1950 Alabama Senate election

The 1950 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 7, 1950, 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.

34 of the 35 Democratic nominees did not face any 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 first round of the Democratic primary was held on May 2 with runoff elections on May 30. Only one Republican, Hubert E. Mitchell, sought a state senate seat, in District 3.

Senator Albert Boutwell of Jefferson County was chosen to be President pro tempore of the Senate on January 9, 1951, unopposed.

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 35 147,981 97.48% 35 35 Republican 1 3,818 2.52% 0 0 Total 36 151,799 100% 35 35

Incumbents Nearly 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.

Won re-election

District 8: Graham Wright won re-election. District 13: Albert Boutwell won re-election. District 16: C. Mac Golson won re-election. District 24: Preston C. Clayton won re-election. District 30: George P. Quarles won re-election. District 33: Thomas A. Johnston III won re-election. Johnston succeeded Joseph N. Langan, who resigned in May 1950 after he had already lost the Democratic primary to Johnston.

Eliminated in primary

District 3: C. B. Harvey lost the Democratic nomination to B. R. Fant. District 4: Bob Lowe lost the Democratic nomination to Joe S. Foster. District 7: Tom Blake Howle lost the Democratic nomination to Elvin McCary. District 20: T. B. Perry sought re-election but withdrew from the Democratic primary.

Did not seek re-election

District 1: David U. Patton unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor. District 2: Noble J. Russell was elected to Morgan County's first seat in the state house. District 5: Chalmers Weathers did not seek re-election. Weathers succeeded C. J. Owens, who died of a heart attack in December 1949. District 6: James Allen was elected lieutenant governor. District 9: Paul J. Hooton did not seek re-election. District 10: Broughton Lamberth did not seek re-election. District 11: Henry H. Mize did not seek re-election. District 12: Fuller A. Kimbrell did not seek re-election. District 14: W. E. Barrett did not seek re-election, and died of an illness in November 1950. District 15: W. A. Gulledge did not seek re-election. District 17: Robert G. Kendall was elected to Conecuh County's seat in the state house. District 18: W. H. Cooper did not seek re-election. District 19: Ben Nash Glover did not seek re-election. District 21: George R. Swift did not seek re-election. District 22: J. Bruce Henderson unsuccessfully ran for governor. District 23: J. A. Hughes did not seek re-election. District 25: Vernon S. Summerlin was elected to Crenshaw County's seat in the state house. District 26: Forrest G. Bridges did not seek re-election. District 27: Albert Patterson unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor. District 28: Silas D. Cater did not seek re-election. District 29: T. F. Burnside did not seek re-election. District 31: Rankin Fite was elected to Marion County's seat in the state house. District 32: James S. Coleman did not seek re-election. District 34: John E. Gaither did not seek re-election. District 35: William G. Hardwick ran for lieutenant governor and withdrew after placing second in the first round of the Democratic primary.

General election results District 3 (Blount–Cullman–Winston)

Elected without opposition Every candidate elected with no opponents was a Democrat.

