The 1934 United States Senate special election in Montana took place on November 6, 1934. Incumbent United States Senator John E. Erickson, who, as governor, had appointed himself to the seat in 1933 upon the death of Thomas J. Walsh, ran for re-election. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by

James E. Murray James Edward Murray (May 3, 1876March 23, 1961) was an American politician and United States Senator from Montana, and a liberal leader of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Senate from 1934 until 1961. Background Born on a f ...

, who was the former

Silver Bow County Silver Bow County is a county in the U.S. state Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,133. Its county seat is Butte. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the single entity of Butte-Silver Bow. Additional ...

Attorney and the Chairman of the State Advisory Board of the Public Works Administration. In the general election, Murray defeated

Scott Leavitt Scott Leavitt (June 16, 1879 – October 19, 1966) was a U.S. Representative from Montana. He served as chairman of the House Committee on Indian Affairs. Early life Scott Leavitt was born in Elk Rapids, Michigan in 1879 to Roswell Leavitt, a ...

, a former United States Congressman who had represented

Montana's 2nd congressional district Montana's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the United States House of Representatives that was apportioned after the 2020 United States census. The first candidates ran in the 2022 elections for a seat in the 118th Uni ...

, and an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

candidate in a landslide to win his first term in the Senate.

Democratic primary

Candidates

, Chairman of the State Advisory Board of the Public Works Administration, former

Attorney * James F. O'Connor, former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives * John E. Erickson, incumbent United States Senator *Louis P. Donovan *John A. Lovelace *W. W. Hamilton

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

, former

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

* Wellington D. Rankin, former United States Attorney for the District of Montana, former Attorney General of Montana *Leonard C. Young *James A. Jergenson

Results

General election

Results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Senate Special Election In Montana, 1934

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

1934 Montana elections Montana 1934 Montana Senate (Class II) United States Senate 1934