1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama

The 1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1978. It was a special election to fill the seat which had been held by Senator Jim Allen, who died on June 1. His widow Maryon was appointed on June 8 by governor George Wallace to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held.[1]

1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama
November 7, 1978
 
Nominee Donald W. Stewart James D. Martin
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 401,852 316,170
Percentage 55.1% 43.3%
County results
Stewart:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Martin:      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Maryon Pittman Allen
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Donald W. Stewart
Democratic

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Government

Democratic state senator Donald W. Stewart defeated Allen in the Democratic primary then defeated former Republican Congressman James D. Martin to serve the remaining two years of the term.

Primary election

Primary elections were held on September 5, 1978, with the Democratic runoff held on September 26, 1978.

Candidates

Results
Primary election results[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Maryon Pittman Allen (incumbent) 334,156 44.51%
Democratic Donald W. Stewart 259,795 34.61%
Democratic Ted Taylor 70,894 9.44%
Democratic Dan Wiley 66,689 8.88%
Democratic Gene Myracle 19,166 2.55%
Total votes 750,700 100.00%
Primary runoff election results[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donald W. Stewart 502,346 57.20%
Democratic Maryon Pittman Allen (incumbent) 375,894 42.80%
Total votes 878,240 100.00%

Candidates
  • Elvin McCary, Republican nominee for Governor in 1974
  • George W. Nichols, attorney[8]

Results
Primary election results[9][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George W. Nichols 15,637 72.47%
Republican Elvin McCary 5,941 27.53%
Total votes 21,578 100.00%

Withdrew

Nichols withdrew from the race in order that James D. Martin, former U.S. Representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district, who had been nominated to run in the concurrent regular Senate election, could switch races.[10]

General election

Results
United States Senate special election in Alabama, 1978[11][12][13][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donald W. Stewart 401,852 54.93%
Republican James D. Martin 316,170 43.22%
Libertarian Michael R. A. Erdey 6,006 0.82%
Prohibition A. J. Killingsworth 5,814 0.80%
Peace and Freedom Joseph T. Robino 1,768 0.24%
Majority 85,682 11.74%
Turnout 731,610
Democratic hold

Bibliography
  • Congressional Elections, 1946-1996. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-248-4.

See also

References
  1. "Maryon Pittman Allen", Women in Congress (website), Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, archived from the original on January 1, 2012, retrieved March 3, 2012
  2. "Myracle to file". Alabama Journal. Montgomery, Alabama. June 15, 1978. p. 35. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  3. "Who is Ted Taylor?". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. 27 July 1978. p. 18. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  4. "Wiley: Mrs. Allen okay after all". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. September 16, 1978. p. 8. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  5. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 104.
  6. "AL US Senate – Special D Primary, 1978". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  7. "AL US Senate – Special D Primary Runoff, 1978". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  8. "Former Democrats McCary, Nichols vie for GOP nomination to Sen. Allen's seat". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. August 27, 1978. p. 14. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  9. "AL US Senate – Special R Primary, 1978". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  10. "Martin to switch to Stewart race?". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. October 2, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  11. "AL US Senate - Special Election, 1978". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  12. Scammon, Richard M.; McGillivray, Alice V.., eds. (1979). America Votes 13: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1978. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc. p. 37.
  13. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 81.
  14. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1979). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
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