| |||
| Write-in | 1 | 4 | 0.002% | — | 0 |
| |||
| Total | 36 | 263,986 | 100% | 35 | 35 |
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Incumbents
Every incumbent senator in a multi-county district chose not to seek re-election, as a gentlemen's agreement compelled state senators to give up their seats to allow a candidate from another county to serve.[3]
Won re-election
- District 11: E. W. Skidmore won re-election.
- District 13: Albert Boutwell won re-election.
- District 20: E. O. Eddins won re-election.
- District 28: Vaughan Hill Robison won re-election.
Eliminated in primary
- District 4: Joe Foster lost re-nomination to T. Herman Vann.
- District 16: C. Mac Golson lost re-nomination to Joe B. Davis.
- District 22: J. M. Bonner lost re-nomination to Roland Cooper.
- District 33: Thomas A. Johnston lost re-nomination to Garet Van Antwerp.
Did not seek re-election
- District 1: W. Amos Jones unsuccessfully sought the state house seat in Lauderdale County,[4] and died in August 1954.[5]
- District 2: J. B. Richardson did not seek re-election.
- District 3: Bill E. James did not seek re-election. James succeeded the late Sen. Ben Fant in a November 1952 special election after Fant's death from a heart attack.[6]
- District 5: John B. Benson did not seek re-election.
- District 6: Sam High unsuccessfully sought the state house seat in St. Clair County.[7]
- District 7: Elvin McCary did not seek re-election.
- District 8: Graham Wright did not seek re-election.
- District 9: Bubber Johnson did not seek re-election.
- District 10: C. T. Reneau did not seek re-election.
- District 12: Ross Hollis did not seek re-election.
- District 14: John H. Pinson unsuccessfully sought the second state house seat in Sumter County.[4]
- District 15: Tom Phillips did not seek re-election.
- District 17: A. E. Gamble Jr. unsuccessfully sought the first state house seat in Butler County.[4] Gamble succeeded T. Werth Thagard in September 1952, who was appointed to a circuit judgeship.[8]
- District 18: Judson C. Locke won the first state house seat in Perry County.[4]
- District 19: Robert Locke won the state house seat in Choctaw County.[4]
- District 21: Jimmy Faulkner unsuccessfully ran for governor.
- District 23: Mike Sollie III did not seek re-election.
- District 24: Preston C. Clayton was appointed an Alabama Supreme Court justice in October 1953.
- District 25: H. B. Larkins did not seek re-election.
- District 26: Lawrence K. Andrews did not seek re-election.
- District 27: John L. Whatley did not seek re-election.
- District 29: Virgil M. Smith did not seek re-election.
- District 30: George P. Quarles was appointed probate judge of Dallas County in September 1953.[9]
- District 31: A. W. Todd won the Democratic nomination for Franklin County's state house seat,[4] but subsequently ran for Commissioner of Agriculture and won.[10]
- District 32: Herbert B. Byars unsuccessfully sought the state house seat in Hale County.[4]
- District 34: M. J. Norell did not seek re-election.
- District 35: Carl S. Farmer did not seek re-election.
General election results
Every Democratic nominee won without any opposition on the general election ballot.[11]
- District 1: Milton C. Grisham received 8,657 votes.
- District 2: Joe Calvin received 8,087 votes.
- District 3: Harlan G. Allen received 11,039 votes.
- District 4: T. Herman Vann received 5,200 votes.
- District 5: Smith C. Dyar received 8,384 votes.
- District 6: E. L. Roberts received 12,803 votes.
- District 7: A. C. Shelton received 5,870 votes.
- District 8: G. Kyser Leonard received 6,527 votes.
- District 9: George W. Yarbrough received 6,907 votes.
- District 10: Broughton Lamberth received 9,497 votes.
- District 11: E. W. Skidmore (inc.) received 6,075 votes.
- District 12: Reuben L. Newton received 11,601 votes.
- District 13: Albert Boutwell (inc.) received 40,706 votes.
- District 14: Albert Davis received 2,780 votes.
- District 15: Dave L. Yarbrough received 7,963 votes.
- District 16: Joe B. Davis received 873 votes.
- District 17: Tully A. Goodwin received 8,791 votes.
- District 18: H. P. James received 2,874 votes.
- District 19: Gerald Bradford received 5,027 votes.
