1970 Alabama Senate election

1970 Alabama Senate election
November 3, 1970
All 35 seats in the Alabama State Senate
18 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Leader O.J. Goodwyn
(did not stand) 		— Leland Childs
(lost re-election)[a]
Party Democratic National Democratic Republican
Leader since January 10, 1967 — January 10, 1967
Leader's seat 24th p. 2 — 12th p. 2
Last election 34 seats, 61.2% New 1 seat, 37.6%
Seats won 35 0 0
Seat change 1 1
Popular vote 1,246,646 188,808 7,469
Percentage 82.51% 12.50% 0.49%
     Democratic hold      Democratic gain
Democratic:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100%      Unopposed
President pro tempore before election

O.J. Goodwyn
Democratic

Elected President pro tempore

Pierre Pelham
Democratic

The 1970 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 3, 1970, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. Every single seat was won by a white male Democrat.[1] In the previous general election, one Republican, Leland Childs, was elected, but had unsuccessfully sought re-election as a Democrat.[2]

The Democratic primaries were held on May 5 with runoffs on June 2, which candidates had until February 28 to qualify for. Neither the Republican Party nor the NDPA held primaries for state office, instead opting to nominate by party convention. The Republican convention took place in Birmingham on July 17.[3]

This was the last state senate election in Alabama before a 1973 federal court order mandated a new legislative map with single-member districts. At this point, the state had used a mixed system of single-member and multi-member districts to allocate seats in the legislature, all based on pre-existing county lines.[4]

Summary

Party Candidates Seats
Num. Vote % Before Won +/–
Democratic 35 1,246,646 82.51% 34 35 1
NDPA 13 188,808 12.50% 0 0
Conservative 9 51,668 3.42% 0 0
Independent Party 2 13,359 0.88% 0 0
Republican 2 7,469 0.49% 1 0 1
Whig 1 2,877 0.19% 0 0
Write-in — 7 0.0005% — 0
Total 62 1,510,827 100% 35 35

By district

†: Incumbent did not run for reelection. ‡: Lost re-nomination.

District Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
1st Stewart O'Bannon Dem Stewart O'Bannon Dem
2nd Bob Harris Dem Bob Harris Dem
3rd Jack Giles Dem Gene McLain Dem
4th Dan Stone‡ Dem Kenneth Hammond Dem
5th Emmet Oden † Dem Joe Fine Dem
6th Fred Folsom † Dem Bob Wilson Dem
7th Aubrey Carr Dem Aubrey Carr Dem
8th Ollie Nabors † Dem Richard Malone Dem
9th Woodrow Albea‡ Dem Fred Ray Lybrand Dem
10th Jimmy Branyon Dem Jimmy Branyon Dem
11th E. W. Skidmore † Dem Richard Shelby Dem
12th p. 1 Pat Vacca Dem Pat Vacca Dem
12th p. 2 Leland Childs Rep[b] Tom King Dem
12th p. 3 John Hawkins Dem John Hawkins Dem
12th p. 4 Richard Dominick Dem Richard Dominick Dem
12th p. 5 George L. Bailes Dem George L. Bailes Dem
12th p. 6 Eddie H. Gilmore Dem Eddie H. Gilmore Dem
12th p. 7 Hugh Morrow † Dem Doug Cook Dem
13th G. Kyser Leonard † Dem Robert Weaver Dem
14th Walter C. Givhan Dem Walter C. Givhan Dem
15th W. G. McCarley † Dem Obee J. Littleton Dem
16th Tom Radney Dem Robert H. Wilder Dem
17th Bo Torbert † Dem Don Horne Dem
18th Pat Lindsey Dem Pat Lindsey Dem
19th Roland Cooper Dem Roland Cooper Dem
20th Alton Turner † Dem Crum Foshee Dem
21st p. 1 Junie Pierce Dem Junie Pierce Dem
21st p. 2 O. J. Goodwyn Dem Tom Jones Dem
22nd W. Ray Lolley‡ Dem L. L. Dozier Dem
23rd James S. Clark Dem James S. Clark Dem
24th p. 1 L. W. Noonan Dem L. W. Noonan Dem
24th p. 2 Pierre Pelham Dem Pierre Pelham Dem
24th p. 3 William McDermott Dem Robert W. Edington Dem
25th J. Ernest Jackon † Dem Dick Owen Jr. Dem
26th Jim Adams † Dem Larry Register Dem