District 1: W. Amos Jones received 4,227 votes. District 2: J. B. Richardson received 3,640 votes. District 4: Joe Foster received 2,096 votes. District 5: John B. Benson received 3,550 votes. District 6: Sam High received 6,049 votes. District 7: Elvin McCary received 3,215 votes. District 8: Graham Wright received 2,809 votes. District 9: Bubber Johnson received 2,624 votes. District 10: C. T. Reneau received 3,981 votes. District 11: E. W. Skidmore received 3,016 votes. District 12: Ross Hollis received 7,331 votes. District 13: Albert Boutwell received 30,223 votes. District 14: John H. Pinson received 1,539 votes. District 15: Tom Phillips received 4,922 votes. District 16: C. Mac Golson received 571 votes. District 17: T. Werth Thagard received 3,961 votes. District 18: Judson C. Locke received 1,716 votes. District 19: Robert Locke received 2,744 votes. District 20: E. O. Eddins received 1,145 votes. District 21: Jimmy Faulkner received 5,179 votes. District 22: J. W. Bonner received 781 votes. District 23: Mike Sollie III received 2,118 votes. District 24: Preston C. Clayton received 923 votes. District 25: H. B. Larkins received 3,760 votes. District 26: Lawrence K. Andrews received 1,270 votes. District 27: John L. Whatley received 2,685 votes. District 28: Vaughan Hill Robison received 6,470 votes. District 29: Virgil M. Smith received 5,572 votes. District 30: George P. Quarles received 1,864 votes. District 31: A. W. Todd received 6,777 votes. District 32: Herbert B. Byars received 1,447 votes. District 33: Thomas A. Johnston III received 8,299 votes. District 34: M. J. Norell received 2,223 votes. District 35: Carl S. Farmer received 2,336 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 3rd B. R. Fant* 6,150 50.47% Charlie Rainey 6,035 49.53% 12,185 +115 +0.94% 6th Sam High 7,161 55.25% Clif Herzberg 5,799 44.75% 12,960 +1,362 +10.51% 7th Elvin McCary* 4,749 59.74% Henry H. Booth 3,201 40.26% 7,950 +1,548 +19.47% 9th Bubber Johnston 6,576 69.05% Charles A. Spence 2,948 30.95% 9,524 +3,628 +38.09% 23rd Mike Sollie III 2,547 57.02% Charlie Evans 1,920 42.98% 4,467 +627 +14.04% 28th Vaughan Hill Robison 6,366 51.05% Charles A. Stakely 6,105 48.95% 12,471 +261 +2.09% 34th M. J. Norrell 4,056 57.53% A. L. Crumpton 2,994 42.47% 7,050 +1,062 +15.06% Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1951 (p. 573–574), The Troy Messenger Additionally, a runoff between W. B. Mahan and A. W. Todd in District 31 was planned, but was cancelled after Mahan withdrew citing health issues, giving Todd the Democratic nomination.

