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1966 Alabama Senate election

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1966 Alabama Senate election
← 1962
November 8, 1966
1970 →
All 35 seats in the Alabama State Senate
18 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader George C. Hawkins
(did not stand)		 —
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since January 8, 1963 —
Leader's seat 8th–Etowah Co.[a] —
Last election 35 seats, 90.2% 0 seats, 9.8%
Seats won 34 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Popular vote 1,073,280 550,480
Percentage 65.31% 33.50%
     Democratic win      Republican win
Democratic:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      Unopposed
Republican:      50–60%
President pro tempore before election

George C. Hawkins
Democratic

 Elected President pro tempore

O. J. Goodwyn
Democratic

The 1966 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 8, 1966, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. The sole non-Democrat to win a seat was conservative Republican Leland Childs of Jefferson County.[1] Childs was the first Republican state senator elected in decades.

The Democratic primaries were held on May 3 with runoffs on May 31, which candidates had until March 1 to qualify for. The Republican Party did not hold primaries for state office, instead opting to nominate by party convention. The Republican convention took place in Montgomery on July 30.

This was the first Alabama Senate election held after Alabama's $1.50 poll tax was ruled illegal in March 1966 and the prohibition of literacy tests by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[2] This was also the first Senate election held after the reapportionment of 1965, which created multi-member senate districts for the first time.

On January 10, 1967, O. J. Goodwyn of Montgomery County was unanimously elected Senate president pro tempore.[3]

Summary

[edit]
Party Candidates Seats
Num. Vote % Before Won +/–
Democratic 351,073,28065.31%3534Decrease 1
Republican 26550,48033.50%01Increase 1
Independents 16,8850.42%00Steady
TPFA 16,3650.39%00Steady
Conservative 16,3170.38%00Steady
Total 641,643,327100%3535Steady

Background

[edit]
Apportionment of the Alabama Senate, in use from 1965 to 1973

In September 1965, the Senate was reapportioned to have 26 districts, three of which were multi-member districts. District 12, Jefferson County, had seven seats; District 24, Mobile, three; District 21, Montgomery, two. These three counties elected senators at-large, with candidates running for designated places. Four counties received one seat each, and the remaining 19 districts were divided up into multi-county districts containing between two and five counties.[4]

Before this election, the Alabama Senate had 35 single-member districts, based entirely on existing county lines. No county or district could have more than one member, no matter how large. This led to a massive population disparity that largely benefited rural areas of Alabama: The Jefferson County district, containing 634,864 people as of the 1960 United States census, was 20 times more populated than the smallest district, Bibb–Perry, with only 31,715 people.[5]

Deviation

[edit]

The table below will show the most-populated and least-populated senate districts under the 1962 and 1965 apportionment plans. The population of Alabama at the 1960 census was 3,266,740, with an ideal 93,335 people under a 35-district plan.

YearDistrictPopulation% of idealDiff.
1962 Jefferson634,864680.20% 20.01
Bibb–Perry31,71533.98%
1965 Madison117,348125.73% 1.46
Choctaw–Marengo–Sumter–Washington80,38186.12%

Incumbents

[edit]

Won re-election

[edit]

Only five incumbent senators were elected to the 1967–1970 legislature.

  • Jimmy Clark (Democratic) of Barbour won re-election.
  • Roland Cooper (Democratic) of Wilcox won re-election.
  • Walter C. Givhan (Democratic) of Dallas won re-election.
  • Ray Lolley (Democratic) of Coffee won re-election.
  • Emmett Oden (Democratic) of Franklin won re-election.

Eliminated in primary

[edit]
  • L. D. Bentley (Democratic) of Blount lost renomination in the runoff to Aubrey Carr.
  • Clayton Carter (Democratic) of Marshall lost renomination to Aubrey Carr.
  • E. O. Eddins (Democratic) of Marengo lost renomination to William Lindsey.
  • Kenneth Hammond (Democratic) of DeKalb lost renomination in the runoff to Dan Stone.
  • Jimmy McDow (Democratic) of Autauga lost renomination in the runoff to W. G. McCarley.
  • B. G. Robison (Democratic) of Pickens lost renomination to Jimmy Branyon.
  • H. B. Taylor (Democratic) of Butler lost renomination to Alton Turner.
  • A. C. Shelton (Democratic) of Calhoun withdrew during the runoff, giving the nomination to Woodrow Albea.

