The 1922 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 7, 1922. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Charles Culberson ran for re-election to a fifth term, but lost the Democratic primary. A runoff was held between former Governor Pa Ferguson and Railroads Commissioner Earle Bradford Mayfield.
In the runoff, Mayfield, a member of the Texas Railroad Commission defeated Ferguson for the Democratic nomination, then tantamount to election in Texas as a legacy of the American Civil War. Mayfield had the support of the resurgent Ku Klux Klan, and anti-Klan activists in the Democratic Party including George Peddy were unable to have him stripped of the nomination. Peddy agreed to run against Mayfield as the candidate of the "Independent Democrats," members of the party who opposed the Klan. The Texas Republican Party also backed Peddy, but after a lengthy court battle, they were unable to have him included on the general election ballot as their official nominee. Peddy ran on an explicitly anti-Klan platform.
Peddy ran a write-in campaign as the candidate of the Independent Democrats and Republicans. Peddy also ran with the endorsements of Senator Culberson and President Warren G. Harding. In the general election, he ran a surprisingly strong race and held Mayfield to a smaller margin than was usual for Texas Democrats, but Mayfield defeated him 264,260 votes (66.9%) to 130,744 (33.1%). Mayfield performed especially well in cities where the Klan had a strong presence, like Dallas and Houston. Peddy challenged Mayfield's election, and the subsequent Senate investigation prevented Mayfield from taking his seat as scheduled on March 4, 1923. Mayfield assumed his seat on December 3, 1923,"He's Senator Now", San Angelo (Texas) Evening Standard, December 4, 1923, p. 1 ("Oath of office as member of the United States Senate from Texas was administered Monday to Earle B. Mayfield, elected over George E. B. Peddy...")"Crooker's Protest Not Heard From", Boston Globe, December 4, 1923, p.12 ("Senator Mayfield of Texas, who was sworn in today, will have to face the committee...") and was sworn in pending a resolution to Peddy's challenge, which was ultimately denied on February 4, 1925.
Democratic primary Candidates Charles Allen Culberson, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1899 James E. "Pa" Ferguson, former Governor of Texas (1915–17) Robert Lee Henry, former U.S. Representative from Waco (1897–1917) Earle Bradford Mayfield, member of the Railroad Commission of Texas and former State Senator from Tyler Cullen F. Thomas, Dallas attorney Charles Ousley
Withdrawn Sterling P. Strong, traveling salesman and former Montague County Clerk
Results
Runoff
General election Results
See also 1922 United States Senate elections
References