The 1958 United States Senate election in Wyoming took place November 4, 1958. Incumbent Republican Senator Frank A. Barrett ran for re-election to his second term. He was challenged by Gale W. McGee, a University of Wyoming professor and the Democratic nominee. Despite the state's strong Republican lean, McGee ran an energetic campaign against Barrett, earning the support of the national Democratic establishment. McGee ultimately narrowly upset Barrett, winning 51% of the vote to Barrett's 49%.
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![]() County results McGee: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Barrett: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Gale W. McGee, University of Wyoming professor, former aide to Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney
- Hepburn T. Armstrong, businessman[1]
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Gale McGee | 22,098 | 59.53% | |
Democratic | Hepburn T. Armstrong | 15,024 | 40.47% | |
Total votes | 37,122 | 100.00% |
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- Frank A. Barrett, Incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Frank A. Barrett (inc.) | 35,444 | 100.00% | |
Total votes | 35,444 | 100.00% |
General election
editResults
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Gale W. McGee | 58,035 | 50.84% | +2.47% | |
Republican | Frank A. Barrett (inc.) | 56,122 | 49.16% | −2.47% | |
Majority | 1,913 | 1.68% | −1.59% | ||
Turnout | 114,157 | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Endorsements
editBarrett endorsements
- Cabinet officials
- Ezra Taft Benson, 13th United States Secretary of Agriculture (1953–1961)[3]
- Richard Nixon, 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961)[3]
- Fred A. Seaton, 36th United States Secretary of the Interior (1956–1961)[3]
- U.S. Senators
- Everett Dirksen, U.S. Senator from Illinois (1951–1969)[3]
- Roman Hruska, U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1954–1976)[3]
- Karl Mundt, U.S. Senator from South Dakota (1948–1973)[3]
McGee endorsements
- U.S. Presidents
- Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States (1945–1953)[3]
- U.S. Senators
- Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. Senator from Texas (1949–1961)[3]
- John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1953–1960)[3]
- Edmund Muskie, U.S. Senator from Maine (1959–1980)[3]
- Joseph Montoya, U.S. Senator from New Mexico (1964–1977)[3]
- Wayne Morse, U.S. Senator from Oregon (1945–1969)[3]
- Joseph C. O'Mahoney, U.S. Senator from Wyoming (1934–1953; 1954–1961)[3]
References
editWorks cited
edit- Trachsel, Herman (1959). "The 1958 Election in Wyoming". The Western Political Quarterly. 12 (1). University of Utah: 363–66. doi:10.2307/444064. JSTOR 444064.