1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio
1954 American election
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The United States Senate special election in Ohio of 1954 was held on November 2, 1954, to complete the unexpired term of late Senator Robert A. Taft, who died in office on July 31, 1953. Senator Thomas A. Burke (who was appointed as Taft's successor) ran to complete the term in office but was narrowly defeated by U.S. Representative George Bender. The next special election for the senate in Ohio would occur in 2026 for this seat. This was also the last time until 2024 that a Republican defeated an incumbent Democrat senator in Ohio.
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November 6, 1954
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 County results Bender: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Burke: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Background
On July 31, 1953, incumbent Republican Senator Robert A. Taft died in office. His term was scheduled to expire in 1957. Governor Frank Lausche appointed Thomas A. Burke, the Democratic Mayor of Cleveland, to fill his seat until a successor could be duly elected.
The special election was scheduled for November 2, 1954, concurrent with the regularly scheduled state and federal elections. Burke ran to complete the term. This was the last U.S. Senate special election in Ohio until the one to this seat in 2026.
Republican primary
Candidates
- George H. Bender, U.S. Representative from Chagrin Falls
- William B. Saxbe, State Representative from Mechanicsburg
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George H. Bender | 254,390 | 57.40% | |
| Republican | William B. Saxbe | 188,783 | 42.60% | |
| Total votes | 443,173 | 100.00% | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Bender | 1,257,874 | 50.06% |  7.48 | |
| Democratic | Thomas A. Burke (incumbent) | 1,254,904 | 49.94% |  7.48 | |
| Total votes | 2,512,778 | 100.0% | |||