The Evening Star (August 2, 1946)
McKellar renominated to Senate by wide margin in Tennessee
Gov. McCord, supported by Crump, is easy winner over Gordon Browning
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) – Sen. McKellar, the 77-year-old dean of the upper house, won Democratic renomination and a sixth term in Washington yesterday in a statewide primary election marked by bloodshed and violence.
Backed by the powerful Democratic organization of Edward H. Crump in Shelby County (Memphis), the veteran Sen. McKellar rolled up a margin of nearly two-to-one against his chief opponent, CIO-backed Edward Ward Carmack.
The Shelby County vote was an avalanche for Sen. McKellar, but he outdistanced Mr. Carmack in the rest of the state as well. Democratic nomination is equivalent to election.
Results tabulated
Unofficial returns from 1,925 out of approximately 2,300 precincts gave:
| Sen. McKellar | 165,836 |
| Carmack | 94,314 |
| Byron Johnson | 1,736 |
| John R. Neal | 2,168 |
| Herman H. Ross | 2,125 |
Also assured of renomination was incumbent Democratic Gov. Jim Nance McCord, who ran on a coalition ticket with Sen. McKellar and also was supported by the Crump organization.
Gov. McCord swamped his opponent, former Gov. Gordon Browning, 164,389 to 105,221 on reports from 1,920 precincts. Mr. Browning made the race at the urging of friends despite his job as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Civil Affairs staff in Germany where he remained throughout the electioneering.
Although his principal backer, the Nashville Tennessean, early conceded his defeat, Mr. Carmack early today still withheld formal conceding, saying only “if I am convinced I have lost this race I shall wire congratulations to Sen. McKellar.” Mr. Carmack’s race was the first full-fledged test of PAC influence in Tennessee, for he was indorsed formally by the state PAC while a national PAC executive expressed disapproval of Sen. McKellar as a leader of “Southern reactionaries.”
Earthman is trailing
Seven congressional races were contested in the Democratic or Republican primaries yesterday and apparently five of the six incumbents won renomination.
The exception was Rep. Earthman, who was trailing his opponent, former Maj. Joe L. Evins by 6,700 votes. With 270 of the fifth district’s 286 precincts reporting in the Democratic primary, Mr. Evins, young Smithville attorney, had 21,221 votes, Rep. Earthman 14,463.
Dayton Phillips, district attorney general of Elizabethon, was far out in front in the all-Republican race for the first congressional seat to be vacated by B. Carroll Reece, chairman of the Republican National Committee. Mr. Phillips was 4,300 votes ahead of the nearest of his four opponents, with unofficial returns in from 207 of the district’s 274 precincts.
Backed by Crump
Rep. Davis, who had the backing of the Crump organization, Courtney and Kefauver had little trouble in their races, maintaining a heavy lead throughout.
However, the returns were close at first for Rep. Cooper, who was opposed by Circuit Judge Lyle Cherry, with the vote in from 223 of the ninth district’s 230 precincts. Rep. Cooper had 18,356 votes; Judge Cherry. 13,606.
In the sixth district, Rep. Priest won easily a hotly-fought race over four opponents. With returns in from 78 of the 79 precincts, he had a 5,800-vote lead over his nearest opponent.