1952 United States Senate special election in Nebraska
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The 1952 United States Senate special election in Nebraska took place on November 2, 1952. Republican Senator Kenneth S. Wherry, who was elected to his second term in 1948, died on November 29, 1951. Governor Val Peterson appointed Seaton to fill the seat until the 1952 general election. Seaton did not run in the special election. Instead, former Governor Dwight Griswold won the primary and defeated Democratic nominee William Ritchie in a landslide in the general election. However, Griswold himself would die in office on April 12, 1954, triggering another special election in 1954.
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November 4, 1952
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 County results Griswold: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- William Ritchie, former Chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party[1]
- Henry L. Fillman, York insurance salesman, 1950 Democratic candidate for Governor[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William Ritchie | 76,446 | 78.85% | |
| Democratic | Henry L. Fillman | 20,414 | 21.05% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 97 | 0.10% | |
| Total votes | 96,957 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Dwight Griswold, former Governor of Nebraska, member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents[4]
- Walter A. Nielsen, Omaha attorney and businessman[5]
- Al Misegadis, cement finisher[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dwight Griswold | 162,952 | 81.31% | |
| Republican | Walter A. Nielsen | 31,873 | 15.91% | |
| Republican | Al Misegadis | 5,153 | 2.56% | |
| Republican | Fred A. Seaton (inc.) (write-in) | 68 | 0.03% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 350 | 0.17% | |
| Total votes | 200,396 | 100.00% | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dwight Griswold | 369,841 | 63.57% | +6.87% | |
| Democratic | William Ritchie | 211,898 | 36.42% | −6.88% | |
| Write-in | 11 | 0.00% | — | ||
| Majority | 157,943 | 27.15% | +13.75% | ||
| Total votes | 581,750 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||