1970 United States Senate election in Texas
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The 1970 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ralph Yarborough was defeated by former U.S. Representative Lloyd Bentsen in the Democratic primary. Bentsen then defeated Republican U.S. Representative and future president George H. W. Bush in the general election. When Bush ran for president eighteen years later, his Democratic opponent, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, selected Bentsen as his vice presidential running mate.
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November 3, 1970
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  Bentsen: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Bush: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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This was the last time any incumbent senator from Texas lost renomination until 2026.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Lloyd Bentsen, former U.S. representative from TX-15 (1948–1955)
Eliminated in primary
- Ralph Yarborough, incumbent U.S. senator (1957–1971)
Campaign
Yarborough, a liberal icon, was challenged by the more conservative Bentsen in the Democratic primary. In what was characterized as an extremely bitter campaign, Bentsen accused Yarborough of supporting desegregation busing and criticized his opposition to the Vietnam War.[1] Many Texas liberals threatened to support the Republican Bush if Bentsen won the primary, believing that the liberal wing of the Texas Democratic Party would be threatened if Bentsen were elected.[1] Bentsen ultimately defeated Yarborough in the Democratic primary on May 2, 1970.[2]
Results
- Bentsen—80–90%
- Bentsen—70–80%
- Bentsen—60–70%
- Bentsen—50–60%
- Yarborough—>90%
- Yarborough—70–80%
- Yarborough—60–70%
- Yarborough—50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lloyd Bentsen | 841,316 | 53.7% | |
| Democratic | Ralph Yarborough (incumbent) | 726,477 | 46.3% | |
| Total votes | 1,567,793 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Bush was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Candidates
- George H. W. Bush, U.S. Representative, nominee in 1964
General election
The general election was held November 3, 1970. Bentsen defeated Bush, 53.5% – 46.5%.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lloyd Bentsen | 1,194,069 | 53.55% |  2.67% | |
| Republican | George H. W. Bush | 1,035,794 | 46.45% |  2.89% | |
| Total votes | 2,229,863 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
