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The 1972 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 9, 1972.
Former State Representative J. Bennett Johnston was elected to the Senate to succeed First Lady of Louisiana Elaine Edwards, who had been appointed by her husband on an interim basis following the death of Senator Allen Ellender. Following Johnston's victory in the general election, Elaine Edwards resigned and Governor Edwin Edwards appointed Johnston, so that he could gain seniority in the Senate.
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Transcription
Contents
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Frank Tunney Allen, resident of West Monroe
- J. Bennett Johnston, former State Representative and candidate for Governor in 1971[1]
Deceased
- Allen Ellender, incumbent Senator
Senator Ellender died July 27, a few weeks before the August 11 primary, but his name remained on the ballot.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. Bennett Johnston | 623,078 | 79.44% | |
| Democratic | Frank T. Allen | 88,198 | 11.25% | |
| Democratic | Allen Ellender (inc., deceased) | 73,088 | 9.32% | |
| Total votes | 784,364 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Ben Toledano, attorney and nominee for Mayor of New Orleans in 1970
Withdrew
- Charles M. McLean
Results
Following Ellender's death, the Republican Party replaced presumptive nominee Charles McLean with attorney and New Orleans mayoral candidate Ben Toledano. Toledano was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Independents and third parties
American Independent
- Hall Lyons, Republican nominee for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district in 1966
Independent
Following Ellender's death, former Governor John McKeithen joined the race as an independent candidate. He initially hoped to enter the race as a Democrat but was barred by party leaders from entering the primary. He campaigned against the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, George McGovern.[3]
General election
Campaign
The sudden death of Ellender and the independent candidacy of former Governor McKeithen made this a rare competitive general election in Louisiana. The Republican Party had not seriously contested one of Louisiana's Senate seats since Reconstruction, and Republican leaders believed McKeithen's presence in the race could split the Democratic vote.[3]
McKeithen ran a populist, agrarian campaign against Johnston, citing his own investment in the state's agriculture industry and attempting to portray Johnston as an urban elitist. All three major candidates supported President Nixon's handling of the Vietnam War.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. Bennett Johnston | 598,987 | 55.21% |  44.79
| |
| Independent | John J. McKeithen | 250,161 | 23.06% | N/A | |
| Republican | Ben Toledano | 206,846 | 19.07% |  19.07
| |
| American Independent | Hall M. Lyons | 28,910 | 2.67% | 2.67
| |
| Total votes | 1,084,904 | 100.00% | |||
See also
References
- ^ "Johnston Wins in Louisiana". The New York Times. 20 August 1972. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ "1972 US Senate – D Primary". OurCampaigns. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Reed, Roy (30 September 1972). "THE 1972 CAMPAIGN". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ "LA US Senate". OurCampaigns. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
This page was last edited on 29 November 2019, at 07:13