- District 20: E. O. Eddins (inc.) received 1,691 votes.
- District 21: Ralph L. Jones received 8,664 votes.
- District 22: Roland Cooper received 1,139 votes; W. N. Bruce received 4 write-in votes.
- District 23: Neil Metcalf received 4,132 votes.
- District 24: George E. Little received 2,300 votes.
- District 25: Ben Reeves received 9,128 votes.
- District 26: Sam M. Englehardt Jr. received 2,510 votes.
- District 27: Joseph W. Smith received 5,431 votes.
- District 28: Vaughan Hill Robison (inc.) received 8,307 votes.
- District 29: M. H. Moses received 9,246 votes.
- District 30: Walter C. Givhan received 3,198 votes.
- District 31: Berry Lynchmore Cantrell received 10,651 votes.
- District 32: James S. Coleman Jr. received 1,990 votes.
- District 33: Garet Van Antwerp III received 17,401 votes.
- District 34: Staten Tate received 4,578 votes.
- District 35: Richmond Flowers received 3,955 votes.
Democratic primary results
Runoff results by district
Candidates in boldface advanced to the general election. An asterisk (*) denotes a runoff winner who trailed in the first round.
| District | Winner | Loser | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | Maj. | Mrg. | |
| 4th | T. Herman Vann | 5,738 | 52.50% | Joe S. Foster (inc.) | 5,192 | 47.50% | 10,930 | +546 | +5.00% |
| 5th | Smith C. Dyar* | 10,422 | 50.81% | T. C. Crain | 10,089 | 49.19% | 20,511 | +333 | +1.62% |
| 6th | E. L. Roberts | 12,417 | 53.14% | Rowan S. Bones | 10,950 | 46.86% | 23,367 | +1,467 | +6.28% |
| 7th | A. C. Shelton | 7,530 | 59.71% | Woodrow Howell | 5,081 | 40.29% | 12,611 | +2,449 | +19.42% |
| 14th | Albert Davis | 3,304 | 59.82% | Bob Langdon | 2,219 | 40.18% | 5,523 | +1,085 | +19.65% |
| 31st | Berry Lynchmore Cantrell | 12,428 | 66.22% | Mac McKinney | 6,341 | 33.78% | 18,769 | +6,087 | +32.43% |
| 34th | Staten Tate | 2,805 | 68.85% | Robert C. Smith | 1,269 | 31.15% | 4,074 | +1,536 | +37.70% |
| Sources: Birmingham Post-Herald,[12] Piedmont Journal,[13] Pickens County Herald and West Alabamian[14] | |||||||||
Additionally, a runoff between Harlan G. Allen and Robert G. Werner was planned in District 3, but was cancelled after Werner withdrew, giving Allen the nomination.[15]
First round results by district
Candidates in boldface advanced to either the general election or a runoff, first-place winners with an asterisk (*) did not face a runoff.
| District | First place | Runners-up | Others | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | Maj. | Mrg. | |
| 1st | Milton C. Grisham* | 9,978 | 58.08% | David U. Patton | 7,203 | 41.92% | — | — | — | 17,181 | +2,775 | +16.15% |
| 2nd | Joe Calvin* | 9,708 | 53.75% | Wallace H. Meadows | 8,355 | 46.25% | — | — | — | 18,063 | +1,353 | +7.49% |
| 3rd | Harlan G. Allen | 8,169 | 42.41% | Robert G. Werner | 4,640 | 24.09% | 3 others[a] | 6,451 | 33.49 | 19,260 | +3,529 | +18.32% |
| 4th | T. Herman Vann | 4,015 | 36.39% | Joe S. Foster (inc.) | 3,832 | 34.74% | Earl E. Cloud | 3,185 | 28.87% | 11,032 | +183 | +1.66% |
| 5th | T. C. Crain | 7,787 | 37.23% | Smith C. Dyar | 6,806 | 32.54% | Olin C. Hearn | 6,321 | 30.22% | 20,914 | +981 | +4.69% |
| 6th | E. L. Roberts | 12,061 | 43.50% | Rowan S. Bones | 9,445 | 34.06% | Birch Andersen | 6,223 | 22.44% | 27,729 | +2,616 | +9.43% |
