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1958 United States Senate election in Nevada

←  1952 November 4, 1958 1964 →
 
Nominee Howard Cannon George W. Malone
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 48,732 35,760
Percentage 57.65% 42.32%

County results
Cannon:      50–60%      70–80%
Malone:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

George W. Malone
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Howard Cannon
Democratic

The 1958 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on November 4, 1958. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George W. Malone ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Democrat Howard Cannon.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Senator Malone was unopposed for re-nomination by the Republican Party.

Democratic primary

Candidates

1958 Democratic U.S. Senate primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Howard Cannon 22,787 51.66%
Democratic Fred Anderson 21,319 48.34%
Total votes 44,106 100.00%

General election

Campaign

This campaign was considered one of the most competitive and highly watched in the nation in 1958. Senator Malone was known nationally as a leader within the Republican Party's right wing and held key appointments on the Senate Finance and Interior Committees. [2]

Malone campaigned on his experience and seniority in the Senate, using the slogan "He Knows Nevada Best." He received support from Eisenhower cabinet secretaries Fred Seaton and Ezra Taft Benson. Benson, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was especially influential among Nevada's large Mormon population. His endorsement was seen as particularly important in light of Cannon's Mormon faith. Late in the campaign, Malone published full-page ads touting his effort to save Nevada from a federal gambling tax. [2]

Cannon focused his attacks on Malone's absentee record in the Senate and his reputation on Capitol Hill as an unpopular extremist. [2]

Results

Cannon easily won the election owing to his overwhelming support in his native Clark County, which contained 47 percent of the state's registered voters. He was the first candidate from southern Nevada elected to the United States Senate. [2]

General election results [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Howard Cannon 48,732 57.65% Increase7.63
Republican George W. Malone (incumbent) 35,760 42.32% Decrease9.35
Majority 12,972 15.35% +12.00%
Turnout 84,492
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

References

  1. ^ "NV US Senate - D Primary". OurCampaigns. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Driggs, Don W. (March 1959). "The 1958 Election in Nevada". The Western Political Quarterly. 12 (1): 317–321. doi: 10.2307/444059. JSTOR  444059.
  3. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1958" (PDF). Clerk of the House of Representatives. p. 20.

See also