Did not seek re-election

[edit]
  • Charles Adams (Democratic) of Houston did not run for re-election.
  • Mutt Allen (Democratic) of Cullman did not run for re-election.
  • L. W. Brannan (Democratic) of Baldwin ran for state house.
  • Larry Dumas (Democratic) of Jefferson did not run for re-election.
  • Albert Evans (Democratic) of Choctaw did not run for re-election.
  • Bob Gilchrist (Democratic) of Morgan unsuccessfully ran for governor.
  • George Hawkins (Democratic) of Etowah did not run for re-election.
  • Ernest C. Hornsby (Democratic) of Tallapoosa did not run for re-election.
  • Ed Horton (Democratic) of Limestone did not run for re-election.
  • H. P. James (Democratic) of Bibb did not run for re-election.
  • Julian Lowe (Democratic) of Randolph did not run for re-election.
  • Neil Metcalf (Democratic) of Geneva unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.
  • Bill McCain (Democratic) of Tuscaloosa did not run for re-election.
  • Charles Montgomery (Democratic) of Greene did not run for re-election.
  • Pete Mathews (Democratic) of Clay successfully ran for state house.
  • Bill Nichols (Democratic) of ran successfully for U.S. House from the 4th congressional district.
  • Ed Reynolds (Democratic) of Macon did not run for re-election.
  • Roscoe Roberts (Democratic) of Madison did not run for re-election.
  • Vaughan Hill Robison (Democratic) of Montgomery did not run for re-election.
  • Joe Smith (Democratic) of Russell did not run for re-election.
  • John M. Tyson (Democratic) of Mobile unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.
  • Bob Wilson (Democratic) of Walker did not run for re-election.

General election results

[edit]
District Democratic Republican Others Total
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes Maj. Mrg.
1st Stewart O'Bannon17,98171.58% Kenn Buttram7,13928.42% ——— 25,120+10,842+43.16%
3rd Jack Giles21,04062.12% Wayne Robinson12,82837.88% ——— 33,868+8,212+24.25%
5th W. Emmet Oden14,26155.09% Jimmy Wilson11,62444.91% ——— 25,885+2,637+10.19%
6th Fred C. Folsom20,80067.73% Claude Gholston9,90832.27% ——— 30,708+10,892+35.47%
7th Aubrey Carr17,74465.38% J. D. Lay9,39434.62% ——— 27,138+8,350+30.77%
8th Ollie Nabors16,96371.49% Owen Leach6,76628.51% ——— 23,729+10,197+42.97%
9th Woodrow Albea12,50665.47% George Deyo6,59734.53% ——— 19,103+5,909+30.93%
10th James Branyon13,82481.70% James Herren3,09718.30% ——— 16,921+10,727+63.39%
11th E. W. Skidmore12,74160.94% Maxwell Peters8,16539.06% ——— 20,906+4,576+21.89%
12th p. 1 Hugh Morrow90,58267.52% Frank Lankford43,57932.48% ——— 134,161+47,003+35.03%
12th p. 2 Foster Etheredge65,33348.97% Leland Childs68,07251.03% ——— 133,405−2,739−2.05%
12th p. 3 John Hawkins86,02164.43% Malcolm Bethea47,49735.57% ——— 133,518+38,524+28.85%
12th p. 4 Richard Dominick72,61255.61% Norman Brown57,96344.39% ——— 130,575+14,649+11.22%
12th p. 5 George Bailes70,95253.73% Bill Bailey61,09846.27% ——— 132,050+9,854+7.46%
12th p. 6 Eddie Gilmore88,19166.68% C. P. Malone44,06233.32% ——— 132,253+44,129+33.37%
12th p. 7 Pat Vacca88,03366.99% James Price43,38833.01% ——— 131,421+44,645+33.97%
13th G. Kyser Leonard15,14472.37% Travis McCaig5,78227.63% ——— 20,926+9,362+44.74%
15th W. G. McCarley15,72465.36% James N. Smith8,33434.64% ——— 24,058+7,390+30.72%
16th Tom Radney16,09173.45% J. B. Ruffin5,81526.55% ——— 21,906+10,276+46.91%
20th Alton Turner12,72952.57% Harold Albritten4,59918.99% Fletcher Jones (Ind.)6,88528.44% 24,213+5,844+24.14%
21st p. 1 Junie Pierce21,51162.73% Robert E. Varner12,78137.27% ——— 34,292+8,730+25.46%
21st p. 2 O. J. Goodwyn20,24557.59% J. Paul Lowery14,90942.41% ——— 35,154+5,336+15.18%
24th p. 2 Pierre Pelham38,43061.76% Bert Nettles23,79538.24% ——— 62,225+14,635+23.52%
24th p. 3 William McDermott34,55555.08% John H. Friend21,86834.85% Phil Holmes (Con.)6,31710.07% 62,740+12,687+20.22%
25th Ernest Jackson12,37757.60% Robin Swift9,11142.40% ——— 21,488+3,266+15.20%
26th J. L. Adams11,81557.67% Edward Lisenby2,30911.27% William Matthews (TPFA)6,36531.07% 20,489+5,450+26.60%
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1967 (p. 637–642)[6]

