1940 United States Senate election in Michigan

1940 United States Senate election in Michigan

November 5, 1940

Nominee Arthur Vandenberg Frank FitzGerald Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,053,104 939,740 Percentage 52.65% 46.98%

County results Vandenberg:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% FitzGerald:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Arthur Vandenberg Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenberg Republican

The 1940 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 5, 1940.

Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg was re-elected to a third consecutive term over Democratic judge Frank FitzGerald.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Bowen R. Gover, perennial candidate
• Arthur Vandenberg, incumbent Senator since 1928

Results

1940 Republican U.S. Senate primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Arthur Vandenberg (incumbent)	467,314	89.88%
	Republican	Bowen R. Gover	52,645	10.13%
Total votes			519,959	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Sid A. Erwin
• Frank FitzGerald, Wayne County Circuit Court Commissioner
• Michael J. Hart, U.S. Representative from Saginaw
• Ralph W. Liddy
• Louis B. Ward, editor of Social Justice and candidate for Senate in 1936

Results

1940 Democratic U.S. Senate primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank FitzGerald	209,809	63.22%
	Democratic	Michael J. Hart	38,658	11.65%
	Democratic	Louis B. Ward	37,258	11.23%
	Democratic	Ralph W. Liddy	27,498	8.29%
	Democratic	Sid A. Erwin	18,629	5.61%
Total votes			331,852	100.00%

General election

Results

1940 U.S. Senate election in Michigan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Arthur Vandenberg (incumbent)	1,053,104	52.65%	1.33
	Democratic	Frank FitzGerald	939,740	46.98%	0.05
	Socialist	Nahum Burnett	3,580	0.18%	0.69
	Prohibition	Carroll P. Pahman	937	0.05%	N/A
	Socialist Labor	Theos A. Grove	691	0.04%	0.04
	Communist	Elmer G. Johnson	2,290	0.11%	0.35
Total votes			2,000,342	100.00%	N/A
	Republican hold

See also

• 1940 United States Senate elections