Incumbents

Won re-election

The following incumbent senators sought and won re-election:

  • District 1: Stewart O'Bannon
  • District 2: Bob Harris
  • District 7: Aubrey Carr
  • District 10: Jimmy Branyon
  • District 12, place 1: Pat Vacca
  • District 12, place 3: John Hawkins
  • District 12, place 4: Richard Dominick
  • District 12, place 5: George L. Bailes
  • District 12, place 6: Eddie H. Gilmore
  • District 14: Walter C. Givhan
  • District 18: Pat Lindsey
  • District 19: Roland Cooper
  • District 21, place 1: Junie Pierce
  • District 23: James S. Clark
  • District 24, place 1: L. W. Noonan
  • District 24, place 2: Pierre Pelham

Eliminated in primary

The following incumbent senators were defeated at their respective Democratic primary:

  • District 4: Dan Stone lost re-nomination to Kenneth Hammond.
  • District 9: Woodrow lost re-nomination to Albea Fred Lybrand.
  • District 12, place 2: Leland Childs (R–Jefferson) ran for re-election as a Democrat, but lost the nomination to Tom King.
  • District 22: W. Ray Lolley lost re-nomination to L. L. Dozier.

Did not seek re-election

The following incumbent senators did not seek re-election:

General election results

District Democratic National Democratic Others Total
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes Maj. Mrg.
2nd Bob Harris (inc.) 18,235 95.10% Tom King 940 4.90% — — — 19,175 +17,295 +90.20%
7th Aubrey Carr (inc.) 19,184 94.98% Lynn Ridgeway 1,014 5.02% — — — 20,198 +18,170 +89.96%
9th Fred Ray Lybrand 14,599 77.13% — — — Robert Simmons Jr. (Rep.) 4,329 22.87% 18,928 +10,270 +54.26%
10th Jimmy Branyon (inc.) 17,989 76.62 Rev. H. Western 5,490 23.38% — — — 23,479 +12,499 +53.23%
12th p. 1 Pat Vacca (inc.) 93,826 74.39% John Billingsley 25,917 20.55% William Mori (Con.) 6,380 5.06% 126,123 +67,909 +53.84%
12th p. 2 Tom King 91,650 72.30% T. L. Crowell 24,001 18.93% Lionel Ledbetter (Con.) 11,104 8.76% 126,755 +67,649 +53.37%
12th p. 3 John Hawkins (inc.) 98,577 79.56% Herbert Johnson 22,448 18.12 Virginia Davis (Whi.) 2,877 2.32% 123,902 +76,129 +61.44%
12th p. 4 Richard Dominick (inc.) 90,759 72.56% William. M. Pruitt 23,062 18.44% William L. Gann (Con.) 11,255 9.00% 125,076 +67,697 +54.12%
12th p. 5 George L. Bailes (inc.) 87,568 68.52% Georgia Price 23,816 18.64% 2 others[c] 16,412 12.85% 127,796 +63,752 +49.89%
12th p. 6 Eddie H. Gilmore (inc.) 96,054 77.00% Charles F. Williams 23,160 18.57% Homer Sanders (Con.) 5,534 4.44% 124,748 +72,894 +58.43%
12th p. 7 Doug Cook 95,265 76.25% Emory. L. Whittaker 24,424 19.55% Wesley Jacobs (Con.) 5,242 4.20% 124,931 +70,841 +56.70%
14th Walter C. Givhan (inc.) 16,247 81.30% L. L. Anderson 3,736 18.70% Carl Morgan (write-in) 1 0.01% 19,983 +12,511 +62.61%
16th Robert H. Wilder 6,290 84.17% — — — Bill Lacy (Con.) 1,183 15.83% 7,473 +5,107 +68.34%
18th Pat Lindsay (inc.) 14,533 58.13% O. B. Wilson 7,328 29.31% E. T. Rolison Jr. (Rep.) 3,140 12.56% 25,001 +7,205 +28.82%
19th Roland Cooper (inc.) 17,120 83.14% Damon Kiel 3,472 16.86% — — — 20,592 +13,648 +66.28%
21st p. 2 Tom Jones 27,766 95.35% — — — Virgil Chrane (Con.) 1,355 4.65% 29,121 +26,411 +90.69%
23rd James S. Clark (inc.) 12,751 93.21% — — — Zeke Calhoun (AIP) 929 6.79% 13,680 +11,822 +86.42%
24th p. 3 Robert W. Edington 48,186 90.39% — — — W. C. Boykin (Con.) 5,123 9.61% 53,309 +43,063 +80.78%
Source: 1975 Alabama Official and Statistical Register (p. 215–217)[7]

