1936 United States Senate election in Michigan

The 1936 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 3, 1936. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator James J. Couzens ran for re-election to a third term in office, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Governor Wilber Brucker. Brucker was defeated in the general election by Democratic U.S. Representative Prentiss M. Brown, becoming the first Democrat to win this seat since 1853.

1936 United States Senate election in Michigan

← 1930 November 3, 1936 1942 →

Nominee Prentiss M. Brown Wilber M. Brucker Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 910,937 714,602 Percentage 53.29% 41.80%

County results Brown:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Brucker:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election James J. Couzens Republican Elected U.S. Senator Prentiss M. Brown Democratic

Republican primary

Candidates

• Wilber M. Brucker, Governor of Michigan
• James J. Couzens, incumbent Senator since 1922

Results

1936 Republican Senate primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Wilber M. Brucker	328,560	62.26%
	Republican	James J. Couzens (incumbent)	199,204	37.75%
Total votes			357,595	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Prentiss M. Brown, U.S. Representative from St. Ignace
• Ralph W. Liddy
• John Muyskens
• Louis B. Ward, editor of Social Justice and aide to Father Charles Coughlin

Results

1936 Democratic Senate primary^[2][3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Prentiss M. Brown	125,338	36.32%
	Democratic	Louis B. Ward	117,872	34.16%
	Democratic	Ralph W. Liddy	71,963	20.85%
	Democratic	John Muyskens	29,935	8.67%
Total votes			357,595	100.00%

Ward contested the results and ran in the general election as a Third Party candidate.

General election

Results

1936 U.S. Senate election in Michigan^[4][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Prentiss M. Brown	910,937	53.29%	32.38
	Republican	Wilber M. Brucker	714,602	41.80%	36.35
	Third	Louis B. Ward	75,680	4.43%	N/A
	Socialist	Roy E. Mathews	4,994	0.29%	0.01
	Communist	Lawrence Emery	2,145	0.13%	0.31
	Socialist Labor	Ralph Naylor	510	0.03%	N/A
	Commonwealth	Albert B. Sheldon	429	0.03%	N/A
	American	Edward N. Lee	147	0.01%	N/A
Total votes			1,709,444	100.00%
	Democratic gain from Republican

Aftermath

Senator Couzens died on October 22. After his election, Brown was appointed to complete the remaining two months of Couzens's unexpired term.

See also

• 1936 United States Senate elections