Elected without opposition

[edit]

Every candidate elected with no opponents was a Democrat.

  • District 2: Bob Harris received 17,259 votes.
  • District 4: Dan Stone received 16,953 votes.
  • District 14: Walter C. Givhan received 18,847 votes.
  • District 17: C. C. Torbert Jr. received 14,880 votes.
  • District 18: Bill Lindsey received 9,400 votes.
  • District 19: Roland Cooper received 14,917 votes.
  • District 22: Ray Lolley received 16,998 votes.
  • District 23: Jimmy Clark received 12,384 votes.
  • District 24, place 1: Myland R. Engel received 43,437 votes.

Democratic primary results

[edit]

Of the 13 incumbent state senators who ran for re-election, only five received re-nomination in the Democratic primary.

One Black American ran for a senate seat, Lonnie Brown in District 19.[7]

Runoff results by district

[edit]

Candidates in boldface advanced to the general election. An asterisk (*) denotes a runoff winner who trailed in the first round.

District Winner Loser Total
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes Maj. Mrg.
1st Stewart O'Bannon12,86158.38% Buddy Hannah9,16941.62% 22,030+3,692+16.76%
2nd Bob Harris9,40457.29% Daren Easter7,01242.71% 16,416+2,392+14.57%
4th Dan Stone10,46961.44% Kenneth Hammond (inc.)6,57138.56% 17,040+3,898+22.88%
6th Fred Folsom*11,31651.91% Bob Gunn10,48348.09% 21,799+833+3.82%
7th Aubrey Carr9,72458.95% L. D. Bentley (inc.)6,77241.05% 16,496+2,952+17.90%
12th p. 2 Buck Etheredge53,08959.56% John Golden36,05140.44% 89,140+17,038+19.11%
15th W. G. McCarley7,22159.01% Jimmy McDow (inc.)5,01640.99% 12,237+2,205+18.02%
16th Tom Radney12,28752.51% Runt O'Daniel11,11447.49% 23,401+1,173+5.01%
19th Roland Cooper (inc.)15,35278.25% Lonnie L. Brown4,26721.75% 19,619+11,085+56.50%
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1967 (p. 599–607)[8]

Additionally, runoffs in District 9 and District 22 were planned, but were canceled after candidates withdrew from their races. Both withdrawals were from candidates who placed second in the first round.

  • District 9: Woodrow Albea advanced after A. C. Shelton (inc.) withdrew.[9]
  • District 22: Ray Lolley (inc.) advanced after L. L. Dozier withdrew.[10]

First round results by district

[edit]

Candidates in boldface advanced to either the general election or a runoff, first-place winners with an asterisk (*) did not face a runoff.

