1932 United States Senate election in Missouri

1932 United States Senate election in Missouri
← 1926 1938 →
	County results; Clark: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%; Kiel: 50–60% 60–70%
U.S. senator before election; Harry B. Hawes; Democratic	Elected U.S. senator ; Bennett Champ Clark; Democratic

The 1932 United States Senate election in Missouri took place on November 8, 1932, in Missouri. Incumbent Democratic Senator Harry B. Hawes did not seek re-election, and Democratic candidate Bennett Champ Clark was elected with 63.26% of the vote over former Mayor of St. Louis Henry Kiel. Clark slightly underperformed Franklin D. Roosevelt, who won 63.69% of the vote in the presidential election. He also notably carried the exact same counties Roosevelt carried in the Presidential Election

Hawes resigned his seat on February 3, 1933, and Clark was appointed to the vacancy before his full term began.

Democratic primary

Candidates

James W. Byrnes, president of the Missouri Association Against Prohibition^[1]
Bennett Champ Clark, lawyer, former Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives, and son of Champ Clark^[2]
Charles M. Hay, attorney and leading prohibitionist^[3]^[4]
Charles M. Howell, insurance lobbyist^[5]
Robert H. Merryman, lawyer^[6]

Results

Democratic primary August 2, 1932^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bennett Champ Clark	268,667	43.99
	Democratic	Charles M. Howell	173,266	28.37
	Democratic	Charles M. Hay	151,188	24.76
	Democratic	James W. Byrnes	11,776	1.93
	Democratic	Robert H. Merryman	5,819	0.95
Total votes			610,716	100

Republican primary

Candidates

Pearl Abernathy, real estate dealer^[8]
B. F. Beazell, former Bureau of Prohibition agent^[9]
Henry Kiel, president of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners and former Mayor of St. Louis^[8]
Robert J. Kratky, attorney^[10]
Blodgett Priest, attorney^[8]
Dewey Jackson Short, former U.S. Representative from Springfield

Results

Republican primary August 2, 1932^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henry Kiel	172,447	50.42
	Republican	Dewey Jackson Short	71,936	21.03
	Republican	Robert J. Kratky	38,664	11.30
	Republican	B. F. Beazell	34,705	10.15
	Republican	Blodgett Priest	12,533	3.66
	Republican	Pearl Abernathy	11,753	3.44
Total votes			342,038	100

Other primaries

Communist

The Communist Party nominated Julius Pollack.

Prohibition

Prohibition primary August 2, 1932^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Prohibition	Herman P. Faris	21	100
Total votes			21	100

Socialist

Socialist primary August 2, 1932^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	J. G. Hodges	535	100
Total votes			535	100

Socialist Labour

Socialist Labour primary August 2, 1932^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist Labor	Karl L. Oberhue	38	100
Total votes			38	100

General election

1932 United States Senate election in Missouri^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Bennett Champ Clark (incumbent)	1,017,046	63.26%	+11.96
	Republican	Henry Kiel	575,174	35.77%	−11.94
	Socialist	J. G. Hodges	11,441	0.71%	+0.53
	Prohibition	Herman P. Faris	3,147	0.20%	−0.56
	Communist	Julius Pollack	533	0.03%	+0.03
	Socialist Labor	Karl L. Oberhue	417	0.03%	−0.02
Majority			441,872	27.49%
Turnout			1,607,758
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

^ "BYRNES, WET, ENTERS SENATORIAL PRIMARY". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. March 3, 1932. p. 13A. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ Bennett Champ Clark at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
^ "Charles Martin Hay Papers" (PDF). State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
^ "THREE CANDIDATES FOR SENATE FOR REPEAL". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. July 1, 1932. p. 10A. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ "Tomorrow's Task in the Primaries". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. August 1, 1932. p. 2C. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ "CANDIDATES MUST FILE BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. June 3, 1932. p. 12A. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Official Manual of the State of Missouri 1933 - 1934. Missouri Secretary of State's Office. 1934. p. 401. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "KIEL TO QUIT POLICE POST; FILES FOR SENATE". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. May 25, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ "NINETY-NINE FILE FOR CONGRESSMAN". Weekly Record. New Madrid, Missouri. June 10, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved January 2, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ "ROBERT J. KRATKY SEEKS NOMINATION FOR SENATOR". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. April 21, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.
^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1932" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. p. 18. Retrieved August 4, 2019.

[1] "BYRNES, WET, ENTERS SENATORIAL PRIMARY". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. March 3, 1932. p. 13A. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[2] Bennett Champ Clark at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

[3] "Charles Martin Hay Papers" (PDF). State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved December 31, 2022.

[4] "THREE CANDIDATES FOR SENATE FOR REPEAL". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. July 1, 1932. p. 10A. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[5] "Tomorrow's Task in the Primaries". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. August 1, 1932. p. 2C. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[6] "CANDIDATES MUST FILE BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. June 3, 1932. p. 12A. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[primaryvote-7] Official Manual of the State of Missouri 1933 - 1934. Missouri Secretary of State's Office. 1934. p. 401. Retrieved December 30, 2022.

[repub-8] "KIEL TO QUIT POLICE POST; FILES FOR SENATE". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. May 25, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[9] "NINETY-NINE FILE FOR CONGRESSMAN". Weekly Record. New Madrid, Missouri. June 10, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved January 2, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[10] "ROBERT J. KRATKY SEEKS NOMINATION FOR SENATOR". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. April 21, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via State Historical Society of Missouri.

[Clerk-11] "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1932" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. p. 18. Retrieved August 4, 2019.

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