1956 United States Senate election in Oregon
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The 1956 United States Senate election in Oregon was held on November 7, 1956, to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Republican-turned-Independent-turned Democratic Senator Wayne Morse decided to seek re-election for his first full term as a Democrat. Morse defeated Republican candidate Douglas McKay in the hotly contested general election.[1]
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November 7, 1956
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 County results Morse: 50–60% 60–70% McKay: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary
Candidates
- George Altvater
- Elmer Deetz
- Phil Hitchcock, professor, clergyman, and former State Senator from Portland
- Douglas McKay, United States Secretary of the Interior and former Governor of Oregon
Results
McKay: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Hitchcock: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Douglas McKay | 123,281 | 49.5% | |
| Republican | Phil Hitchcock | 99,296 | 39.8% | |
| Republican | Elmer Deetz | 23,170 | 9.3% | |
| Republican | George Altvater | 3,525 | 1.4% | |
| Total votes | 249,272 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Wayne Morse, incumbent Senator since 1945 (Democratic)
- Douglas McKay, United States Secretary of the Interior and former Governor of Oregon (Republican)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wayne Morse (inc.) | 396,849 | 54.20% | ||
| Republican | Douglas McKay | 335,405 | 45.80% | ||
| Majority | 61,444 | 8.39% | |||
| Turnout | 732,254 | ||||