Wikipedia

1938 Iowa Senate election

The 1938 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1938 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in 22 of the state senate's 50 districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.

1938 Iowa Senate election
← 1936 November 8, 1938 1940 →
22 out of 50 seats in the Iowa State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 28 22
Seats before 29[a] 21[a]
Seats after 38 12
Seat change Increase9 Decrease9
Results
     Republican gain
     Democratic hold      Republican hold

A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the 1938 elections is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.

The primary election on June 6, 1938, determined which candidates appeared on the November 8, 1938 general election ballot.[2][3]

Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 28 seats to Democrats' 22 seats. Following a special election in 1937 in district 1, Republicans flipped the first district to their party. Therefore, on election day in November 1938, Republicans held 29 seats to Democrats' 21.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 5 Senate seats.

Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1938 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 38 seats and Democrats having 12 seats (a net gain of 9 seats for Republicans).

Summary of Results

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  • Note: The 28 holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.
State Senate District Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
1st Stanley Lawrence Hart[a] Rep Stanley Lawrence Hart Rep
7th Paul Lambert Millhone Rep Carl Oscar Sjulin Rep
9th James M. Bell Dem Frederick P. Cromwell Rep
10th Arthur Claire Dewey Rep Arthur Claire Dewey Rep
12th Eugene Irving Mason Dem John Edwin Talbott Rep
13th Roy E. Stevens Dem Elmer K. Bekman Rep
18th Frank Pelzer Rep Frank Pelzer Rep
20th Elmer Primer Corwin Rep Elmer Primer Corwin Rep
21st David W. Kimberly Rep Frank D. Martin Rep
22nd Harold L. Irwin Dem Otto H. Henningsen Rep
29th John W. Billingsley Rep Ross Rutledge Mowry Rep
30th James J. Gillespie Dem George M. Faul Rep
32nd Tom Ellis Murray Dem Linus Forsling Rep
34th Andrew Bell Dem Robert W. Harvey Rep
35th Howard C. Baldwin Dem Howard C. Baldwin Dem
37th George Raymond Hill Rep George Raymond Hill Rep
38th John Peter Berg Rep John Peter Berg Rep
42nd Samuel D. Goetsch[b] Dem Edward Henry Vrba Dem
44th Edward P. Donohue Rep Edward P. Donohue Rep
45th Henry Julius Grunewald Dem Richard V. Leo Rep
48th I. G. Chrystal Dem Ralph E. Benson Rep
50th Albert Josiah Shaw Rep Albert Josiah Shaw Rep

Source:[4]

Detailed Results

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  • NOTE: The 28 districts that did not hold elections in 1938 are not listed here.

District 1 • District 7 • District 9 • District 10 • District 12 • District 13 • District 18 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 29 • District 30 • District 32 • District 34 • District 35 • District 37 • District 38 • District 42 • District 44 • District 45 • District 48 • District 50

  • Note: If a district does not list a primary, then that district did not have a competitive primary (i.e., there may have only been one candidate file for that district).[5]

District 1

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Iowa Senate, District 1 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Stanley L. Hart (incumbent)[a] 7,819 58.9
Democratic J. O. Boyd 5,455 41.1
Total votes 13,274 100.0
Republican hold

District 7

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Iowa Senate, District 7 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Carl O. Sjulin 8,891 64.7
Democratic Harold J. Teachout 4,841 35.3
Total votes 13,732 100.0
Republican hold

District 9

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Iowa Senate, District 9 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred Cromwell 6,830 63.5
Democratic James M. Bell (incumbent) 3,919 36.5
Total votes 10,749 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 10

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Iowa Senate, District 10 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican A. Claire Dewey (incumbent) 7,930 66.4
Democratic William Griffin 4,008 33.6
Total votes 11,938 100.0
Republican hold

District 12

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Iowa Senate, District 12 Democratic Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic E. I. Mason (incumbent) 1,058 61.3
Democratic Adkins 668 38.7
Total votes 1,726 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 12 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John E. Talbott 7,616 58.1
Democratic E. I. Mason (incumbent) 5,439 41.6
Farmer–Labor Arthur VanZanty 43 0.3
Total votes 13,098 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 13

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Iowa Senate, District 13 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. K. Bekman 6,700 51.1
Democratic Chester L. Johns 6,354 48.5
Farmer–Labor D. W. Matheny 49 0.4
Total votes 13,103 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 18

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Iowa Senate, District 18 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank Pelzer (incumbent) 2,679 64.4
Republican Hulsehus 1,482 35.6
Total votes 4,161 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 18 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank Pelzer (incumbent) 7,466 52.5
Democratic Walter Gregersen 6,747 47.5
Total votes 14,213 100.0
Republican hold

District 20

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Iowa Senate, District 20 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. P. Corwin (incumbent) 3,337 70.9
Republican Hudler 1,367 29.1
Total votes 4,704 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 20 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. P. Corwin (incumbent) 8,222 65.0
Democratic Henry Wildasin 4,420 35.0
Total votes 12,642 100.0
Republican hold

