1940 United States Senate election in New York

The 1940 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator James M. Mead, first elected in 1938 to fill vacancy caused by the death of Royal S. Copeland,^[1] was re-elected to a full term in office, defeating Republican Bruce Barton.

1940 United States Senate election in New York

← 1938 (special) November 5, 1940 1946 →

Nominee James M. Mead Bruce Barton Party Democratic Republican Alliance American Labor Popular vote 3,274,766 2,868,852 Percentage 53.26% 46.66%

County Results Mead:      50–60%      60–70% Barton:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election James M. Mead Democratic Elected U.S. Senator James M. Mead Democratic

Republican nomination

Candidates

• Bruce Barton, U.S. Representative from Manhattan

Convention

At the Republican convention in White Plains on September 27, Bruce Barton was nominated without opposition. His nomination came at the urging of presidential candidate Wendell Willkie. He focused his acceptance speech on the need to deny President Roosevelt an unprecedented third term in office, which he insinuated would lead to dictatorship through an end to free elections, end of labor unionism, the end of Congress and Congress's power to declare war, the end of protection for racial and religious minorities, and the establishment of a permanent conscripted peacetime army "á la Hitler and Mussolini."^[2]

Democratic nomination

Candidates

• James M. Mead, incumbent Senator since 1938

Convention

Without a declared opponent, Senator Mead was assured re-nomination. At the state convention at the Manhattan Center on September 30, Mead gave a speech praising President Roosevelt, James A. Farley, Edward J. Flynn, Senator Robert F. Wagner, and Governor Herbert Lehman. He fully embraced Roosevelt's bid for a third term, arguing that the Founding Fathers had not intended any limit on the term of president, and argued for religious tolerance and national unity. His nomination was confirmed unanimously in a night session of the convention.^[3]

General election

Candidates

• Bruce Barton, U.S. Representative from Manhattan (Republican)
• James M. Mead, incumbent Senator since 1938 (Democratic)
• Stephen W. Paine (Prohibition)

Results

1940 U.S. Senate election in New York^[4][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James M. Mead	2,893,407	47.06%
	American Labor	James M. Mead	381,359	6.20%
	Total	James M. Mead (Incumbent)	3,274,766	53.26%
	Republican	Bruce Barton	2,842,942	46.66%
	Prohibition	Stephen W. Paine	4,944	0.08%
Total votes			6,148,562	100.00%

References

1. Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788 and the Congress of the United States, from the First to the Eighty-sixth Congress, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 1961, Inclusive. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1961. p. 382. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
2. "REPUBLICANS MAKE 3D TERM THE ISSUE". September 28, 1940. pp. 1, 8.
3. "GOV. LEHMAN ASKS 3D TERM AS BLOW TO THE DICTATORS". New York Times. October 1, 1940. p. 19.
4. "NY US Senate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
5. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1940" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 22, 2020.