Zenobiyl Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 The 1972 Senate Election Autopsy Part 1 Summary: The landslide victory of Richard Nixon wasn’t enough to secure two more years of a republican senate majority, but the nomination of George Wallace did lead to surprising wins for the GOP in typically democratic strongholds. Some common themes of this election were factional primaries between liberals and conservatives of both parties, an anti-incumbent atmosphere, and a “blacklash” among African-American democrats to a segregationist presidential nominee. Alabama Senate: GOP Primary: The national and statewide party leaders lined up behind Nixon-aligned republican Winton Blount, who was seen as the only republican able to maintain a respectable showing against senator Sparkman in a sure loss for the GOP. James D. Martin ran against Blount on a populist and segregationist platform, appealing to southern whites, but fell short in a primary where the southern white vote was fleeing back to the Democratic Party. Quote Winton Blount [GOPMod]: 67.86% James D. Martin [GOPPaleo]: 32.14% Dem Primary: Quote John Sparkman [DemCon]: 100% General Election: John Sparkman easily crushed Winton Blount, benefiting from an endorsement from presidential nominee George Wallace to win an overwhelming majority of southern whites. Quote John Sparkman [DemCon]: 72.27% Winton Blount [GOPMod]: 26.13% John LeFlore [Prog]: 1.6% Alaska Senate: GOP Primary: Quote Ted Stevens [GOPMod]: 93.25% Lowell Thomas Jr. [GOPLib]: 6.75% Dem Primary: Quote Gene Guess [DemMod]: 100% General Election: Ted Stevens won a landslide victory against sacrificial lamb Gene Guess. Quote Ted Stevens [GOPMod]: 77.3% Gene Guess [DemMod]: 22.7% Arkansas Senate: GOP Primary: A brief “Draft Rockefeller” campaign was attempted, but abandoned after he refused the offer. Republicans United around congressman Hammerschmidt as the only credible chance to net a win in a Deep South state. Quote John Hammerschmidt [GOPCon]: 100% Dem Primary: Quote John McClellan [DemCon]: 100% General Election: John McClellan began as the early favorite, but a vigorous campaign by Republican leaders and President Nixon turned this sleeper race surprisingly competitive. McClellan prevailed, but underperformed George Wallace on the presidential ticket by over 10 points. Quote John McClellan [DemCon]: 56.59% John Hammerschmidt [GOPCon]: 43.41% Colorado Senate: GOP Primary: The Colorado GOP seemed in trouble after the resignation of senator Gordon Allot in a major corruption scandal, but former governor and senate appointee John Vanderhoof proved to be a stellar draft candidate for the Colorado Republicans. His energetic and bipartisan campaign turned a potentially vulnerable seat into an easy layup. Ruth Stockton led a staunchly left-wing challenge to Vanderhoof, but was easily dispatched. Quote John Vanderhoof [GOPMod]: 84.67% Ruth Stockton [GOPLib]: 15.33% Dem Primary: Democrats saw an opportunity for an easy win in the aftermath of Gordon Allot’s ABSCAM implosion, but this eagerness resulted in a bloody primary between the two major factions of the Colorado Democratic Party. Former governor Frank Evans started off as the frontrunner, but Wayne Aspinall was able to tighten the race substantially by arguing for the need for a more conservative nominee in a state dominated by Republicans. Evans prevailed, but with a weak and money-starved campaign. Quote Frank Evans [DemMod]: 53.32% Wayne Aspinall [DemCon]: 46.68% General Election: Vanderhoof’s brilliantly run campaign, and the bloody primary between Evans and Aspinall, led to a comfortable republican victory. Quote John Vanderhoof [GOPMod]: 58.21% Frank Evans [DemMod]: 41.79% Delaware Senate: GOP Primary: Incumbent senator Caleb Boggs began as the overwhelming favorite, in spite of his mediocre approval ratings and old age. However, the last minute entry of governor Russell Peterson into the senate primary threw the entire race into flux. Peterson alleged that Boggs had served too long in congress, and that a fresh face was needed to win in November. Boggs held on by a razor-thin margin, but was surely damaged by the bruising primary. Quote Caleb Boggs [GOPMod]: 51.48% Russell Peterson [GOPLib]: 48.52% Dem Primary: Joe Biden was initially the only democrat willing to challenge Boggs, who seemed invincible at the start of the primary campaign. However, the late entry of Peterson into the GOP primary convinced some other democrats that the race could be won, and former governor Charles Terry threw his hat into the ring as a result. Terry’s late entry hamstrung his campaign, and Biden easily carried the nomination. Quote Joe Biden [DemMod]: 62.11% Charles Terry [DemCon]: 37.89% General Election: Joe Biden began as a major underdog, but steadily rose in the polls through dogged campaigning. A lack of republican energy for Boggs led to a surprise upset on election night. Quote Joe Biden [DemMod]: 54.58% Caleb Boggs [GOPMod]: 45.42% Georgia Senate: Dem Primary: The surprise retirement of Richard Russell left an open senate race in a Deep South state, testing the direction in which the southern democrats wished to go. Jimmy Carter ran as a racial moderate, while Sam Nunn ran as a traditional conservative democrat in the vein of John Sparkman or Everett Jordan. Hosea Williams also ran as a progressive civil rights activist, testing the strength of the black democratic vote. What none of them anticipated was the insurgent campaign of Lester Maddox, who utilized a populist backlash message to stun political leaders in both parties with a first place finish in the first round. Jimmy Carter secured a close second, advancing to the runoff against Maddox. Quote Lester Maddox [DemPaleo]: 32.31% Jimmy Carter [DemMod]: 30.17% Sam Nunn [DemCon]: 25.22% Hosea Williams [DemProg]: 12.3% Dem Runoff: The runoff was held shortly after George Wallace’s nomination for president, causing black democrats to flip republican or stay home, while southern whites returned to the Democratic Party in droves. These shifts—and the eager endorsement of George Wallace—allowed for a landslide Maddox victory in the primary. Quote Lester Maddox [DemPaleo]: 59.89% Jimmy Carter [DemMod]: 40.11% GOP Primary: Thompson ran unopposed for a senate seat that nearly all GOP leaders saw as un-winnable. Quote Fletcher Thompson [GOPCon]: 100% General Election: Maddox was initially seen as a vulnerable incumbent due to the rising number of black republicans and disgruntled moderate Carter supporters, but Maddox easily made up for this by garnering astronomical turnout with rural whites. Still, despite an easy win Maddox underperformed George Wallace by a few percentage points. Quote Lester Maddox [DemPaleo]: 63.21% Fletcher Thompson [GOPCon]: 36.79% Idaho Senate: GOP Primary: Jordan was unopposed for renomination, despite rumors of a potential challenge by either Perry Swisher on the left or James McClure on the right. Quote Leonard Jordan [GOPMod]: 100% Dem Primary: Bud Williams was the only democrat willing to take on Jordan in an overwhelmingly republican state, and easily secured the nomination as a result. Quote Bud Williams [DemMod]: 100% General Election: Jordan easily won reelection due to incumbency, presidential coattails, and a minimal investment from Democrats into the Bud Williams campaign. However, he did underperform Nixon by a sizable margin. Quote Leonard Jordan [GOPMod]: 56.43% Bud Williams [DemMod]: 43.57% Illinois Senate: GOP Primary: Percy easily won renomination, as the open special election drew away any potential conservative challengers, and many saw him as a best bet to hold the senate seat anyways. Quote Charles Percy [GOPLib]: 100% Dem Primary: The Democratic primary looked to be a bloody battle between conservative democratic congressman Roman Pucinski and liberal lieutenant governor Paul Simon, however the late entry of Adlai Stevenson III effectively brought the weight of the party behind a mainstream and moderate candidate. Unfortunately, the coronation of Stevenson was unpopular with many democrats on the left and right, and this populist sentiment translated into support for outsider candidate Dan Walker and crossover votes for Charles Percy in the general. Quote Adlai Stevenson III [DemMod]: 44.45% Roman Pucinski [DemCon]: 29.32% Paul Simon [DemLib]: 26.23% General Election: Many Republicans were concerned at first when Stevenson threw his hat into the ring, but the coronation of the big name democrat angered enough liberals and conservatives to neutralize the benefits of his moderate appeal. Meanwhile, the George Wallace nomination caused democrats to either stay home or vote for Percy, leading to an easy Percy win in November. Quote Charles Percy [GOPLib]: 64.57% Adlai Stevenson [DemMod]: 35.43% Illinois Special Senate: GOP Primary: Republicans were in disarray after the sudden death of senator-elect Anderson, and the primary looked to be a complete mess as a result. However, the joint support of Keke Anderson and Richard Nixon allowed Donald Rumsfeld to prevail as the frontrunner on a fiscally conservative, socially moderate platform. Edward Levi challenged from the left, but failed to gain traction. Quote Donald Rumsfeld [GOPCon]: 68.22% Edward Levi [GOPLib]: 31.78% Dem Primary: For whatever reason, the Democratic Party’s best candidates scrambled to challenge Percy in the regular senate election, and left the special to be carried by Neil Hartigan, a small time democratic committeeman. Quote Neil Hartigan [DemMod]: 100% General Election: Hartigan ran a decent, uncontroversial, and unifying campaign, but struggled with a lack of name recognition and experience against republican superstar Donald Rumsfeld. Hartigan accordingly lost in November, but outperformed expectations in part due to coattails from governor-elect Dan Walker. Quote Donald Rumsfeld [GOPCon]: 54.89% Neil Hartigan [DemMod]: 45.11% Indiana Senate Special: GOP Primary: Following the death of senator Bray, governor Bowen appointed Earl Landgrebe to the seat. While generally supported by the GOP, some liberals viewed him as too extreme to win in November, and threw their support behind mayor Lloyd Allen instead. Allen’s campaign fell short, and fears about Landgrebe’s electability proved to be unfounded in November. Quote Earl Landgrebe [GOPPaleo]: 63.89% Lloyd Allen [GOPLib]: 36.11% Dem Primary: Philip Hayes was the only democrat seen as able to win the Indiana senate seat, and was unopposed as a result. Quote Philip Hayes [DemMod]: 100% General Election: Landgrebe easily won, but underperformed William Bray from two years prior. Quote Earl Landgrebe [GOPPaleo]: 57.27% Philip Hayes [DemMod]: 42.73% More to come in the future! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pringles Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 34 minutes ago, Zenobiyl said: The 1972 Senate Election Autopsy Part 1 Summary: The landslide victory of Richard Nixon wasn’t enough to secure two more years of a republican senate majority, but the nomination of George Wallace did lead to surprising wins for the GOP in typically democratic strongholds. Some common themes of this election were factional primaries between liberals and conservatives of both parties, an anti-incumbent atmosphere, and a “blacklash” among African-American democrats to a segregationist presidential nominee. Alabama Senate: GOP Primary: The national and statewide party leaders lined up behind Nixon-aligned republican Winton Blount, who was seen as the only republican able to maintain a respectable showing against senator Sparkman in a sure loss for the GOP. James D. Martin ran against Blount on a populist and segregationist platform, appealing to southern whites, but fell short in a primary where the southern white vote was fleeing back to the Democratic Party. Dem Primary: General Election: John Sparkman easily crushed Winton Blount, benefiting from an endorsement from presidential nominee George Wallace to win an overwhelming majority of southern whites. Alaska Senate: GOP Primary: Dem Primary: General Election: Ted Stevens won a landslide victory against sacrificial lamb Gene Guess. Arkansas Senate: GOP Primary: A brief “Draft Rockefeller” campaign was attempted, but abandoned after he refused the offer. Republicans United around congressman Hammerschmidt as the only credible chance to net a win in a Deep South state. Dem Primary: General Election: John McClellan began as the early favorite, but a vigorous campaign by Republican leaders and President Nixon turned this sleeper race surprisingly competitive. McClellan prevailed, but underperformed George Wallace on the presidential ticket by over 10 points. Colorado Senate: GOP Primary: The Colorado GOP seemed in trouble after the resignation of senator Gordon Allot in a major corruption scandal, but former governor and senate appointee John Vanderhoof proved to be a stellar draft candidate for the Colorado Republicans. His energetic and bipartisan campaign turned a potentially vulnerable seat into an easy layup. Ruth Stockton led a staunchly left-wing challenge to Vanderhoof, but was easily dispatched. Dem Primary: Democrats saw an opportunity for an easy win in the aftermath of Gordon Allot’s ABSCAM implosion, but this eagerness resulted in a bloody primary between the two major factions of the Colorado Democratic Party. Former governor Frank Evans started off as the frontrunner, but Wayne Aspinall was able to tighten the race substantially by arguing for the need for a more conservative nominee in a state dominated by Republicans. Evans prevailed, but with a weak and money-starved campaign. General Election: Vanderhoof’s brilliantly run campaign, and the bloody primary between Evans and Aspinall, led to a comfortable republican victory. Delaware Senate: GOP Primary: Incumbent senator Caleb Boggs began as the overwhelming favorite, in spite of his mediocre approval ratings and old age. However, the last minute entry of governor Russell Peterson into the senate primary threw the entire race into flux. Peterson alleged that Boggs had served too long in congress, and that a fresh face was needed to win in November. Boggs held on by a razor-thin margin, but was surely damaged by the bruising primary. Dem Primary: Joe Biden was initially the only democrat willing to challenge Boggs, who seemed invincible at the start of the primary campaign. However, the late entry of Peterson into the GOP primary convinced some other democrats that the race could be won, and former governor Charles Terry threw his hat into the ring as a result. Terry’s late entry hamstrung his campaign, and Biden easily carried the nomination. General Election: Joe Biden began as a major underdog, but steadily rose in the polls through dogged campaigning. A lack of