Electoral history of Wayne Morse facts for kids

Wayne Morse

This article is about the elections and political journey of Wayne Morse, who was a U.S. Senator from Oregon. He was also a candidate for president in 1960 and a "favorite-son" candidate in 1952.

Wayne Morse started his political career as a Republican. But he later became an independent politician in 1952. By 1955, he joined the Democratic Party. This shows how his political views changed over time.

Wayne Morse's First Senate Wins

Wayne Morse was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1944. He ran as a Republican and won by a good margin.

1944 Senate Election

This map shows the results of the 1944 U.S. Senate election in Oregon.

Here are the results for the 1944 election:

1950 Senate Election

Six years later, in 1950, Wayne Morse ran for re-election. He was still a Republican. He won again with a very large percentage of the votes.

This map shows the results of the 1950 U.S. Senate election in Oregon.

Here are the results for the 1950 election:

Wayne Morse Changes Parties

In 1952, Wayne Morse was still a Republican. He even ran in the Republican presidential primaries from Oregon. A "favorite-son" candidate is someone who runs in their home state's primary to show support for their state.

1952 Republican Presidential Primaries

Morse did not win the primary. Dwight D. Eisenhower won by a lot. After this, Morse left the Republican Party and became an independent. A few years later, he joined the Democratic Party.

Here are the results from the Oregon Republican primary in 1952:

• Dwight D. Eisenhower - 172,486 (64.55%)
• Earl Warren - 44,034 (16.48%)
• Douglas MacArthur - 18,603 (6.96%)
• Robert A. Taft (write-in) - 18,009 (6.74%)
• Wayne Morse - 7,105 (2.66%)
• Harold Stassen - 6,610 (2.47%)
• William R. Schneider - 350 (0.13%)

Morse's Later Senate Wins as a Democrat

After becoming a Democrat, Wayne Morse continued his career in the Senate.

1956 Senate Election

In 1956, Wayne Morse ran for the Senate again. This time, he ran as a Democrat. He won his third term, showing his popularity even after changing parties.

This map shows the results of the 1956 U.S. Senate election in Oregon.

Here are the results for the 1956 election:

1962 Senate Election

Wayne Morse ran for re-election in 1962 and won his fourth term as a Senator. He continued to represent Oregon in the U.S. Senate.

This map shows the results of the 1962 U.S. Senate election in Oregon.

Here are the results for the 1962 election:

Morse's Presidential Campaigns

Wayne Morse also tried to become president. He ran in the Democratic presidential primaries in 1960.

1960 Democratic Presidential Primaries

Morse ran in several state primaries, including Washington, D.C., Maryland, and his home state of Oregon. He faced strong candidates like John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey.

This map shows the results of the 1960 Democratic presidential primaries.

Here are some of the results:

Washington, D.C. Primary

• Hubert Humphrey - 8,239 (57.35%)
• Wayne Morse - 6,127 (42.65%)

Maryland Primary

• John F. Kennedy - 201,769 (70.31%)
• Wayne Morse - 49,420 (17.22%)
• Unpledged - 24,350 (8.49%)
• Lar Daly - 7,536 (2.63%)
• Andrew J. Easter - 3,881 (1.35%)

Oregon Primary

• John F. Kennedy - 146,332 (50.97%)
• Wayne Morse - 91,715 (31.95%)
• Hubert Humphrey - 16,319 (5.68%)
• Stuart Symington - 12,496 (4.35%)
• Lyndon B. Johnson - 11,101 (3.87%)
• Adlai Stevenson (write-in) - 7,924 (2.76%)
• Others - 1,210 (0.42%)

Overall, in the 1960 Democratic presidential primaries, Wayne Morse received 147,262 votes, which was 2.51% of the total.

Later Elections and Challenges

Wayne Morse faced tough elections later in his career.

1968 Senate Election

In 1968, Wayne Morse ran for re-election to the Senate. He first had to win a primary election against another Democrat, Robert B. Duncan. Morse won the primary, but it was a close race.

This map shows the results of the 1968 Democratic primary for U.S. Senator in Oregon.

Here are the primary results:

In the general election, Morse lost to Republican Bob Packwood. This ended his long career in the U.S. Senate.

This map shows the results of the 1968 U.S. Senate election in Oregon.

Here are the general election results:

1972 Senate Election

Even after losing in 1968, Wayne Morse tried to return to the Senate in 1972. He won the Democratic primary again. Here are the primary results:

In the general election, he ran against the incumbent Republican Senator Mark Hatfield. Morse lost this election as well.

This map shows the results of the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Oregon.

Here are the general election results:

Morse also received a few votes for the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States in 1972. This happened when the original candidate, Thomas Eagleton, was replaced.

1974 Senate Primary

Wayne Morse ran for the Senate one last time in 1974. He won the Democratic primary. Here are the primary results:

Sadly, Wayne Morse passed away before the general election in 1974. Another candidate, Betty Roberts, took his place on the ballot.