Sidney Cullingham

Cullingham was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1896, to Charles Sidney Cullingham and Alice Chase.^[1][2] His father died when he was two years old, and his mother married Robert B. Howell, who later served in the United States Senate.^[2] Cullingham attended Lafayette College and the University of Chicago, and served in World War I in the United States Army under the command of John Gilbert Winant.^[3][1] He worked in real estate, and was appointed the Douglas County Chief Deputy Election Commissioner, representing the Republican Party, by governors Charles W. Bryan and Roy Cochran.^[3]

In 1942, State Senator Amos Thomas, who was serving in the U.S. Army during World War II as a brigadier general, declined to seek re-election, and Cullingham ran to succeed him in the 9th district.^[4][5] Cullingham narrowly placed second in a crowded primary, winning 20 percent of the vote to University of Omaha Law School Dean Elmer Thomas's 21 percent.^[6] They advanced to the general election,^[5] which Cullingham won in a landslide, receiving 65 percent of the vote to Thomas's 35 percent.^[6][7]

Cullingham ran for re-election in 1944,^[8] and was challenged by salesman Howard Patterson and attorney Grenville North.^[9] Cullingham placed first in the primary election by a wide margin, winning 53 percent of the vote to Patterson's 25 percent and North's 21 percent.^[10] In the general election, he defeated Patterson, winning his second term, 56–44 percent.^[10]

In 1946, Cullingham ran for re-election to a third term.^[11] He was challenged by five opponents, and placed second in the primary, winning 33 percent of the vote to retired steel works executive Karl Vogel's 42 percent.^[12][13] In September, however, Cullingham ended his campaign and removed his name from the ballot, citing his business interests.^[14]

Cullingham died on July 29, 1983.^[15]