| 7th | A. C. Shelton | 6,840 | 46.08% | Woodrow Howell | 3,405 | 22.94% | 2 others[b] | 4,600 | 30.99% | 14,845 | +3,435 | +23.14% |
| 8th | G. Kyser Leonard* | 8,812 | 66.55% | Ben S. Hosey | 4,429 | 33.45% | — | — | — | 13,241 | +4,383 | +33.10% |
| 9th | George W. Yarbrough | 6,648 | 50.70% | Paul J. Hooton | 6,464 | 49.30% | — | — | — | 13,112 | +184 | +1.40% |
| 10th | Broughton Lamberth* | 10,698 | 58.72% | Thomas S. Bugg | 7,520 | 41.28% | — | — | — | 18,218 | +3,178 | +17.44% |
| 11th | E. W. Skidmore (inc.)* | 8,023 | 50.003% | Henry C. Bell | 4,770 | 29.73% | Woody Townsend | 3,252 | 20.27% | 16,045 | +3,253 | +20.27% |
| 12th | Reuben L. Newton* | 11,824 | 50.39% | Chester M. Black | 7,599 | 32.38% | Jodie Vickery | 4,043 | 17.23% | 23,466 | +4,225 | +18.00% |
| 13th | Albert Boutwell (inc.)* | 33,057 | 52.64% | John A. Jenkins | 29,737 | 47.36% | — | — | — | 62,794 | +3,320 | +5.29% |
| 14th | Albert Davis | 3,402 | 46.64% | Bob Langdon | 2,196 | 30.11% | Roth E. Hook | 1,696 | 23.25% | 7,294 | +1,206 | +16.53% |
| 15th | Dave L. Yarbrough* | 7,329 | 51.88% | H. Grady Kelly | 6,798 | 48.12% | — | — | — | 14,127 | +531 | +3.76% |
| 16th | Joe B. Davis* | 1,162 | 61.45% | C. Mac Golson (inc.) | 729 | 38.55% | — | — | — | 1,891 | +433 | +22.90% |
| 17th | Tully A. Goodwin* | 10,531 | 55.83% | Robert B. Albritton | 8,330 | 44.17% | — | — | — | 18,861 | +2,201 | +11.67% |
| 18th | H. P. James* | 4,684 | 67.54% | Francis Pratt | 2,251 | 32.46% | — | — | — | 6,935 | +2,433 | +35.08% |
| 19th | Gerald Bradford* | 6,746 | 52.26% | Earl Tucker | 6,162 | 47.74% | — | — | — | 12,908 | +584 | +4.52% |
| 20th | E. O. Eddins (inc.)* | 2,513 | 55.28% | W. Clyde Waldrop | 2,033 | 44.72% | — | — | — | 4,546 | +480 | +10.56% |
| 22nd | Roland Cooper* | 1,487 | 59.53% | J. M. Bonner (inc.) | 1,011 | 40.47% | — | — | — | 2,498 | +476 | +19.06% |
| 23rd | Neil Metcalf | 5,539 | 50.70% | J. Albert Hughes | 5,387 | 49.30% | — | — | — | 10,926 | +152 | +1.39% |
| 24th | George E. Little* | 3,139 | 60.35% | William H. Robertson | 1,608 | 30.92% | Christie G. Pappas | 454 | 8.73% | 5,201 | +1,531 | +29.44% |
| 25th | Ben Reeves* | 9,979 | 58.96% | J. Roy Crow | 6,947 | 41.04% | — | — | — | 16,926 | +3,032 | +17.91% |
| 26th | Sam M. Engelhardt* | 3,353 | 65.39% | Henry Neill Segrest | 1,775 | 34.61% | — | — | — | 5,128 | +1,578 | +30.77% |
| 27th | Joseph W. Smith* | 7,559 | 61.91% | Jimmy Putnam | 4,650 | 38.09% | — | — | — | 12,209 | +2,909 | +23.83% |
| 29th | M. H. Moses* | 6,889 | 57.76% | Warren McSpadden | 5,037 | 42.24% | — | — | — | 11,926 | +1,852 | +15.53% |
| 31st | Berry Lynchmore Cantrell | 9,166 | 40.96% | Mac McKinney | 4,975 | 22.23% | 2 others[c] | 8,237 | 36.81% | 22,378 | +4,191 | +18.73% |
| 33rd | Garet Van Antwerp* | 17,567 | 58.62% | Thomas A. Johnston (inc.) | 12,402 | 41.38% | — | — | — | 29,969 | +5,165 | +17.23% |
| 34th | Staten Tate | 5,370 | 43.50% | Robert C. Smith | 4,329 | 35.06% | J. C. Mims | 2,647 | 21.44% | 12,346 | +1,041 | +8.43% |
| 35th | Richmond M. Flowers* | 5,705 | 56.55% | Dwight McInish | 4,384 | 43.45% | — | — | — | 10,089 | +1,321 | +13.09% |
| Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1955 (p. 558–560) | ||||||||||||
Nominated without opposition
The following candidates automatically won the Democratic nomination, as no opponent filed to run against them.
