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1964 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma

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1964 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma

← 1960 November 3, 1964 1966 →
 
Nominee Fred R. Harris Bud Wilkinson
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 466,782 445,392
Percentage 51.17% 48.83%

County results
Harris:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Wilkinson:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

J. Howard Edmondson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Fred R. Harris
Democratic

The 1964 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma took place on November 3, 1964. Democratic senator Robert S. Kerr, who won re-election to his third term in 1960, died in office on January 1, 1963. Governor J. Howard Edmondson resigned from office so that his lieutenant governor, George Nigh, could appoint him to the U.S. Senate. Edmondson ran for election in the ensuing special election, and faced strong competition from former governor Raymond D. Gary and State Senator Fred R. Harris. Edmondson placed first in the primary, but failed to win a majority, with Harris narrowly beating out Gary for second place. In the runoff, Harris defeated Edmondson in a landslide. In the general election, Harris faced former Oklahoma Sooners football coach Bud Wilkinson, the Republican nominee. Even though President Lyndon B. Johnson won Oklahoma by a wide margin over Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, the Senate race was much closer. Ultimately, Harris only narrowly defeated Wilkinson by just 2% of the vote.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic J. Howard Edmondson (inc.) 215,455 36.44%
Democratic Fred R. Harris 190,868 32.28%
Democratic Raymond Gary 170,869 28.90%
Democratic Willard R. Owens 14,134 2.39%
Total votes 591,326 100.00%

Runoff election results

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Democratic primary runoff[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Fred R. Harris 277,362 60.90%
Democratic J. Howard Edmondson (inc.) 178,051 39.10%
Total votes 455,413 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Runoff Election Results

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bud Wilkinson 100,544 79.22%
Republican Thomas J. Harris 19,170 15.10%
Republican Forest W. Beall 7,211 5.68%
Total votes 126,925 100.00%

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General election

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Results

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1964 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Fred R. Harris 466,782 51.17% −3.67%
Republican Bud Wilkinson 445,392 48.83% +4.22%
Majority 21,390 2.34% −7.89%
Turnout 912,174
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ a b c "1958-1966 Election Results" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Wilkinson Announcing Race for U. S. Senate Today". Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Okla. February 5, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Our Campaigns - OK US Senate - Special R Primary Race - May 05, 1964". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 28, 2021.