1949 United States Senate special election in New York

The United States Senate special election of 1949 in New York was held on November 8, 1949. On June 28, 1949, incumbent senator Robert F. Wagner resigned due to ill health. On July 7, John Foster Dulles was appointed by Governor Thomas Dewey to fill the vacancy temporarily.[1]

1949 United States Senate special election in New York

← 1944 November 8, 1949 1950 →
 
Nominee Herbert H. Lehman John Foster Dulles
Party Democratic Republican
Alliance Liberal
Popular vote 2,582,438 2,384,381
Percentage 51.99% 48.01%

County results
Lehman:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Dulles:      50-60%      60-70%      70–80%      >90%

Senator before election

John Foster Dulles
Republican

Elected Senator

Herbert H. Lehman
Democratic

The Republican State Committee nominated Dulles to succeed himself. The Democratic State Committee nominated former Governor Herbert H. Lehman. The Liberal Party endorsed Lehman. The American Labor Party made no nominations and urged its members not to vote for any candidate. The Democratic/Liberal ticket was elected and Dulles was defeated.[2]

Background

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Longtime incumbent Senator Robert F. Wagner resigned effective June 29, 1949, citing ill health. Governor Thomas E. Dewey appointed John Foster Dulles, his foreign policy advisor, to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected, and a special election to complete Wagner's term in office was scheduled for November 8, 1949, to coincide with the regularly scheduled state election.

Democratic

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Alex Rose, David Dubinsky, Adolf A. Berle, Americans for Democratic Action, and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union pushed for Herbert H. Lehman to seek the Democratic nomination.[3]

General election

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Dulles accused Lehman of working with communists while leading the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and for accepting the support of the American Labor Party in previous elections. He also incorrectly claimed that the ALP also nominated Lehman.[4]

Vito Marcantonio sought to have Henry A. Wallace run as the American Labor Party's nominee, which would have aided Marcantonio in the concurrent New York City mayoral election, but Wallace declined.[5]

Results

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The number of votes Lehman received on the Liberal line was greater than his margin of victory.[6]

1949 U.S. Senate special election in New York[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Herbert H. Lehman 2,155,763 43.40%
Liberal Herbert H. Lehman 426,675 8.59%
Total Herbert H. Lehman 2,582,438 51.99%
Republican John Foster Dulles (incumbent) 2,384,381 48.01%
Total votes 4,966,819 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ "Dulles Appointed Senator". The New York Times. July 8, 1949.
  2. ^ "THE OFFICIAL COUNT: LEHMAN BY 198,057". The New York Times. December 15, 1949.
  3. ^ Soyer 2012, p. 174.
  4. ^ Soyer 2012, p. 175.
  5. ^ Schmidt 1960, p. 292.
  6. ^ Soyer 2012, p. 176.
  7. ^ "NY US Senate Special". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 11, 2020.

Works cited

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