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 1st W. Amos Jones* 5,819 53.74% W. R. Cunningham 5,010 46.26% — — — 10,829 +809 +7.47% 2nd J. B. Richardson* 6,829 56.07% Bill Lee Jr. 5,350 43.93% — — — 12,179 +1,479 +12.14% 3rd Charlie Rainey 3,942 30.21% B. R. Fant 3,612 27.68% 3 others 5,493 42.10% 13,047 +330 +2.53% 4th Joe S. Foster* 4,104 54.89% Bob Lowe (inc.) 3,373 45.11% — — — 7,477 +731 +9.78% 5th John B. Benson* 7,504 69.36% O. E. Harper 3,315 30.64% — — — 10,819 +4,189 +38.72% 6th Sam High 5,519 39.87% Cliff Herzberg 4,775 34.50% John W. Inzerm Jr. 3,547 25.63% 13,841 +744 +5.38% 7th Henry H. Booth 2,672 27.47% Elvin McCary 2,600 26.73% 4 others 4,454 45.80% 9,726 +72 +0.74% 8th Graham Wright (inc.)* 3,925 50.78% Harry E. Garrett 3,805 49.22% — — — 7,730 +120 +1.55% 9th Bubber Johnston 4,375 49.09% Charles H. Spence 2,439 27.36% 2 others 2,099 23.55% 8,913 +1,936 +21.72% 10th C. T. Reneau* 8,089 67.25% Aubrey Hornsby 3,939 32.75% — — — 12,028 +4,150 +34.50% 11th E. W. Skidmore* 4,579 50.54% Albert R. Maxwell 3,206 35.39% James E. Casey 1,275 14.07% 9,060 +1,373 +15.15% 12th Ross Hollis* 8,513 53.45% W. W. Waldrop 7,415 46.55% — — — 15,928 +1,098 +6.89% 13th Albert Boutwell (inc.)* 43,812 82.13% James M. Robertson 9,535 17.87% — — — 53,347 +34,277 +64.25% 15th J. T. Phillips* 5,216 53.82% L. W. Wooten 2,298 23.71% John Foshee 2,177 22.46% 9,691 +2,918 +30.11% 18th Judson C. Locke* 2,870 54.58% W. O. Crawford 2,388 45.42% — — — 5,258 +482 +9.17% 20th E. O. Eddins* 1,869 53.10% J. Wallace Tutt 1,651 46.90% T. B. Perry (inc.) Withdrawn 3,520 +218 +6.19% 21st J. H. Faulkner* 7,122 54.54% C. Lenoir Thompson 2,893 22.15% 2 others 3,044 23.31% 13,059 +4,229 +32.38% 22nd J. M. Bonner* 1,205 58.41% L. Y. Sadler 858 41.59% — — — 2,063 +347 +16.82% 23rd Mike Sollie III 3,494 46.56% Charlie Evans 2,507 33.40% George L. Beck 1,504 20.04% 7,505 +987 +13.15% 27th John L. Whatley* 4,411 62.21% John Herbert Orr 2,512 35.43% Jess Whitford Smith 168 2.37% 7,091 +1,899 +26.78% 28th Vaughan Hill Robison 6,974 47.51% Charles A. Stakely 5,928 40.38% Albert Roemer 1,778 12.11% 14,680 +1,046 +7.13% 29th Virgil M. Smith* 4,813 51.03% J. Monroe Mitchell 4,619 48.97% — — — 9,432 +194 +2.06% 31st A. W. Todd 7,582 46.14% W. B. Mahan 5,061 30.80% Shelton C. Pinion 3,789 23.06% 16,432 +2,521 +15.34% 33rd Thomas Johnston III* 12,721 60.79% Joseph N. Langan (inc.) 8,206 39.21% — — — 20,927 +4,515 +21.57% 34th M. J. Norell 2,994 40.57% A. L. Crumpton 2,294 31.08% E. E. Nelson 2,092 28.35% 7,380 +700 +9.49% 35th Carl S. Farmer* 4,467 55.94% M. W. Espy 3,519 44.06% — — — 7,986 +948 +11.87% Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1951 (p. 561–565)

Nominated without opposition The following candidates automatically won the Democratic nomination, as no opponent filed to run against them: District 14: John H. Pinson District 16: C. Mac Golson (inc.) District 17: T. Werth Thagard District 19: Robert Locke District 24: Preston C. Clayton (inc.) District 25: H. B. Larkins District 26: Lawrence K. Andrews District 30: George P. Quarles (inc.) District 32: Herbert B. Byars

1947–1950 special elections District 5 (Jackson–Marshall) A special election in District 5 (Jackson–Marshall) was triggered by the death of C. J. Owens in December 1949. Governor Jim Folsom requested the Marshall County Democratic Executive Committee to choose the Democratic nominee, as Owens was from Marshall County. The committee chose Chalmers L. Weathers over T. C. Satterfield at a meeting in June 1950. John B. Benson, who had won the regular Democratic primary in May, was ineligible for the special election as he was from Jackson County. C. L. Weathers ran in the general election unopposed.

District 33 (Mobile) A special election in District 33 (Mobile County) was triggered by the resignation of Joseph N. Langan in May 1950 among speculation that Governor Jim Folsom would call an extraordinary session of the Alabama Legislature for the purposes of reapportionment. Thomas A. Johnston III, who had already defeated Langan for re-election in the regular Democratic primary in early May, ran in the special election unopposed.

Republican candidate Only one Republican, attorney Hubert E. Mitchell, filed to run for the District 3 Senate seat against Democrat B. R. Fant. District 3 contained the counties of Blount, Cullman, and Winston, the latter of which being a Republican stronghold. He was nominated at a convention in Jasper on June 7.

1950 Alabama Senate election

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