The Pittsburgh Press (April 13, 1942)
Background of news –
Turnover in Congress
By editorial research reports
The 1942 primary elections for Congress open in Illinois tomorrow. Most of the incumbent members from Illinois face contests for renomination. Politicians of both parties will scan the results eagerly to discover if public resentment at Congress is as deep as is rumored.
In normal years, few members of Congress fail of renomination if they desire it. In 1940, only five of the 36 Senators whose seats were being contested were defeated in the primaries (three others were not candidates). In the House, there were five vacant seats. In the other 430 cases, 397 members (92%) were renominated, 23 others (5%) were not candidates and only 10 (<3%) were defeated for renomination. There is, of course, no way to tell how many of the members who did not choose to run again were actuated by fears of defeat if they did run.
As a result of the mid-term election of 1938, 33 members of the House were replaced by members of the same political party.
In 1936, 25 of the 35 Senators who were candidates were renominated, eight were not candidates and only two were defeated. On the House side, 372 of the 391 members trying for renomination obtained it, only 19 (5%) were defeated. So the turnover in the Congress which convened in 1937 was due much more to the results of the general election (in which the Republicans gained 80 House seats and six Senate seats) than 5o the primary results.
Deaths and resignations also account for some of the normal turnover in Congress. In the last Congress, seven Senators died and one other resigned; 24 Representatives died and six others resigned.
In the elections of 1940, the Republicans gained five Senate seats, lost seven House seats. The political alignment in Congress as a result of the 1940 elections was as follows:
Senate
66 Democrats, 28 Republicans, 2 others.
House
267 Democrats, 162 Republicans, 6 others.
A number of Congressional districts went Democratic in 1949 by a fairly close margin. If in 1942 the Republican candidates in those districts should retain all the Republican votes cast in 1940 and at the same time should gain 10% of the votes cast for the Democratic candidates in 1940, the Republicans would gain 48 House seats which the Democrats now hold. In addition, the vote in 22 other districts would be almost 50–50.
The foregoing conclusion is based upon figures which include six Pennsylvania districts. However, since the Pennsylvania districts have been reapportioned for this year’s election, the figures fail to reflect possible realignment of voter strength in the shifts necessary to reduce 34 districts to 32.
The House alignment would then be as follows:
210 Republicans, 197 Democrats, 6 others, 22 in doubt.
In three states, the results in certain districts would depend on the attitude of third parties: the American Labor Party in New York, the Progressive Party in Wisconsin and the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota. It should also be noted that in 1940, certain House candidates in California had both the Democratic and the Republican nomination.
The Pittsburgh Press (April 14, 1942)
Will Rogers Jr. named candidate for Congress
Beverly Hills, Cal., April 14 (UP) –
Will Rogers Jr., Beverly Hills publisher and son of the late Will Rogers, famed American humorist, was endorsed by the Democratic council of the 16th District today as its candidate for Congress.
Mr. Rogers, who has not filed a nominating petition, warned supporters they might have to carry on the campaign alone. He is a reserve officer in the field artillery and is scheduled for induction into the Army soon.