1954 Alabama Senate election

none June 2026 1954 Alabama Senate election Alabama legislative no 1950 Alabama Senate election 1950 1958 Alabama Senate election 1958 All 35 seats in the Alabama State Senate 18 November 2, 1954 Albert Boutwell.jpg Albert Boutwell(retired as leader) Democratic Party (United States) 13th–Jefferson Co. January 9, 1951 35 seats, 97.48% 35 263,982 99.998% File:1954 Alabama Senate election incumbent map.svg 250px District results#0671B0 New Democratic senator#92C5DE Democratic incumbent re-elected President pro tempore Albert Boutwell Democratic Party (United States) Broughton Lamberth Democratic Party (United States) 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 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.19 Republicans On State Ballot Next Tuesday https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-19-republicans/177609429/ 27 July 2025 The Montgomery Advertiser 27 October 1954 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.Favorites Win Easy Election To Leadership https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-favorites-win/174821146/ 27 July 2025 The Montgomery Advertiser 12 January 1955 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 SeatsNum.Vote%BeforeWon +/– Democratic 35 263,982 99.998% 35 35 Write-in 1 4 0.002% — 0 Total 36 263,986 100% 35 35 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.Senate Rotation Object of Bill https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-advertiser-senate-rotation-object-of/175289970/ 25 June 2025 The Haleyville Advertiser 16 August 1957 Won re-election 20em 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 20em 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 20em District 1: W. Amos Jones unsuccessfully sought the state house seat in Lauderdale County,Thomas Rex Return Scheduled By 49 Lawmakers https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dothan-eagle-return-scheduled-by-49/177613998/ 28 July 2025 The Dothan Eagle Associated Press 13 June 1963 and died in August 1954.State Sen. W. Amos Jones Dies from Heart Attack https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-obituary-for-w-amo/177611770/ 27 July 2025 The Huntsville Times Associated Press 6 August 1954 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.W. E. James Defeats Arnold For State Senate https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-southern-democrat-w-e-james-defeat/177612096/ 27 July 2025 The Southern Democrat 6 November 1952 District 5: John B. Benson did not seek re-election. District 6: Sam High unsuccessfully sought the state house seat in St. Clair County.Run-Off Candidates Get Set For June 1st Primary https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-clair-news-aegis-run-off-candidates/177612837/ 27 July 2025 St. Clair News-Aegis 13 May 1954 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. 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. Gamble succeeded T. Werth Thagard in September 1952, who was appointed to a circuit judgeship.Demos Nominate Thagard For Judge https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-demos-nominate/177614568/ 28 July 2025 The Montgomery Advertiser 14 September 1952 District 18: Judson C. Locke won the first state house seat in Perry County. District 19: Robert Locke won the state house seat in Choctaw County. 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.George Quarles Named Dallas Probate Judge https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-george-quarles/177619425/ 28 July 2025 The Montgomery Advertiser 29 September 1963 District 31: A. W. Todd won the Democratic nomination for Franklin County's state house seat, but subsequently ran for Commissioner of Agriculture and won.A. W. Todd to Become Head of State Office https://www.newspapers.com/article/franklin-citizen-times-a-w-todd-to-bec/177617780/ 28 July 2025 Franklin Citizen-Times 4 November 1954 District 32: Herbert B. Byars unsuccessfully sought the state house seat in Hale County. 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.Brannon Peter A. Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1955 1955 Alabama Department of Archives and History Montgomery, Alabama 586–590 https://archive.org/details/alabama-official-statistical-register-1955 27 July 2025 20em 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. Majority Mrg. Margin 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,Many Incumbent Legislators Ousted https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-many-incumbent-le/177598345/ 27 July 2025 Birmingham Post-Herald 3 June 1954 Piedmont Journal,Shelton, Walker, Albea and Bagley winners for Senate, Tax Collector, and Legislative Representatives https://www.newspapers.com/article/piedmont-journal-shelton-walker-albea/177600215/ 27 July 2025 Piedmont Journal 4 June 1954 Pickens County Herald and West AlabamianRalph Windle And Albert Davis Are Elected By Large Majority Tuesday Pickens County Herald and West Alabamian https://www.newspapers.com/article/pickens-county-herald-and-west-alabamian/177599351/ 27 July 2025 3 June 1954 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.Two Candidates Out Of Runoffs https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-selma-times-journal-two-candidates-o/177599009/ 27 July 2025 The Selma Times-Journal Associated Press 11 May 1954 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. Majority Mrg. Margin 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 othersElwood Rutledge: 4,447 votes, 23.09%; Bart J. Cowart: 1,561 votes, 8.10%; J. W. Ayres: 443 votes, 2.30% 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 othersTom Blake Howle: 3,109 votes, 20.94%; M. J. Williams: 1,491 votes, 10.04% 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 othersPaul Coburn: 4,154 votes, 18.56%; J. K. Johnson: 4,083 votes, 18.25% 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. 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.Demos Nominate Thagard For Judge https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-demos-nominate/177614568/ 28 July 2025 The Montgomery Advertiser 14 September 1952 Gamble Jr. did not face any opposition in the general election.Butler Favors The Short Term https://www.newspapers.com/article/greenville-advocate-butler-favors-the-sh/177615335/ 28 July 2025 Greenville Advocate 6 November 1952 1952 Alabama Senate District 17 special general electionNovember 4, 1952 Democratic Party (US) 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,Will E. (Bill) James. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-haleyville-advertiser-will-e-bill/177616748/ 28 July 2025 The Haleyville Advertiser 30 September 1952 and subsequently defeated Republican newspaper editor Henry Arnold by a sizable margin at the November general election.Cullman Attorney Wins State Senator's Seat https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-cullman-attorney-wi/177616309/ 28 July 2025 The Huntsville Times Associated Press 5 November 1963 1952 Alabama Senate District 17 special general electionNovember 4, 1952 (unofficial results) Democratic Party (US) Bill E. James 8,507 63.38% Republican Party (US) Henry Arnold 4,915 36.62% 13,422 100.00% See also 1954 Alabama elections 1954 United States Senate election in Alabama 1954 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama 1954 Alabama gubernatorial election 1954 United States elections References Senate Category:Alabama Senate elections Alabama Senate Category:November 1954 in the United States