1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma
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The 1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a fourth term. Thomas once again faced a stiff challenge in the Democratic primary, this time from Congressman Wesley E. Disney and Lieutenant Governor James E. Berry. As was the case in 1938, Thomas won renomination only with a narrow plurality. In the general election, he faced former State Senator William Otjen, the 1942 Republican nominee for Governor. Though Thomas's performance was much reduced compared to six years prior, he still defeated Otjen by a wide margin.
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November 7, 1944
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 County results Thomas: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Otjen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Elmer Thomas, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Wesley E. Disney, U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma's 1st congressional district
- James E. Berry, Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
- Elmer Fraker
- Fletcher S. Riley
- A. F. Shaw
- Dan Nelson
- Charles West
- Lily Allen Lasley
- Lattie Hughes
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elmer Thomas (inc.) | 85,672 | 36.30% | |
| Democratic | Wesley E. Disney | 64,322 | 33.75% | |
| Democratic | James E. Berry | 62,244 | 26.37% | |
| Democratic | Elmer Fraker | 5,810 | 2.46% | |
| Democratic | Fletcher S. Riley | 4,835 | 2.05% | |
| Democratic | A. F. Shaw | 4,786 | 2.03% | |
| Democratic | Dan Nelson | 2,725 | 1.15% | |
| Democratic | Charles West | 2,304 | 0.98% | |
| Democratic | Lily Allen Lasley | 1,963 | 0.83% | |
| Democratic | Lattie Hughes | 138 | 0.57% | |
| Total votes | 235,999 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Otjen | 21,970 | 50.53% | |
| Republican | Pat W. Murphy | 7,340 | 16.88% | |
| Republican | Harry O. Glasser | 6,169 | 14.19% | |
| Republican | O. O. Owens | 2,791 | 6.42% | |
| Republican | Frank A. Anderson | 2,009 | 4.62% | |
| Republican | Fred E. Pickard | 1,137 | 2.61% | |
| Republican | John M. Claypool | 887 | 2.04% | |
| Republican | S. M. Stauffer | 811 | 1.87% | |
| Republican | Sim L. Liles | 368 | 0.85% | |
| Total votes | 43,482 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elmer Thomas (inc.) | 390,851 | 55.65% | −9.72% | |
| Republican | William Otjen | 309,222 | 44.02% | +10.11% | |
| Independent | Paul V. Beck | 1,128 | 0.16% | — | |
| Independent | T. B. Williams | 674 | 0.10% | — | |
| Independent | Paul R. Nagle | 519 | 0.07% | — | |
| Majority | 81,629 | 11.62% | −19.84% | ||
| Turnout | 702,394 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
