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1954 United States Senate special elections in Nebraska

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Two special elections in Nebraska were held on November 2, 1954, alongside a regular election. The Class I election was to finish Hugh A. Butler's term, with Samuel W. Reynolds appointed to the vacancy on July 3, 1954. The Class II election was to finish Kenneth S. Wherry's term, with Eva Bowring as incumbent at the time of the election. Both seats were held by Republicans, with Roman Hruska winning the Class I election and Hazel Abel winning the Class II election.

Class I

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1954 United States Senate Class I special election in Nebraska

← 1952 November 2, 1954 1958 →
 
Nominee Roman Hruska James F. Green
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 250,341 160,881
Percentage 60.88% 39.12%

County results
Hruska:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Green:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Samuel W. Reynolds
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Roman Hruska
Republican

In the 1952 election, incumbent Senator Hugh A. Butler was re-elected to a third term. Following his death on July 1, 1954, Samuel W. Reynolds was appointed to the vacant seat. Roman Hruska won the special election to complete Butler's term, defeating James F. Green.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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  • James F. Green, president of the Omaha-Douglas County Health Board[1]

Results

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Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James F. Green 60,469 99.95
Democratic Scattering 29 0.05
Total votes 60,498 100

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Roman Hruska 118,084 99.77
Republican Scattering 272 0.23
Total votes 118,356 100

Results

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1954 United States Senate Class I special election in Nebraska[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roman Hruska 250,341 60.88 −2.69
Democratic James F. Green 160,881 39.12 +2.70
N/A Scattering 3 0.00 N/A
Majority 89,460 21.76 −5.39
Turnout 411,225
Republican hold

Class II

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1954 United States Senate Class II special election in Nebraska

← 1952 (special) November 2, 1954 1954 →
 
Nominee Hazel Abel William H. Meier
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 233,589 170,828
Percentage 57.76% 42.24%

County results
Abel:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Meier:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Eva Bowring
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Hazel Abel
Republican

In the 1948 election, Kenneth S. Wherry was re-elected to a second term. Following his death on November 29, 1951, Fred A. Seaton was appointed to the seat until the special election the following year, when Dwight Griswold was elected to finish Wherry's term. He died on April 12, 1954, and Eva Bowring was appointed to the vacancy, the first woman to represent Nebraska in the Senate. Hazel Abel (on the ballot as Mrs. George P. Abel), became the first woman elected to the Senate from Nebraska on November 2, 1954. She resigned on December 31, 1954, to give the incoming Senator Carl Curtis a seniority advantage. Curtis was appointed the following day.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William H. Meier 26,885 39.83
Democratic Mabel Gillespie 21,029 31.15
Democratic Charles R. Herrick 19,559 28.97
Democratic Scattering 33 0.05
Total votes 67,506 100

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mrs. George P. Abel 32,321 22.63
Republican Richard R. Dempster 13,895 9.73
Republican N. W. Anderson 12,862 9.01
Republican John R. Jirdon 11,396 7.98
Republican Hugh Carson 10,436 7.31
Republican Chris C. Beck 8,939 6.26
Republican S. E. Torgeson 8,826 6.18
Republican Max A. Denney 8,824 6.18
Republican Myles Standish 6,846 4.79
Republican E. W. Gustafson 6,696 4.69
Republican Mac Baldrige 5,937 4.16
Republican Joseph Alexis 4,461 3.12
Republican William Keeshan 3,193 2.24
Republican H. P. Heiliger 2,844 1.99
Republican Gerald Merritt 2,729 1.91
Republican John S. Samson 2,544 1.78
Republican Scattering 65 0.05
Total votes 142,814 100

Results

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1954 United States Senate Class II special election in Nebraska[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mrs. George P. Abel 233,589 57.76 −5.81
Democratic William H. Meier 170,828 42.24 +5.82
N/A Scattering 5 0.00 N/A
Majority 62,761 15.52 −11.63
Turnout 404,422
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ "Obituary for James F. GREEN (Aged 51)". Lincoln Journal Star. June 15, 1968. p. 5.
  2. ^ a b c d Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska (primary election). Available at: https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/previous-elections
  3. ^ a b Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska (general election). Available at: https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/previous-elections
  4. ^ "William Henry Meier, 1904-1997 [RG3563.AM]". History Nebraska. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  5. ^ "LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKA SIXTY-THIRD (Extraordinary) SESSION" (PDF). Nebraska Legislature. Retrieved July 31, 2021.