United States Senate election in New York, 1964

United States Senate election in New York, 1964
New York
November 3, 1964
 
Nominee Robert F. Kennedy Kenneth Keating
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 3,823,749 3,104,056
Percentage 53.5% 43.4%

County Results
U.S. Senator before election

Kenneth Keating
Republican

 Elected U.S. Senator

Robert F. Kennedy
Democratic

The 1964 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kenneth Keating ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Robert F. Kennedy.

Nominations

The Socialist Labor state convention met on March 29 and nominated John Emanuel.[1] The Republican state convention met on August 31, and re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Kenneth B. Keating.[2] The Conservative state convention met on August 31 at Saratoga Springs, New York, and nominated Prof. Henry Paolucci.[3] The Democratic state convention met on September 1, and nominated U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy on the first ballot with 968 votes against 153 for Congressman Samuel S. Stratton.[4] The Liberal Party met on September 1, and endorsed the Democratic nominee, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.[5] The Socialist Workers Party filed a petition to nominate candidates on September 7. Richard Garza was nominated.[6]

Campaign

John English, a Nassau County leader who helped John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential election, encouraged Robert Kennedy to oppose Keating. At the time, Samuel S. Stratton, a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 35th congressional district, was considered the most likely Democratic candidate. At first, Kennedy resisted. After President Kennedy's assassination, Robert Kennedy remained as Attorney General for Lyndon B. Johnson. However, Johnson and Kennedy feuded. Kennedy decided to run for the Senate in New York in August, and resigned from the Cabinet on September 3, 1964. While many reform Democrats resisted Kennedy, support from Robert F. Wagner, Jr., and party bosses like Charles A. Buckley, of The Bronx, and Peter J. Crotty,[7] of Buffalo, helped Kennedy win the nomination at the party convention.[8]

During the campaign, Kennedy was frequently met by large crowds. Keating accused Kennedy of being a carpetbagger. Kennedy responded to these charges in a televised town meeting by saying, "If the senator of the state of New York is going be selected on who's lived here the longest, then I think people are going vote for my opponent. If it's going be selected on who's got the best New York accent, then I think I'm probably out too. But I think if it's going be selected on the basis of who can make the best United States senator, I think I'm still in the contest."[9]

Results

The Democratic/Liberal candidate was elected. Campaign help from President Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the Democratic landslide after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, helped carry Kennedy into office, as Kennedy polled two million votes less in New York than Johnson did.

The incumbent Keating was defeated.

1964 state election result
Ticket U.S. Senator
Democratic Robert F. Kennedy 3,539,746
Liberal Robert F. Kennedy 284,646
Republican Kenneth B. Keating 3,104,056
Conservative Henry Paolucci[10] 212,216
Socialist Labor John Emanuel[11] 7,358
Socialist Workers Richard Garza[12] 4,202
For Total Votes, the Democratic and Liberal votes for Kennedy are combined.
Sources

References

  1. ↑ Senate Candidate Chosen in NYT on March 30, 1964 (subscription required)
  2. ↑ KEATING CHOSEN BY REPUBLICANS IN SHOW OF UNITY; Fino and Other Dissidents Yield to Party Chiefs at State Convention Here in NYT on September 1, 1964 (subscription required)
  3. ↑ PAOLUCCI NAMED BY CONSERVATIVES in NYT on September 1, 1964 (subscription required)
  4. ↑ KENNEDY SWAMPS STRATTON TO WIN STATE NOMINATION; Democrats Name Attorney General, 968 to 153, at a Noisy Convention Here; NOMINEE ANSWERS FOES; He Says New York's First Senator Was an Able Man From Massachusetts; Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, a sudden new power in New York politics, won the Democratic nomination for Senator yesterday at one of the most boisterous state conventions ever held here. in NYT on September 2, 1964 (subscription required)
  5. ↑ KENNEDY NAMED BY LIBERAL PARTY; Opposition to Candidacy Is Angry but Scattered; The Liberal party's state convention listened to some angry but scattered opposition last night and then enthusiastically nominated Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy for United States Senator. in NYT on September 2, 1964 (subscription required)
  6. ↑ Socialist Workers' Petitions Names Negro for President in NYT on September 8, 1964 (subscription required)
  7. ↑ Peter J. Crotty (ca. 1910-1992), lawyer, of Buffalo, President of the Buffalo City Council 1948-51, Peter J. Crotty, Democratic Force In Western New York, Dies at 82 in NYT on March 4, 1992
  8. ↑ The Carpetbagger, 1964 in NYT on February 23, 1999
  9. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/06/15/senate.2000/hillary.carpetbaggers/
  10. ↑ Dr. Henry Paolucci (1921-1999), Professor of Comparative Literature and Ancient Greek and Roman History at Iona College, later Professor of Government and Politics at St. John's University, Henry Paolucci, 77, Scholar and a Leader in Conservative Party Obit in NYT on January 6, 1999
  11. ↑ John Emanuel (b. ca. 1908 in Greece), "fur worker," ran also for Comptroller in 1954; and for Lieutenant Governor in 1958 and 1962
  12. ↑ Richard Garza (b. ca. 1928 The Bronx), "restaurant worker and seaman," ran also for Mayor of New York in 1961; and for Governor in 1962

See also

External links

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