Elected without opposition

The following candidates were the only candidates to file for their district's general election:

  • District 1: Stewart O'Bannon (inc.) received 19,448 votes.
  • District 3: Gene McLain received 28,832 votes.
  • District 4: Kenneth Hammond received 16,839 votes. 1 write-in vote was recorded.
  • District 5: Joe Fine received 17,738 votes.
  • District 6: Bob Wilson received 24,163 votes. 2 write-in votes were recorded.
  • District 8: Richard Malone received 15,879 votes.
  • District 11: Richard Shelby received 18,511 votes.
  • District 13: Robert Weaver received 18,059 votes.
  • District 15: Obie J. Littleton received 18,356 votes.
  • District 17: Don Horne received 15,133 votes.
  • District 20: Crum Foshee received 16,363 votes.
  • District 21, place 1: Junie Pierce (inc.) received 26,834 votes.
  • District 22: L. L. Dozier received 18,509 votes. 2 write-in votes were recorded.
  • District 24, place 1: L. W. Noonan received 40,020 votes.
  • District 24, place 2: Pierre Pelham (inc.) received 41,277 votes.
  • District 25: Dick Owen received 16,215 votes. 1 write-in vote was recorded.
  • District 26: Larry Register received 19,497 votes.

Democratic primary results

Five Black Americans ran in the state senate primaries. Henry Parker, Larry F. Haygood and Austin Sumbry were eliminated in the first round in May, while L. H. Pitts and L. L. Anderson advanced to the June runoff.[8] Neither won the Democratic nomination.

Runoff results by district

Three incumbent senators won re-nomination in the runoff, while three lost re-nomination.[9] Robert H. Wilder initially faced a runoff in District 16 against L. L. Still, but Still declined to participate in the runoff, allowing Wilder to advance to the general election.[10]

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

District Winner Loser Total
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes Maj. Mrg.
1st Stewart O'Bannon (inc.) 16,639 50.27% Murry Beasley 16,459 49.73% 33,098 +180 +0.54%
4th Kenneth Hammond 16,999 58.23% Dan Stone (inc.) 12,193 41.77% 29,192 +4,806 +16.46%
6th Robert Wilson 21,088 54.13% Hubert Taylor 17,871 45.87% 38,959 +3,217 +8.26%
8th Richard Malone* 14,922 50.55% Gary Burns 14,599 49.45% 29,521 +323 +1.09%
9th Fred Lybrand 13,878 50.49% Woodrow Albea (inc.) 13,607 49.51% 27,485 +271 +0.99%
12th p. 1 Pat Vacca (inc.) 98,051 56.91% Lucius Pitts 74,234 43.09% 172,285 +23,817 +13.82%
12th p. 2 Tom King 94,455 57.01% Leland Childs (inc.) 71,240 42.99% 165,695 +23,215 +14.01%
13th Robert Weaver 13,440 62.97% Mallory Hammonds 7,903 37.03% 21,343 +5,537 +25.94%
14th Walter C. Givhan (inc.) 14,560 65.56% L. L. Anderson 7,650 34.44% 22,210 +6,910 +31.11%
21st p. 2 W. Tom Jones* 23,423 53.13% James W. Cameron 20,662 46.87% 44,085 +2,761 +6.26%
22nd L. L. Dozier* 15,607 51.63% Neil Metcalf 14,619 48.37% 30,226 +988 +3.27%
26th Larry Register* 15,489 55.62% William Matthews 12,358 44.38% 27,847 +3,131 +11.24%
Source: The Huntsville Times[9]