District First place Runners-up Others Total
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes Maj. Mrg.
1st Stewart O'Bannon6,39424.17% Buddy Hannah6,22223.52% 3 others[b]13,83752.31% 26,453+172+0.65%
2nd Bob Harris8,48542.95% Daren Easter5,33126.99% 2 others[c]5,93830.06% 19,754+3,154+15.97%
3rd Jack Giles*17,12371.15% Eugene J. Patterson6,94428.85% ——— 24,067+10,179+42.29%
4th Dan Stone8,71538.58% Kenneth Hammond (inc.)7,76934.39% Lawrence Sebring6,10627.03% 22,590+946+4.19%
5th Emmett Oden (inc.)*13,12254.19% U. R. Jarnigan11,09345.81% ——— 24,215+2,029+8.38%
6th Bob Gunn11,54542.23% Fred C. Folsom9,41134.43% Finis St. John6,38123.34% 27,337+2,134+7.81%
7th Aubrey Carr7,44528.15% L. D. Bentley Jr. (inc.)6,37824.12% 3 others[d]12,62547.74% 26,448+1,067+4.03%
8th Ollie W. Nabors*16,88069.91% E. L. Roberts7,26730.09% ——— 24,147+9,613+39.81%
9th Woodrow Albea8,89843.25% A. C. Shelton (inc.)5,84528.41% 2 others[e]5,83128.34% 20,574+3,053+14.84%
10th James Branyon*11,34456.73% B. G. Robison (inc.)8,65343.27% ——— 19,997+2,691+13.46%
11th E. W. Skidmore*10,16751.13% James L. Frazier6,24831.42% Joseph A. Colquitt3,46917.45% 19,884+3,919+19.71%
12th p. 2 Buck Etheredge47,81845.21% John Golden39,71237.55% Neal E. Hemphill18,23017.24% 105,760+8,106+7.66%
12th p. 3 John Hawkins*68,71363.55% Jerome A. Cooper39,41936.45% ——— 108,132+29,294+27.09%
12th p. 4 Richard Dominick*60,71561.56% Louis Moore37,91938.44% ——— 98,634+22,796+23.11%
12th p. 7 Pat Vacca*52,08655.60% John Lair28,54330.47% Henry Dozier13,05213.93% 93,681+23,543+25.13%
14th Walter C. Givhan (inc.)*16,53469.17% Dave Ellwanger7,37130.83% ——— 23,905+9,163+38.33%
15th W. G. McCarley8,54842.48% Jimmy McDow (inc.)6,94934.53% L. O. Goodwin4,62522.98% 20,122+1,599+7.95%
16th Tom Radney11,48848.80% H. H. O'Daniel7,54832.06% G. Lanier4,50719.14% 23,543+3,940+16.74%
18th W. H. Lindsey*14,32760.02% E. O. Eddins (inc.)7,80932.72% Wallace P. Pruitt1,7337.26% 23,869+6,518+27.31%
19th Roland Cooper (inc.)11,21846.09% Lonnie L. Brown7,28329.92% Maston M. Mims5,83823.99% 24,339+3,935+16.17%
20th Alton L. Turner*17,09069.83% H. B. Taylor (inc.)7,38430.17% ——— 24,474+9,706+39.66%
21st p. 2 O. J. Goodwyn*19,56057.84% Claud L. Walker14,25942.16% ——— 33,819+5,301+15.67%
22nd W. Ray Lolley (inc.)11,54049.00% L. L. Dozier8,13034.52% Bill Sandford3,88016.48% 23,550+3,410+14.48%
23rd Jimmy Clark (inc.)*12,51365.44% J. E. Putnam6,60834.56% ——— 19,121+5,905+30.88%
24th p. 2 Pierre Pelham*34,46168.13% Ralph A. Richard16,11831.87% ——— 50,579+18,343+36.27%
26th Charles L. Woods9,45946.46% J. L. Adams7,18535.29% 2 others[f]3,71718.26% 20,361+2,274+11.17%
Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1967 (p. 570–575)[11]

Nominated without opposition

[edit]

The following candidates automatically won the Democratic nomination, as no opponent filed to run against them.

  • District 12, place 1: Hugh Morrow
  • District 12, place 5: George L. Bailes
  • District 12, place 6: Eddie H. Gilmore
  • District 13: G. Kyser Leonard
  • District 17: C. C. Torbert Jr.
  • District 21, place 1: Junie Pierce
  • District 24, place 1: Mylan R. Engel
  • District 24, place 3: William McDermott
  • District 25: J. Ernest Jackson

Republican convention

[edit]

The Alabama Republican Party did not nominate candidates by partisan primary, instead choosing its nominees by party convention. The state GOP convention was held on July 30, 1966, at Montgomery's Garrett Coliseum, with county and local conventions occurring earlier. The state party initially expected to nominate a full slate of candidates for all 35 seats,[12] but did not end up doing so. The following candidates were selected:[13]

  • District 1: Kenn Buttram
  • District 3: Wayne Robinson
  • District 5: Jimmy Wilson
  • District 6: Claude Gholston
  • District 7: J. D. Lay
  • District 8: Owen Leach
  • District 9: George Deyo
  • District 10: James Herren
  • District 11: Maxwell Peters
  • District 12, place 1: Frank Lankford
  • District 12, place 2: Leland Childs
  • District 12, place 3: Malcolm Bethea
  • District 12, place 4: Norman Brown
  • District 12, place 5: Bill Bailey
  • District 12, place 6: C. P. Malone
  • District 12, place 7: James Price
  • District 13: Travis McCaig
  • District 15: James N. Smith
  • District 16: J. B. Ruffin
  • District 20: Harold Albritten
  • District 21, place 1: Robert E. Varner
  • District 21, place 2: J. Paul Lowery
  • District 24, place 2: Bert Nettles
  • District 24, place 3: John H. Friend
  • District 25: Robin Swift
  • District 26: Edward Lisenby

