1950 United States Senate election in Iowa

The 1950 United States Senate election in Iowa took place on November 7, 1950. Incumbent Republican Senator Bourke B. Hickenlooper was re-elected to a second term in office over Democratic U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Albert J. Loveland.

1950 United States Senate election in Iowa

← 1944 November 7, 1950 1956 →

Nominee Bourke B. Hickenlooper Albert J. Loveland Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 470,613 383,766 Percentage 54.82% 44.70%

County results Hickenlooper:      50–60%      60–70% Loveland:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Bourke B. Hickenlooper Republican Elected U.S. Senator Bourke B. Hickenlooper Republican

Primary elections were held on June 5. Senator Hickenlooper faced nominal opposition for re-nomination in the Republican primary, while Loveland won a plurality over a five-man Democratic field including former Governor Nelson G. Kraschel and former U.S. Representative Otha Wearin.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Bourke B. Hickenlooper, incumbent Senator since 1945
• Harry B. Thompson
• Earl F. Wisdom

Results

1950 Republican U.S. Senate primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bourke B. Hickenlooper (incumbent)	193,337	75.28%
	Republican	Earl F. Wisdom	38,001	14.80%
	Republican	Harry B. Thompson	25,480	9.92%
Total votes			256,818	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Nelson G. Kraschel, former Governor of Iowa (1937–1939)
• Albert J. Loveland, U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture
• Alvin P. Meyer
• Ernest J. Seemann, perennial candidate
• W.M. Shaw, candidate for U.S. House in 1938
• Otha Wearin, former U.S. Representative from Glenwood (1933–1939)

Results

1950 Democratic U.S. Senate primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Albert J. Loveland	38,150	38.51%
	Democratic	Nelson G. Kraschel	31,097	31.39%
	Democratic	Otha Wearin	11,778	11.89%
	Democratic	Alvin P. Meyer	9,341	9.43%
	Democratic	W.M. Shaw	4,479	4.52%
	Democratic	Ernest J. Seemann	4,225	4.27%
Total votes			99,070	100.00%

After losing the primary, Seemann entered the general election as a States' Rights candidate.

General election

Candidates

• Bourke B. Hickenlooper, incumbent Senator since 1945 (Republican)
• Z. Everett Kellum (Prohibition)
• Albert J. Loveland, United States Undersecretary of Agriculture (Democratic)
• Leslie O. Ludwig (Socialist Labor)
• Ernest J. Seemann, perennial candidate (States' Rights)

Results

1950 U.S. Senate election in Iowa^[2][3][4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bourke B. Hickenlooper (incumbent)	470,613	54.82%	3.54
	Democratic	Albert J. Loveland	383,766	44.70%	3.67
	Prohibition	Z. Everett Kellum	3,273	0.38%	0.11
	Dixiecrat	Ernest J. Seemann	571	0.07%	N/A
	Socialist Labor	Leslie O. Ludwig	300	0.04%	N/A
Total votes			858,523	100.00%

See also

• 1950 United States Senate elections

References

1. Iowa Official Register, 1951–52. pp. 294–95.
2. "Our Campaigns - IA US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1950". www.ourcampaigns.com.
3. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1951). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1950" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
4. Leip, David. "1950 Senatorial General Election Results - Iowa". US Election Atlas. David Leip's Election Atlas. Retrieved May 20, 2022.