| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Needed to win: Majority of votes cast in both houses[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 .svg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 .svg)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The 1908 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held by the Kentucky General Assembly as a part of the 1908–09 Senate elections. Despite the Democratic party winning a majority of seats in both chambers of the legislature in 1907, Republican nominee and former governor William O. Bradley defeated Democratic nominee and former governor J. C. W. Beckham. This was the second time that a Republican was elected to the Senate in Kentucky, after William J. Deboe in 1897.
Despite no law requiring primary elections, Beckham and his allies arranged for the state Democratic party to hold a primary election in November 1906. Beckham defeated incumbent Democratic senator James B. McCreary, garnering 53% of the vote. The primary election saw prohibition emerge as the dominant issue in the election, with Beckham supporting the prohibitionist cause. Republicans, on the other hand, unanimously nominated Bradley in a legislative caucus.
When the General Assembly convened to elect a senator, several Democratic members refused to vote for Beckham. Some voted for McCreary, but the Democratic legislators opposed to Beckham mainly hoped that Beckham would withdraw in favor of a Democratic candidate opposed to prohibition. After more than a month of balloting, four Democratic legislators voted for Bradley, an opponent of prohibition. Once it was clear that Bradley had received a majority of the vote, most Democratic members changed their vote to other Democratic politicians they preferred to Beckham, leaving him with only 15 votes.
Beckham would later be elected to the same Senate seat in 1914, following the death of Bradley.
Background edit
Prior to the ratification of the 17th amendment in 1913, United States Senators were indirectly elected by the state legislatures. A law adopted in 1866 to standardize senate elections required that a candidate must receive an majority of the vote in both houses of the legislature; if no candidate received a majority of the vote cast in both chambers, then the candidate must receive a majority of the vote on a joint ballot of both houses.[1]
Kentucky edit
a
Candidates edit
J. C. W. Beckham edit
a
William O. Bradley edit
a
James B. McCreary edit
a
Democratic nomination edit
In June 1906, the Democratic State Executive Committee voted unanimously to hold a primary election for all statewide offices to be elected in 1907, as well as the Democratic nominee for the 1908 senate election. The decision to hold a primary election was unexpected, as the party typically selected candidates by a nominating convention. McCreary criticized the primary as merely a tactic by Beckham and his allies on the committee to give him the nomination. McCreary was particularly critical of the timing of the election: November 1906, more than fourteen months before the general assembly was to elect a senator.
Campaign edit
McCreary hoped to campaign on national issues.
Alleging that the whisky industry was funding McCreary's campaign, Beckham frequently discussed prohibition as a key issue of the race. Beckham further argued that McCreary, then 68, was a perennial candidate who had sought various offices in the state since the time that Beckham was born.
Debates edit
Beckham challenged McCreary to a debate, which he quickly accepted.[2] However, negotiations between the two fell through and no debate was held.[3][4]
Endorsements edit
- U. S. Senators
- Thomas H. Paynter, U.S. Senator from Kentucky (1907–1913) and U.S. Representative from KY-09 (1889–1895)[5]
- Statewide officials
- Samuel W. Hager, Kentucky auditor (1904–1908), Kentucky treasurer (1900–1904), and candidate for governor in 1907
- Harry McChesney, Kentucky Secretary of State (1904–1908)[6]
- State legislators
- Moses Kaufman, state representative from the 61st district (1896) and Lexington city auditor[7][8]
