| Elections in Tennessee |
|---|
 |
 Government |
The 1940 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth D. McKellar was re-elected to a fifth term in office, defeating Republican Howard Baker.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Kenneth McKellar, incumbent senator since 1917
- John Randolph Neal Jr., attorney, academic, and perennial candidate
- Claude C. Tolen
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kenneth McKellar (incumbent) | 230,055 | 91.54% | |
| Democratic | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 14,583 | 5.80% | |
| Democratic | Claude C. Tolen | 6,671 | 2.66% | |
| Total votes | 251,309 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Howard Baker Sr., former state representative and candidate for governor in 1938 (Republican)
- Kenneth McKellar, incumbent senator since 1917 (Democratic)
- John Randolph Neal Jr., attorney, academic, and perennial candidate (independent)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kenneth McKellar (incumbent) | 295,440 | 70.80% |  7.41
| |
| Republican | Howard Baker Sr. | 121,790 | 29.19% |  6.62
| |
| Independent | John Randolph Neal Jr. | 35 | 0.01% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 417,265 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
References
- ^ "TN US Senate - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ "TN US Senate". OurCampaigns. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (1941). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.