1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky

The 1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper, who won a 1952 special election to fill the vacant seat of Virgil Chapman, ran for a full term in office but was defeated by Democratic former Senator and Vice President of the United States Alben Barkley.

1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky

← 1952 (special) November 2, 1954 1956 (special) →
 
Nominee Alben Barkley John Sherman Cooper
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 434,109 362,948
Percentage 54.46% 45.54%

County results
Barkley:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Cooper:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election

John Sherman Cooper
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Alben Barkley
Democratic

General election

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Candidates

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Results

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1954 U.S. Senate election in Kentucky[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alben Barkley 434,109 54.46%
Republican John Sherman Cooper (incumbent) 362,948 45.54%
Total votes 797,057 100.00%

Aftermath

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Following his victory, Barkley served a little over a year before dying of a heart attack on April 30, 1956. Cooper won the November special election to succeed him and returned to the Senate.

See also

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1954 United States Senate elections

Notes

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  1. ^ Cooper previously served as Senator from 1946 to 1949.

References

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  1. ^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1955). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1954" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.