- John W. Newman, state senator from the 22nd district (1906–1910) and state representative from the 59th district (1904–1906)[6]
- Local officials
- Paul C. Barth, mayor of Louisville (1905–1907)
- Thomas A. Combs, mayor of Lexington (1903–1907)[8]
- Newspapers
- Individuals
- M. B. Adams, president of the Kentucky Anti-Saloon League
- U. S. Senators
- J. C. S. Blackburn, U.S. Senator from Kentucky (1901–1907, 1885–1897) and U.S. Representative from KY-07 (1875–1885)[10]
- Statewide officials
- N. B. Hays, Kentucky attorney general (1904–1908) and candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1906[10]
- U.S. Representatives
- John S. Rhea, U.S. Representative from KY-03 (1903–1905, 1897–1902)[10]
- Augustus O. Stanley, U.S. Representative from KY-02 (1903–1915), and later governor of Kentucky (1915–1919) and U.S. Senator from Kentucky (1919–1925)[10]
- Henry Watterson, U.S. Representative from KY-05 (1876–1877) and editor of the Louisville Courier Journal
- State legislators
- James A. Averdick, state representative from the 81st district (1902–1906)[10]
- Elias Barry, state representative from the 6th district (1906–1908)[10]
- James D. Black, state representative from Knox and Whitley counties (1875–1877), and later lieutenant governor of Kentucky (1915–1919) and governor of Kentucky (1919)[10]
- W. W. Booles, state senator from the 14th district (1902–1906, 1914–1918), and later the 20th district (1940–1944)[10]
- Charles J. Bronston, state senator from the 27th district (1896–1900)[11]
- Charles Carroll, state senator from the 12th district (1902–1906)[10]
- George T. Farris, state senator from the 18th district (1898–1906)
- William F. Klair, state representative from the 61st district (1900–1912)[8]
- Virgil McKnight, state representative from the 87th district (1904–1908)[10]
- Abram Renick, state representative from the 77th district (1900–1904)[10]
- Local officials
- Jerry A. Sullivan, Madison County Attorney and later state representative from the 72nd district (1908–1910)[3]
- Charles P. Weaver, mayor of Louisville (1897–1901)[10]
- Statewide officials
- Henry M. Bosworth, Kentucky treasurer (1904–1908) and candidate for auditor in 1907, and later Kentucky auditor (1912–1916)[12]
- Local officials
- Frank A. Bullock, Fayette County Judge[8]
- Newspapers
- Organizations
- Kentucky Anti-Saloon League
Results edit
Beckham won[14]
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
| District | Beckham | McCreary | Total Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | |
| 1 | 7,221 | 53.9% | 6,170 | 46.1% | 13,391 |
| 2 | 6,000 | 48.9% | 6,277 | 51.1% | 12,277 |
| 3 | 7,944 | 62.2% | 4,820 | 37.8% | 12,764 |
| 4 | 10,574 | 68.4% | 4,880 | 31.6% | 15,454 |
| 5 | 4,510 | 29.3% | 10,887 | 70.7% | 15,397 |
| 6 | 6,101 | 43.7% | 7,862 | 56.3% | 13,963 |
| 7 | 8,550 | 49.4% | 8,744 | 50.6% | 17,294 |
| 8 | 4,966 | 36.2% | 8,743 | 63.8% | 13,709 |
| 9 | 9,441 | 61.8% | 5,842 | 38.2% | 15,283 |
| 10 | 10,078 | 65.5% | 5,302 | 34.5% | 15,380 |
| 11 | 7,214 | 78.7% | 1,955 | 21.3% | 9,169 |
| Totals | 82,599 | 53.6% | 71,482 | 46.4% | 154,081 |
Republican nomination edit
On the evening of January 6, the Republican caucus of the legislature met to choose a nominee for the election. Bradley was chosen unanimously.[15] Bradley, seen as the standard-bearer for Kentucky Republicans ever since his election to the governorship, was the expected nominee for the seat.[b] Following his nomination, Bradley spoke to the caucus thanking them for his nomination while decrying the state of law and order in Kentucky. Bradley promised that he would be the next Senator from the state so long as the Republican caucus would "sit steady in the boat".[15]
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
William O. Bradley 
|
64 | 100% |
| Absent[c] | 1 | — |
Events of 1907 edit
Lassing and Farris letters edit
a
Louisville elections edit
a
Gubernatorial election edit
a
Legislative elections edit
a
Election edit
Initial ballots edit
a
Summary edit
a
Votes not cast for party nominee edit
All legislators voted for their party's nominee on every ballot in which they were present except the Democratic members noted here.
