1946 Alabama Senate election

The 1946 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 5, 1946, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. The result an electoral wipeout, as all 35 candidates elected were members of the Democratic Party. The election used the same districts first drawn by the Alabama Constitution of 1901.
32 of the 35 Democratic nominees did not face any opposition in the general election. As the Democratic Party was dominant in the state, state legislative seats were generally decided at the Democratic primary election. The first round of the Democratic primary was held on May 7 with runoff elections on June 4.
Senator J. Bruce Henderson of Wilcox County was unanimously chosen to be President pro tempore of the Senate on January 14, 1947.
The election took place concurrently with elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state house, and numerous other state and local offices.

Incumbents

Most incumbent senators in multi-county districts did not seek re-election, as a gentlemen's agreement compelled state senators to give up their seats to allow a candidate from another county to serve.

Won re-election

District 22: J. Bruce Henderson won re-election.
District 24: Preston C. Clayton won re-election.
District 28: Silas D. Cater won re-election. Cater succeeded Charles A. Stakley in January 1943 after his resignation.

Eliminated in primary

District 3: Finis St. John Jr. lost renomination to C. B. Harvey.
District 8: Richard B. Kelly Jr. lost renomination to Graham Wright. Kelly succeeded Kenneth A. Roberts in May 1943 after his resignation.
District 20: O. D. Carlton lost renomination to T. B. Perry.
District 33: Vincent F. Kilborn lost renomination to Joseph N. Langan.
District 11: Gordon Madison lost renomination to Henry H. Mize.

Did not seek re-election

District 1: Orlan B. Hill unsuccessfully ran for a circuit court judgeship.
District 2: Vernon L. St. John did not seek re-election.
District 4: Charles E. Shaver did not seek re-election.
District 5: J. B. Benson did not seek re-election.
District 6: Sam High sought the state house seat from St. Clair County, but withdrew for unspecified reasons.
District 7: Elvin McCary unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.
District 9: Will O. Walton was elected a circuit court judge.
District 10: Lee Hornsby did not seek re-election. Was subsequently elected to Elmore County's first state house seat after a special primary in July 1946.
District 12: Reuben Newton unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.
District 13: James A. Simpson unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate.
District 14: John H. Pinson was elected to Sumter County's first state house seat.
District 15: George M. Taylor did not seek re-election.
District 16: J. Monroe Black did not seek re-election.
District 17: Tully A. Goodwin did not seek re-election.
District 18: T. J. Jones did not seek re-election.
District 19: Gerald Bradford unsuccessfully ran for Clarke County's first state house seat.
District 21: W. W. Garrett was elected to Monroe County's sole state house seat.
District 23: Douglas Brown did not seek re-election.
District 25: M. N. Dodson did not seek re-election.
District 26: Lawrence K. Andrews did not seek re-election.
District 27: S. L. Toomer did not seek re-election.
District 29: Lem J. Cobb unsuccessfully ran for Cherokee County's sole state house seat.
District 30: John L. Sherrer unsuccessfully ran for Dallas County's first state house seat. Sherrer succeeded Edgar Poe Russell in March 1943 after his resignation in January 1943.
District 31: Jim Smith Jr. did not seek re-election. Unsuccessfully ran for the 1947 Alabama's 8th congressional district special election.
District 32: L. J. Lawson did not seek re-election.
District 34: Charles S. Bentley did not seek re-election.
District 35: M. W. Espy did not seek re-election.

General election results

Elected without opposition

Every candidate elected without an opponent was a Democrat.

District 1: David U. Patton received 4,587 votes.
District 2: Noble J. Russell received 4,676 votes.
District 4: R. J. Lowe received 3,765 votes.
District 5: C. J. Owens received 4,150 votes.
District 6: James B. Allen received 6,662 votes.
District 7: Tom Blake Howle received 3,077 votes.
District 8: Graham Wright received 2,632 votes.
District 9: Paul J. Hooton received 3,728 votes.
District 10: Broughton Lamberth received 5,010 votes.
District 11: Henry H. Mize received 3,764 votes.
District 12: Fuller Kimbrell received 7,725votes.
District 14: W. E. Barrett received 2,339 votes.
District 16: C. Mac Golson received 707 votes.
District 17: R. G. Kendall Jr. received 4,671 votes.
District 18: W. H. Cooper received 2,376 votes.
District 19: Ben N. Glover received 3,572 votes.
District 20: T. B. Perry received 1,349 votes.
District 21: G. R. Swift received 4,833 votes.
District 22: J. Bruce Henderson received 1,163 votes.
District 23: J. A. Hughes received 3,212 votes.
District 24: Preston C. Clayton received 1,526 votes.
District 25: Vernon S. Summerlin received 4,599 votes.
District 26: Forrest G. Bridges received 1,676 votes.
District 27: A. L. Patterson received 2,449 votes.
District 28: Silas D. Carter received 5,831 votes.
District 29: T. F. Burnside received 6,684 votes.
District 30: George P. Quarles received 1,980 votes.
District 31: Rankin Fite received 7,453 votes.
District 32: James S. Coleman Jr. received 1,725 votes.
District 33: Joseph N. Langan received 5,102 votes.
District 34: John E. Gaither received 4,436 votes.
District 35: W. G. Hardwick received 2,811 votes.

Democratic primary results

Runoff results by district

Candidates in boldface advanced to the general election.

First round results by district

Candidates in boldface advanced to either the general election or a runoff, first-place winners with an asterisk did not face a runoff.

Nominated without opposition

The following candidates automatically won the Democratic nomination, as no opponent filed to run against them:

District 1: David U. Patton
District 4: R. J. Lowe
District 6: James B. Allen
District 9: Paul J. Hooton
District 16: C. Mac Golson
District 17: R. G. Kendall Jr.
District 18: W. H. Cooper
District 21: G. R. Swift
District 23: J. A. Hughes
District 24: Preston C. Clayton
District 26: Forrest G. Bridges
District 30: George P. Quarles
District 35: W. G. Hardwick

1943–1946 special elections

District 28 (Montgomery)

A special election in Senate District 28 was made necessary by the resignation of Charles A. Stakely in December 1942 upon his enlistment in the Navy. Twenty-one of the twenty-three members of the Montgomery County Democratic Executive Committee endorsed Silas D. Cater to fill the seat. Cater did not face opposition from any Republican or independent candidate.

District 30 (Dallas)

A special election in Senate District 30 was made necessary by the resignation of Edgar Poe Russell in January 1943 upon his appointment to the Alabama Department of Corrections by governor Chauncey Sparks. John L. Sherrer was nominated by the county Democratic executive committee unopposed, and did not face opposition from any Republican or independent candidate.

District 8 (Talladega)

A special election in Senate District 3 was made necessary by the resignation of Kenneth A. Roberts in March 1943 upon his enlistment in the Navy. Richard B. Kelly Jr., who placed third in the regular Democratic primary in 1942, was nominated by the county Democratic executive committee in March 1943, and did not face opposition from any Republican or independent candidate.