1952 United States Senate election in Tennessee

The 1952 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 4, 1952. Incumbent Democratic Senator and President pro tempore of the Senate Kenneth D. McKellar ran for re-election to a seventh term in office but was defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative Al Gore Sr. Gore easily won the general election against Republican Hobart Atkins.

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1952 United States Senate election in Tennessee

← 1946 November 4, 1952 1958 →

Nominee Albert Gore Sr. Hobart F. Atkins Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 545,432 153,479 Percentage 74.19% 20.88%

County results Gore:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Atkins:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Kenneth McKellar Democratic Elected U.S. senator Albert Gore Sr. Democratic

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In the primary, Incumbent Senator McKellar stood for a seventh term (the first Senator to do so), despite being 83. He was opposed for renomination by Middle Tennessee Congressman Albert Gore. McKellar's re-election slogan was "Thinking Feller? Vote McKellar," which Gore countered with "Think Some More – Vote for Gore." Gore defeated McKellar for the Democratic nomination in August in what was widely regarded as an upset.^[1]

McKellar's defeat was part of a statewide trend of change in 1952. That year, the incumbent governor, Gordon Browning, was defeated by Frank G. Clement in the primary.