1948 United States Senate election in Montana
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The 1948 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 2, 1948. Incumbent United States Senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936 and 1942, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary, he faced Tom J. Davis, an attorney and the Republican nominee, in the general election. Following a narrow re-election in 1936, Murray significantly expanded his margin of victory and comfortably won re-election over Davis, resulting in him winning his fourth term and his third full term in the Senate.
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November 2, 1948
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 County results Murray: 50–60% 60–70% Davis: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- James E. Murray, incumbent United States Senator
- Harry J. McGregor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James E. Murray (incumbent) | 62,658 | 81.63% | |
| Democratic | Harry J. McGregor | 14,104 | 18.37% | |
| Total votes | 76,762 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Tom J. Davis, attorney, former President of Rotary International
- Wellington D. Rankin, former United States Attorney for the District of Montana, former Attorney General of Montana
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom J. Davis | 31,897 | 55.98% | |
| Republican | Wellington D. Rankin | 25,083 | 44.02% | |
| Total votes | 56,980 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James E. Murray (incumbent) | 125,193 | 56.65% | +7.58% | |
| Republican | Tom S. Davis | 94,458 | 42.74% | −5.62% | |
| Prohibition | C. S. Hanna | 1,352 | 0.61% | ||
| Majority | 30,735 | 13.91% | +13.20% | ||
| Turnout | 221,003 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||