- District 21: Ralph L. Jones
- District 28: Vaughan Hill Robison (inc.)
- District 30: Walter C. Givhan
- District 32: James S. Coleman Jr.
Republican candidate
Only one Republican, Warren Wallace Bailey, filed to run for the District 3 Senate seat against Democrat Harlan G. Allen. District 3 contained the counties of Blount, Cullman, and Winston, the latter of which being a Republican stronghold. He withdrew by September 8, leaving the Republicans with no state senate candidates.[1]
1951–1954 special elections
District 17
A special election in Senate District 17 (Butler–Conecuh–Covington) was triggered in September 1952 by the resignation of incumbent senator Senator T. Werth Thagard after being appointed to a circuit judgeship to succeed the late judge Arthur E. Gamble. The State Executive Democratic Committee chose Gamble's son, Arthur E. Gamble Jr., to succeed Thagard.[16] Gamble Jr. did not face any opposition in the general election.[17]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Arthur E. Gamble Jr. | Unopp. | ||
District 3
A special election in Senate District 3 (Blount–Cullman–Winston) was triggered in July 1952 by the death of incumbent senator Ben Fant from a heart attack. Former state senator Bill E. James was nominated by the State Democratic Executive Committee in September 1952,[18] and subsequently defeated Republican newspaper editor Henry Arnold by a sizable margin at the November general election.[19]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill E. James | 8,507 | 63.38% | |
| Republican | Henry Arnold | 4,915 | 36.62% | |
| Total votes | 13,422 | 100.00% | ||
See also
- 1954 Alabama elections
- 1954 United States elections
References
- ^ a b "19 Republicans On State Ballot Next Tuesday". The Montgomery Advertiser. 27 October 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Favorites Win Easy Election To Leadership". The Montgomery Advertiser. 12 January 1955. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Senate Rotation Object of Bill". The Haleyville Advertiser. 16 August 1957. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Thomas, Rex (13 June 1963). "Return Scheduled By 49 Lawmakers". The Dothan Eagle. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "State Sen. W. Amos Jones Dies from Heart Attack". The Huntsville Times. Associated Press. 6 August 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "W. E. James Defeats Arnold For State Senate". The Southern Democrat. 6 November 1952. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Run-Off Candidates Get Set For June 1st Primary". St. Clair News-Aegis. 13 May 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Demos Nominate Thagard For Judge". The Montgomery Advertiser. 14 September 1952. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "George Quarles Named Dallas Probate Judge". The Montgomery Advertiser. 29 September 1963. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "A. W. Todd to Become Head of State Office". Franklin Citizen-Times. 4 November 1954. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ Brannon, Peter A. (1955). Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1955. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History. pp. 586–590. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Many Incumbent Legislators Ousted". Birmingham Post-Herald. 3 June 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Shelton, Walker, Albea and Bagley winners for Senate, Tax Collector, and Legislative Representatives". Piedmont Journal. 4 June 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Ralph Windle And Albert Davis Are Elected By Large Majority Tuesday". Pickens County Herald and West Alabamian. 3 June 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Two Candidates Out Of Runoffs". The Selma Times-Journal. Associated Press. 11 May 1954. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Demos Nominate Thagard For Judge". The Montgomery Advertiser. 14 September 1952. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Butler Favors The Short Term". Greenville Advocate. 6 November 1952. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Will E. (Bill) James". The Haleyville Advertiser. 30 September 1952. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Cullman Attorney Wins State Senator's Seat". The Huntsville Times. Associated Press. 5 November 1963. Retrieved 28 July 2025.