1920 United States Senate election in Iowa
November 2, 1920
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County results Cummins: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Porter: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Iowa |
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The 1920 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 2, 1920. Incumbent Senator Albert B. Cummins was re-elected to a third term in office, defeating challenges from Smith W. Brookhart in the Republican primary and Claude R. Porter in the general election.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Smith W. Brookhart, World War I veteran and marksman
- Albert B. Cummins, incumbent Senator since 1908
Campaign
Albert B. Cummins was a progressive senator from an earlier generation who distrusted both corporate interests and trade unions. Brookhart campaigned against railroad regulations Cummins had co-authored, the Esch–Cummins Act, which Brookhart claimed did too little to wrest ownership and control of railroads away from Wall Street interests.[1] Brookhart attempted to register rank-and-file blue-collar workers as Republicans so that they could vote for him in the primary,[1] which prompted Cummins to associate Brookhart with radical workers movements such as "the Socialists, reds and Industrial Workers of the World."[2] Cummins was sidelined by illness in the weeks leading up to the primary but defeated Brookhart.[2][3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Albert B. Cummins (incumbent) | 115,768 | 54.52% | |
| Republican | Smith W. Brookhart | 96,563 | 45.48% | |
| Total votes | 212,331 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Claude Porter, former State Senator from Centerville
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Claude Porter | 38,515 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 38,515 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- H. W. Cowles (Farmer–Labor)
- Albert B. Cummins, incumbent Senator since 1908 (Republican)
- Arthur S. Dowler (Socialist Labor)
- Claude Porter, former State Senator from Centerville (Democratic)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Albert B. Cummins (incumbent) | 528,499 | 61.42% | ||
| Democratic | Claude Porter | 322,015 | 37.42% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | H. W. Cowles | 9020 | 1.05% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Arthur S. Dowler | 933 | 0.11% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Total votes | 860,467 | 100.00% | |||
See also
Notes
References
- ^ a b "Cummins May Campaign Iowa Before Primary," Waterloo Evening Courier, March 23, 1920 at 7.
- ^ a b "Cummins Seems Choice of Black Hawk Co. Voters," Waterloo Evening Courier, June 4, 1920 at 1.
- ^ "Cummins' Lead over Brookhart is Over 20,000," Waterloo Evening Courier, June 9, 1920, p. 1.
- ^ a b Iowa Official Register, 1921–22 (PDF). p. 425.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1920" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. 1921. Retrieved May 21, 2024.