1948 United States Senate election in Colorado

The 1948 United States Senate election in Colorado took place on November 2, 1948. Incumbent Democratic Senator Edwin C. Johnson was re-elected to third term in a landslide over Republican Will Nicholson, a businessman and Air Force veteran.

1948 United States Senate election in Colorado

November 2, 1948

Nominee Ed Johnson Will Nicholson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 340,719 165,059 Percentage 66.79% 32.36%

U.S. senator before election Edwin C. Johnson Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson Democratic

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Eugene Cervi, newspaperman and Chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party[1]
• Edwin C. Johnson, incumbent Senator since 1933

Results

1948 U.S. Senate Democratic primary[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Edwin C. Johnson	84,919	71.86%
	Democratic	Eugene Cervi	33,262	28.15%
Total votes			118,181	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Will Nicholson, owner of the Denver Bears and Air Force veteran
• John C. Vivian, former Governor of Colorado from 1943 to 1947

Results

1948 U.S. Senate Republican primary[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Will Nicholson	48,716	53.09%
	Republican	John C. Vivian	43,052	46.91%
Total votes			91,768	100.00%

General election

Results

General election results[2][3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Edwin C. Johnson (inc.)	340,719	66.79%	16.56
	Republican	Will Nicholson	165,059	32.36%	16.83
	Progressive	John Gurule	2,981	0.58%	N/A
	Socialist	Carle Whitehead	1,352	0.27%	0.13
Total votes			510,111	100.00%

See also

• 1948 United States Senate elections

References

1. https://www.iswne.org/contests/cervi/eugene-cervi-award/article_ac595e10-5292-11e1-b491-0019bb2963f4.html
2. https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/pdf/1900-1999/1948AbstractBook.pdf
3. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1949). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1948" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.