First round results by district

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 Ref.
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes Maj. Mrg.
1st Stewart O'Bannon (inc.) 6,025 39.53% Bob Broadfoot 3,586 23.53% 2 others[d] 5,632 36.95% 15,243 +2,439 +16.00% [11]
3rd Gene McLain* 22,548 60.39% Harry L. Pennington 14,790 39.61% — — — 37,338 +7,758 +20.78% [12]
4th Kenneth Hammond 11,188 42.69% Dan Stone (inc.) 7,965 30.39% Bernard Cabiness 7,053 26.91% 26,206 +3,223 +12.30% [13]
5th Joe Fine* 4,162 58.50% Thomas E. Snoddy 1,261 17.73% 3 others [e] 1,691 23.77% 7,114 +2,901 +40.78% [11]
6th Hubert Taylor 16,864 46.36% Robert T. Wilson 15,858 43.59% Leonard Wilson 3,658 10.05% 36,380 +1,006 +2.77% [14]
7th Aubrey J. Carr (inc.)* 10,905 52.58% John W. Starnes 9,835 47.42% — — — 20,740 +1,070 +5.16% [11]
8th Gary F. Burns 8,431 44.00% Richard Malone 7,275 37.96% Birch Anderson 3,457 18.04% 19,163 +1,156 +6.03%
9th Fred Lybrand 10,448 45.07% Woodrow Albea (inc.) 8,861 38.22% L. S. Suggs 3,875 16.71% 23,184 +1,587 +6.85% [15]
11th Richard C. Shelby* 14,006 59.55% Olin W. Zeanah 9,513 40.45% — — — 23,519 +4,493 +19.10% [11]
12th p. 1 Paul Vacca (inc.) 73,296 49.90% Lucius H. Pitts 57,906 39.42% M. L. Roton 15,693 10.68% 146,895 +15,390 +10.48% [16]
12th p. 2 Tom King 66,782 47.06% Leland Childs (inc.) 62,973 44.37% Curtis Belcher 12,166 8.57% 141,921 +3,809 +2.68%
12th p. 4 Richard Dominick (inc.)* 67,287 51.21% Jack H. Harrison 57,952 44.10% Robert S. Watters 6,157 4.69% 131,396 +9,335 +7.10%
12th p. 5 George L. Bailes (inc.)* 70,391 51.12% Don Watts 50,852 36.93% H. L. Parker 16,442 11.94% 137,685 +19,539 +14.19%
12th p. 7 Doug Cook* 85,516 66.36% Louis Moore 31,810 24.68% Sam L. Chestnut 11,540 8.96% 128,866 +53,706 +41.68%
13th Robert Weaver 13,752 49.80% Mallory W. Hammonds 9,035 32.72% Sam Venable 4,829 17.49% 27,616 +4,717 +17.08% [17]
14th Walter C. Givhan (inc.) 6,865 44.22% Louis Lloyd Anderson 4,820 31.05% Carl C. Morgan 3,839 24.73% 15,524 +2,045 +13.17% [18]
15th Obie Littleton* 12,786 59.52% Alex Hayes 6,622 30.82% H. A. Rubin 2,075 9.66% 21,483 +6,164 +28.69% [11]
16th Robert H. Wilder 9,285 35.26% L. L. Still 5,523 20.97% 3 others[f] 11,527 43.77% 26,335 +3,762 +14.29%
17th Don Horne* 6,011 66.24% Charles E. Fuller 3,063 33.76% — — — 9,074 +2,948 +32.49%
19th Roland Cooper (inc.)* 7,874 58.16% Gene Garrett 4,443 32.82% Rob Andress 1,222 9.03% 13,539 +3,431 +25.34% [19]
20th E. C. Foshee* 15,477 56.88% Fletcher Jones 11,735 43.12% — — — 27,212 +3,742 +13.75% [20]
21st p. 1 Junie Pierce (inc.)* 19,898 56.36% J. C. Snowden 12,155 34.43% James V. Scoma 3,251 9.21% 35,304 +7,743 +21.93% [21]
21st p. 2 James W. Cameron 11,975 32.74% W. Tom Jones 11,666 31.89% 2 others[g] 12,939 35.37% 36,580 +309 +0.84%
22nd Neil Metcalf 7,522 34.50% L. L. Dozier 6,269 28.75% 2 others [h] 8,011 36.74% 21,802 +1,253 +5.75% [11]
23rd James S. Clark (inc.)* 2,585 75.70% Austin Sumbry 830 24.30% — — — 3,415 +1,755 +51.39% [22]
24th p. 3 Robert S. Edington* 32,256 55.33% Rassie G. Smith 26,045 44.67% — — — 58,301 +6,211 +10.65% [11]
26th William Matthews 9,660 43.14% Larry Register 8,109 36.21% 2 others[i] 4,624 20.65% 22,393 +1,551 +6.93%

Nominated without opposition

The following candidates were the only candidates to file for their district's Democratic primary, which automatically gave them the nomination:[23]