republican energy for Boggs led to a surprise upset on election night. Georgia Senate: Dem Primary: The surprise retirement of Richard Russell left an open senate race in a Deep South state, testing the direction in which the southern democrats wished to go. Jimmy Carter ran as a racial moderate, while Sam Nunn ran as a traditional conservative democrat in the vein of John Sparkman or Everett Jordan. Hosea Williams also ran as a progressive civil rights activist, testing the strength of the black democratic vote. What none of them anticipated was the insurgent campaign of Lester Maddox, who utilized a populist backlash message to stun political leaders in both parties with a first place finish in the first round. Jimmy Carter secured a close second, advancing to the runoff against Maddox. Dem Runoff: The runoff was held shortly after George Wallace’s nomination for president, causing black democrats to flip republican or stay home, while southern whites returned to the Democratic Party in droves. These shifts—and the eager endorsement of George Wallace—allowed for a landslide Maddox victory in the primary. GOP Primary: Thompson ran unopposed for a senate seat that nearly all GOP leaders saw as un-winnable. General Election: Maddox was initially seen as a vulnerable incumbent due to the rising number of black republicans and disgruntled moderate Carter supporters, but Maddox easily made up for this by garnering astronomical turnout with rural whites. Still, despite an easy win Maddox underperformed George Wallace by a few percentage points. Idaho Senate: GOP Primary: Jordan was unopposed for renomination, despite rumors of a potential challenge by either Perry Swisher on the left or James McClure on the right. Dem Primary: Bud Williams was the only democrat willing to take on Jordan in an overwhelmingly republican state, and easily secured the nomination as a result. General Election: Jordan easily won reelection due to incumbency, presidential coattails, and a minimal investment from Democrats into the Bud Williams campaign. However, he did underperform Nixon by a sizable margin. Illinois Senate: GOP Primary: Percy easily won renomination, as the open special election drew away any potential conservative challengers, and many saw him as a best bet to hold the senate seat anyways. Dem Primary: The Democratic primary looked to be a bloody battle between conservative democratic congressman Roman Pucinski and liberal lieutenant governor Paul Simon, however the late entry of Adlai Stevenson III effectively brought the weight of the party behind a mainstream and moderate candidate. Unfortunately, the coronation of Stevenson was unpopular with many democrats on the left and right, and this populist sentiment translated into support for outsider candidate Dan Walker and crossover votes for Charles Percy in the general. General Election: Many Republicans were concerned at first when Stevenson threw his hat into the ring, but the coronation of the big name democrat angered enough liberals and conservatives to neutralize the benefits of his moderate appeal. Meanwhile, the George Wallace nomination caused democrats to either stay home or vote for Percy, leading to an easy Percy win in November. Illinois Special Senate: GOP Primary: Republicans were in disarray after the sudden death of senator-elect Anderson, and the primary looked to be a complete mess as a result. However, the joint support of Keke Anderson and Richard Nixon allowed Donald Rumsfeld to prevail as the frontrunner on a fiscally conservative, socially moderate platform. Edward Levi challenged from the left, but failed to gain traction. Dem Primary: For whatever reason, the Democratic Party’s best candidates scrambled to challenge Percy in the regular senate election, and left the special to be carried by Neil Hartigan, a small time democratic committeeman. General Election: Hartigan ran a decent, uncontroversial, and unifying campaign, but struggled with a lack of name recognition and experience against republican superstar Donald Rumsfeld. Hartigan accordingly lost in November, but outperformed expectations in part due to coattails from governor-elect Dan Walker. Indiana Senate Special: GOP Primary: Following the death of senator Bray, governor Bowen appointed Earl Landgrebe to the seat. While generally supported by the GOP, some liberals viewed him as too extreme to win in November, and threw their support behind mayor Lloyd Allen instead. Allen’s campaign fell short, and fears about Landgrebe’s electability proved to be unfounded in November. Dem Primary: Philip Hayes was the only democrat seen as able to win the Indiana senate seat, and was unopposed as a result. General Election: Landgrebe easily won, but underperformed William Bray from two years prior. More to come in the future! It's dead, Jim. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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