District 21

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Iowa Senate, District 21 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank D. Martin 11,795 51.1
Democratic Nic LeGrand 11,293 48.9
Total votes 23,088 100.0
Republican hold

District 22

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Iowa Senate, District 22 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican O. H. Henningsen 2,862 57.6
Republican Long 2,104 42.4
Total votes 4,966 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 22 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican O. H. Henningsen 9,526 53.9
Democratic H. L. Irwin (incumbent) 8,146 46.1
Total votes 17,672 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 29

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Iowa Senate, District 29 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ross R. Mowry 1,218 41.2
Republican Decker 780 26.4
Republican Baker 523 17.7
Republican Hagen 434 14.7
Total votes 2,955 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 29 Democratic Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic J. E. Craven 855 35.6
Democratic Hall 641 26.7
Democratic Morgan 625 26.0
Democratic Rigdon 280 11.7
Total votes 2,401 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 29 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ross R. Mowry 5,215 51.5
Democratic J. E. Craven 4,910 48.5
Total votes 10,125 100.0
Republican hold

District 30

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Iowa Senate, District 30 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George M. Faul (incumbent) 7,176 39.7
Republican Brown 6,063 33.6
Republican Miller 4,820 26.7
Total votes 18,059 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 30 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George M. Faul 30,324 57.7
Democratic James J. Gillespie (incumbent) 21,788 41.6
Farmer–Labor Guy O. McElrea 272 0.5
Prohibition Henry McCraven 126 0.2
Total votes 52,510 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 32

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Iowa Senate, District 32 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican L. B. Forsling 5,378 79.7
Republican Brand 1,368 20.3
Total votes 6,746 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 32 Democratic Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic P. H. McGrath 2,598 56.1
Democratic Waller 2,033 43.9
Total votes 4,631 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 32 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican L. B. Forsling 16,576 57.2
Democratic P. H. McGrath 11,923 41.2
Farmer–Labor Earl Crowl 473 1.6
Total votes 28,972 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 34

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Iowa Senate, District 34 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert W. Harvey 3,073 64.9
Republican Harshbarger 1,659 35.1
Total votes 4,732 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 34 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert W. Harvey 11,600 51.7
Democratic Andrew Bell (incumbent) 10,826 48.3
Total votes 22,426 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 35

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Iowa Senate, District 35 Democratic Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Howard C. Baldwin (incumbent) 6,761 53.6
Democratic Rhomberg 5,849 46.4
Total votes 12,610 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 35 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Howard C. Baldwin (incumbent) 12,122 100.0
Total votes 12,122 100.0
Democratic hold

District 37

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Iowa Senate, District 37 Democratic Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dewey Gilbert 1,452 69.9
Democratic Schmedeke 625 30.1
Total votes 2,077 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 37 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican G. R. Hill (incumbent) 10,290 57.1
Democratic Dewey Gilbert 7,718 42.9
Total votes 18,008 100.0
Republican hold

District 38

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Iowa Senate, District 38 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John P. Berg (incumbent) 14,670 59.5
Democratic J. E. Cundy 9,858 40.0
Farmer–Labor Vance J. Price 116 0.5
Total votes 24,644 100.0
Republican hold

District 42

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Iowa Senate, District 42 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sam D. Goetsch[b] (incumbent) 2,103 56.5
Republican Miller 1,622 43.5
Total votes 3,725 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 42 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward H. Vrba 7,905 52.4
Republican Sam D. Goetsch[b] (incumbent) 7,180 47.6
Total votes 15,085 100.0
Democratic hold

District 44

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Iowa Senate, District 44 Republican Primary Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. P. Donohue (incumbent) 2,793 55.2
Republican Hill 2,267 44.8
Total votes 5,060 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 44 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. P. Donohue (incumbent) 7,719 100.0
Total votes 7,719 100.0
Republican hold

District 45

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Iowa Senate, District 45 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard V. Leo 8,322 54.3
Democratic Henry J. Grunewald (incumbent) 7,016 45.7
Total votes 15,338 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 48

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Iowa Senate, District 48 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph E. Benson 10,304 58.9
Democratic E. L. Zitzlsperger 7,180 41.1
Total votes 17,484 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 50

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Iowa Senate, District 50 General Election, 1938
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Albert J. Shaw (incumbent) 8,723 64.1
Democratic R. V. Neville 4,890 35.9
Total votes 13,613 100.0
Republican hold
  1. ^ a b c d Democratic Senator Timothy Francis "T. F." Driscoll of District 1 died in early 1937. In the subsequent special election, Republican Stanley Lawrence Hart flipped the first district to his party.[1]
  2. ^ a b c Senator Goetsch switched parties and ran for re-election as a Republican. He lost in the general election to Democrat Ed Vrba.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Iowa Official Register 1939-1940" (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. ^ "Primary Election 1938 For State Senator" (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "General Election 1938 For State Senator" (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  4. ^ "Legislators". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "Primary Election for State Senator 1938" (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
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