Legality of Cannabis by U.S. Jurisdiction

1948 United States Senate election in Colorado

← 1942 November 2, 1948 1954 →
 
Nominee Ed Johnson Will Nicholson
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 340,719 165,059
Percentage 66.79% 32.36%

County results
Johnson:
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Edwin C. Johnson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Edwin C. Johnson
Democratic

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, winning every county in the state.

Johnson outperformed fellow Democrat Harry S. Truman in the concurrent presidential election by 29%. As of 2023, this is the last time that an incumbent Democratic Senator from Colorado was re-elected or won re-election for this seat.

Democratic primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

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

Results[edit]

1948 U.S. Senate Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edwin C. Johnson (incumbent) 84,919 71.86%
Democratic Eugene Cervi 33,262 28.15%
Total votes 118,181 100.00%

Republican primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

Results[edit]

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[edit]

Results[edit]

General election results[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Edwin C. Johnson (inc.) 340,719 66.79% Increase16.56
Republican Will Nicholson 165,059 32.36% Decrease16.83
Progressive John Gurule 2,981 0.58% N/A
Socialist Carle Whitehead 1,352 0.27% Decrease0.13
Total votes 510,111 100.00%

See also[edit]

References[edit]