| Member | Chamber | County | Ballot cast[d] | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |||
| J. W. Campbell | Senate | McCracken | Blackburn | Allen | Blackburn | Watterson | Blackburn | ||||||||||||
| Albert H. Charlton | Senate | Jefferson | McCreary | Allen | Watterson | Allen | Campbell | Blackburn | Bradley | ||||||||||
| Henry S. McNutt | Senate | Jefferson | McCreary | Allen | McCreary | Campbell | Bradley | ||||||||||||
| Louis W. Arnett | House | Kenton | Beckham | absent | Beckham | James | absent | James | |||||||||||
| W. W. Hopkins | House | Floyd | Beckham | absent | Beckham | Mayo | Beckham | absent | Beckham | absent | Beckham | Mayo | |||||||
| William F. Klair | House | Fayette | Beckham | Allen | |||||||||||||||
| Elshrain W. Lillard | House | Boyle | McCreary | Allen | McCreary | Campbell | James | Campbell | Bradley | ||||||||||
| Virgil McKnight | House | Mason | McCreary | Allen | McCreary | Allen | Campbell | deceased[e] | |||||||||||
| Christian Mueller | House | Jefferson | Baird | Allen | Flexner | Atherton | Wakefield | Dehler | Campbell | Fehr | Lorch | Edwards | Bradley | ||||||
Results edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William O. Bradley | 64 | 50.39 | |
| Democratic | J. C. W. Beckham | 15 | 11.81 | |
| Democratic | Ollie M. James | 15 | 11.81 | |
| Democratic | James B. McCreary | 10 | 7.87 | |
| Democratic | John C. C. Mayo | 5 | 3.94 | |
| Democratic | John R. Allen[f] | 2 | 1.57 | |
| Democratic | James B. Garnett[g] | 2 | 1.57 | |
| Democratic | R. F. Peak[h] | 2 | 1.57 | |
| Democratic | David H. Smith | 2 | 1.57 | |
| Democratic | J. C. S. Blackburn | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | James W. Cammack[i] | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | J. Campbell Cantrill | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | William T. Ellis | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | R. H. Elliston[j] | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | George R. Hunt[k] | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | Clarence U. McElroy[l] | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | John W. Newman[m] | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | Augustus O. Stanley | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Democratic | Jerry A. Sullivan[n] | 1 | 0.79 | |
| Total votes | 127 | 100 | ||
| Votes necessary | 64 | >50 | ||
Notes edit
- ^ Senate ballot: 34 votes cast, 18 needed for a majority
House ballot: 98 votes cast, 50 needed for a majority
29th joint ballot: 127 votes cast, 64 needed for a majority - ^ he had been the nominee four times before
- ^ Representative Henry Denham was ill with pneumonia and was not present.[15]
- ^ pro forma omitted
- ^ he died the morning of february 17
- ^ Allen was the incumbent Commonwealth's Attorney for Fayette County.[16]
- ^ Garnett was a former senator from Trigg County.[17]
- ^ Peak was a judge from Trimble County.[18]
- ^ Cammack was a former senator from Owen County.[19]
- ^ Elliston was a former senator from Grant County.[20]
- ^ Hunt was the incumbent Fayette County attorney.[21]
- ^ McElroy was a former representative and candidate for congress in 1896 from Warren County.[22]
- ^ Newman was an incumbent senator from Woodford County.[23]
- ^ Sullivan was an incumbent representative from Madison County.[24]
References edit
- ^ "About Electing and Appointing Senators: Historical Overview". United States Senate. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Challenge". Lexington Leader. August 23, 1906. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Debate Details "Deferred"". Lexington Leader. August 28, 1906. p. 1.
- ^ "Too Much Talk". Lexington Leader. September 1, 1906. p. 2.
- ^ "Beckham". Lexington Leader. October 10, 1906. p. 4.
- ^ a b "Lexington Politics". Lexington Leader. July 25, 1906. p. 6.
- ^ "Moses Kaufman Biography / History". University of Kentucky. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Bullock Gives Even Break". Lexington Leader. October 5, 1906. p. 1.
- ^ "Saloons the Issue". Lexington Leader. September 16, 1906. p. 17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "All Agree on Hays". Lexington Leader. July 18, 1906. p. 5.
- ^ "Bronston". Lexington Leader. November 3, 1906. p. 1.
- ^ "Political". Lexington Leader. August 8, 1906. p. 2.
- ^ "The Herald's Position in the Primary". Lexington Herald. August 17, 1906. p. 4.
- ^ "Official Count". Lexington Leader. November 21, 1906. p. 3.
- ^ a b c "Governor Bradley Named". Lexington Leader. January 7, 1908. p. 3.
- ^ "County Closed". Lexington Leader. November 12, 1903. p. 7.
- ^ "The Garnett Family Biography". Kentucky Kindred Genealogical Research. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Obituaries from the Trimble Democrat 1928–1949". Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Legislative Research Commission 2005, p. 25.
- ^ "R. H. Elliston". Northern Kentucky Views. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ ""Presto"". Lexington Leader. January 1, 1898. p. 6.
- ^ "McElroy, Clarence Underwood, 1849–1928". Western Kentucky University. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Legislative Research Commission 2005, p. 67.
- ^ Legislative Research Commission 2005, p. 85.
Works cited edit
- Appleton, Thomas (1981). "Like Banquo's ghost": the emergence of the prohibition issue in Kentucky politics (PhD thesis). University of Kentucky. OCLC 8490156.
- "Kentucky General Assembly Membership 1900–2005, Vol. I 1900–1949" (PDF). Legislative Research Commission. April 2005. Retrieved November 16, 2023.