  • District 2: Bob Harris (inc.)
  • District 10: Jimmy Branyon (inc.)
  • District 12, place 3: John Hawkins (inc.)
  • District 12, place 6: Eddie H. Gilmore (inc.)
  • District 18: Pat Lindsey (inc.)
  • District 24, place 1: L. W. Noonan
  • District 24, place 2: Pierre Pelham (inc.)
  • District 25: Dick Owen originally faced opposition in the Democratic primary, but his opponents withdrew.[24]

Republican convention

On July 17–18, the Republican state convention nominated three candidates for state senate:[25]

  • District 9: Robert Simmons Jr.
  • District 17: Jerry Cook
  • District 18: E. T. Rolison Jr.

Cook, however, had withdrawn as a candidate a few days before the convention. An attempt was made to get Democratic incumbent Bo Torbert to run as a Republican, he rejected the offer.[26]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ran in the Democratic primaries
  2. ^ First elected as a Republican, unsuccessfully ran for re-election as a Democrat
  3. ^ Don Watts (AIP): 12,430, 9.73%; Jim McLendon (Con.): 3,982, 3.12%
  4. ^ James D. Alexander: 2,824, 18.53%; Murray W. Beasley: 2,808, 18.42%
  5. ^ Wayne Gentry: 897, 12.61%; Frank Murray: 611, 8.59%; Edsel F. Moore: 183, 2.57%
  6. ^ Larry F. Haygood: 4,997, 18.97%; W. C. Forehand: 4,903, 18.62%; Oscar David Cook: 1,627, 6.18%
  7. ^ Calvin Whitesell: 10,266, 28.06%; Robert Muncaster: 2,673, 7.31%
  8. ^ W. Ray Lolley (inc.): 4,131, 18.95%; John B. Crawley: 3,880, 17.80%
  9. ^ Charles H. Davis: 2,334, 10.42%; George L. Keel: 2,290, 10.23%

References

  1. ^ "State Senate Stays Male, White, Demo". The Montgomery Advertiser. 5 November 1970. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Pro-Wallace men will dominate Senate". The Birmingham News. 9 November 1966. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Candidates Are Named During Primary Voting". The Montgomery Advertiser. 1 March 1970. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  4. ^ Sellers, Bill (6 February 1974). "Reapportionment Causes Headaches For Many In State". The Mobile Register. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Voters to decide 13 offices". The Anniston Star. 30 October 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  6. ^ "55 House races will be decided in runoff election". The Birmingham News. 17 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  7. ^ Howard, Milo B. (1975). Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1975. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Eight Negroes Make Runoffs". The Huntsville Times. Associated Press. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  9. ^ a b "10 House Members Fall In State Vote". The Huntsville Times. Associated Press. 3 June 1970. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Official Vote Count in; Candidates Eye Run-offs". Alexander City Outlook. 14 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Cooper apparently wins another bid; Sen. Givhan ahead". The Birmingham News. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Box-by-Box Results in Local and State Races". The Huntsville Times. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Three-County Runoffs Seen". The Huntsville Times. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  14. ^ "11 Senate Seats On Tuesday Ballot". The Montgomery Advertiser. 31 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Official Vote". The Anniston Star. 7 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  16. ^ Bruer, Frank (14 May 1970). "Official county vote canvass makes no change in standings". Birmingham Post-Herald. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  17. ^ "Five Win In Talladega; Five Offices Go To Runoff". The Anniston Star. 7 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  18. ^ "County Votes To Name Four Local Officers Tuesday". The Selma Times-Journal. 31 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Sen. Cooper Leading 2 Opponents". The Montgomery Advertiser. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  20. ^ Bailey, Stan (8 May 1970). "Two-County Seat 29 Features Photo Finish". Alabama Journal. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  21. ^ Skinner, Franklin (8 May 1970). "Brewer Wins Montgomery County by 6,148 Votes". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  22. ^ "Little Apparent Barbour County Judge Nominee". The Dothan Eagle. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  23. ^ Fox, Al (1 March 1970). "21 legislative candidates draw no opposition in primary". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  24. ^ "Johnson Withdraws from Senate Race". The Mobile Press. 18 March 1970. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  25. ^ "GOP Slate". The Mobile Press. 20 July 1970. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Cook Withdraws From Senate Race". The Opelika-Auburn News. 16 July 1970. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
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