Jefferson County convention

[edit]

The Jefferson County Republican convention was held on June 3, 1966. A full slate of House and Senate candidates were picked to oppose Democrats.[14]

1966 Jefferson County Republican convention
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Norman K. Brown 382 14.10%
Republican Malcolm Bethea 381 14.06%
Republican William Bailey 372 13.73%
Republican Charles P. Malone 353 13.03%
Republican James E. Price 353 13.03%
Republican Leland Childs 269 9.93%
Republican Frank E. Lankford 217 8.01%
Republican Jack Callaway 206 7.60%
Republican Sidney W. Smyer Jr. 124 4.58%
Republican Grover S. McLeod 53 1.96%
Total votes 2,710 100.00%

Third party and independent candidates

[edit]

The newly-formed Conservative Party of Alabama held a party convention on Saturday, July 23, 1966, at the Whitley Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama. Only one state senate candidate, Phil Holmes in Mobile County's District 24, place 3, was nominated. The party's inaugural convention saw about 100 delegates attend.[15] He came in third in the general election with 10% of the vote.

One candidate, William "Buddy" Matthews, ran under the "Third Party for America" banner in District 26 in Houston and Dale counties.[16] He came in second in the general election with 31% of the vote, ahead of the Republican nominee.

In the four-county 20th district, Democratic state representative Fletcher Jones filed to run as an independent candidate after failing to qualify for the Democratic primary election.[17] He came in second in the general election with 28% of the vote, ahead of the Republican nominee.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ 6th district until the 1965 reapportionment
  2. ↑ George C. Copeland: 6,062 votes, 22.92%; Robert H. Broadfoot: 5,353 votes, 20.24%; Louis A. Vinson: 2,422 votes, 9.16%
  3. ↑ Norman C. Albright: 4,082 votes, 20.66%; Carl B. Sides: 1,856 votes, 9.40%
  4. ↑ Roy H. Coshatt: 5,082 votes, 19.22 %; Clayton Carter (inc.): 4,249 votes, 16.07%; Clinton E. Moore: 3,294 votes, 12.45%
  5. ↑ Catherine A. Whitehead: 3,110 votes, 15.12%; Elvin C. McCrary: 2,721 votes, 13.23%
  6. ↑ Nick Saad: 3,057 votes, 15.01%; Albert E. Saliba: 660 votes, 3.24%

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Pro-Wallace men will dominate Senate". The Birmingham News. 9 November 1966. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Bryant, William O. (4 March 1966). "State Poll Tax Ruled Illegal". Birmingham Post-Herald. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Dowe, Dan; Fox, Al (11 January 1967). "Legislators recess after vote canvass". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "New Senate Lineup". Birmingham Post-Herald. 24 September 1965. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Pearson, Ted (16 June 1964). "High court edict may force rural solon dominance's end". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  6. ↑ Howard, Milo B. (1967). Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1967. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History. pp. 637–642. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Fox, Al (8 May 1966). "Four familiar Senate faces won't return". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Howard, Milo B. (1967). Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1967. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History. pp. 599–607. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "G. H. Deyo Joins Race for Senate". The Anniston Star. 1 June 1966. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Dozier Quits Lolley's Race". The Dothan Eagle. Associated Press. 12 May 1966. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  11. ↑ Howard, Milo B. (1967). Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1967. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History. pp. 570–575. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "To Seek All Seats In Senate". Alabama Journal. 7 July 1966. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  13. ↑ "Candidates for Top Posts, State Legislature Listed". The Huntsville Times. Associated Press. 31 July 1966. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  14. ↑ "Here's how convention vote went". The Birmingham News. 4 June 1966. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  15. ↑ "Party Hints At Opposing Sparkman". Birmingham Post-Herald. 26 July 1966. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  16. ↑ "Third Man Seeks Senate Post". The Dothan Eagle. 2 August 1966. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  17. ↑ McGregor, Jim (30 April 1966). "Thwarted By Court Ruling, Jones Files As Independent". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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