1964 United States Senate election in California
The 1964 United States Senate election in California was held on November 3, 1964.
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Incumbent Democratic Senator Clair Engle was suffering from an advanced brain tumor and ended his campaign for re-election in April. He died in office in July. Pierre Salinger, Press Secretary to Lyndon Johnson and the winner of the Democratic primary, was appointed in his place.
Salinger lost re-election to a full term to Republican George Murphy, a retired Hollywood star. This was the only Senate seat Republicans gained in 1964.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Emanuel Braude
- Walter Buchanan, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1934 and 1962
- Demos Cordeiro
- Alan Cranston, California Controller
- Harold E. Fields
- Lynn Johnston, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1963
- George H. McLain, perennial candidate, nativist, and pensioner advocate
- Henry A. Mermel
- Mark Morris
- Guido Joseph Pavia, resident of Napa
- Pierre Salinger, White House Press Secretary
Declined to run
- Stanley Mosk, California Attorney General (appointed to California Supreme Court)
Withdrew
- Clair Engle, incumbent Senator (died July 30)
Campaign
A major point of contention during the primary and general elections was Salinger's eligibility to run. He was working at the White House and officially a resident of Virginia, meaning he could not vote for himself.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pierre Salinger | 1,177,517 | 44.26% | |
| Democratic | Alan Cranston | 1,037,748 | 39.01% | |
| Democratic | George H. McLain | 180,405 | 6.78% | |
| Democratic | Clair Engle (inc.) (withdrawn) | 119,967 | 4.51% | |
| Democratic | Lynn W. Johnston | 43,744 | 1.64% | |
| Democratic | Walter R. Buchanan | 24,903 | 0.91% | |
| Democratic | Guido Joseph Pavia | 16,562 | 0.62% | |
| Democratic | Harold E. Fields | 16,061 | 0.60% | |
| Democratic | Demos Cordeiro | 15,696 | 0.59% | |
| Democratic | Mark Morris | 12,357 | 0.46% | |
| Democratic | Emanuel Braude | 10,064 | 0.38% | |
| Democratic | Henry A. Mermel | 6,092 | 0.23% | |
| Total votes | 2,660,306 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Fred Hall, former Governor of Kansas
- Leland M. Kaiser
- George Murphy, retired actor and former President of the Screen Actors Guild
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Murphy | 1,121,591 | 54.13% | |
| Republican | Leland M. Kaiser | 689,323 | 33.27% | |
| Republican | Fred Hall | 261,036 | 12.60% | |
| Total votes | 2,071,950 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Murphy | 3,628,552 | 51.54% |  8.61 | |
| Democratic | Pierre Salinger | 3,411,915 | 48.46% |  8.55 | |
| Total votes | 7,040,467 | 100.00 | |||
See also
References
- "CA US Senate - D Primary". OurCampaigns. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- "CA US Senate - R Primary". OurCampaigns. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1964". OurCampaigns. Retrieved 12 November 2019.