| Elections in Arkansas |
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The 1944 United States Senate election in Arkansas took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Senator Hattie Caraway ran for a third term in office but was eliminated in the Democratic primary. U.S. Representative J. William Fulbright defeated Governor Homer Martin Adkins in the Democratic runoff. It is the last time where an elected incumbent Senator placed third or worse in a primary until the 2026 United States Senate election in Louisiana.[1][a]
Fulbright easily defeated Republican Victor Wade in the general election, in a landslide victory typical for Arkansas Democrats at the time.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Homer Martin Adkins, Governor of Arkansas since 1941
- L. H. Barton
- Hattie Caraway, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1931
- J. William Fulbright, U.S. Representative from Fayetteville and former University of Arkansas professor
- J. Rosser Venable, candidate for Senate in 1936
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. William Fulbright | 67,168 | 36.33% | |
| Democratic | Homer Martin Adkins | 49,795 | 26.93% | |
| Democratic | L. H. Barton | 43,053 | 23.28% | |
| Democratic | Hattie Caraway (incumbent) | 24,881 | 13.46% | |
| Total votes | 184,897 | 100.00% | ||
Runoff
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. William Fulbright | 117,121 | 57.90% | |
| Democratic | Homer Martin Adkins | 85,163 | 42.10% | |
| Total votes | 202,284 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. William Fulbright | 182,499 | 85.10% | |
| Republican | Victor Wade | 31,942 | 14.90% | |
| Total votes | 214,441 | 100.00% | ||
See also
Notes
- ↑ Maurice J. Murphy Jr. went on to place third in the Republican primary of the 1962 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire, though he was appointed to fill a vacancy in December 1961 and was attempting to run for a full term when he lost the primary.[1]
References
- 1 2 "How Often Do Sitting US Senators Place Third (Or Worse) in Primaries?". Smart Politics. February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin (2018). "Historical Report of the Secretary of State" (PDF). p. 362. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1957). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1944" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2021.