# 1938 United States Senate special election in New Jersey

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vte :
The United States Senate special election of 1938 in New Jersey was held on November 8, 1938.
The vacancy was created when incumbent Senator A. Harry Moore resigned to become Governor of New Jersey. Interim appointee John Gerald Milton did not run in the election.
Former Republican U.S. Senator William Warren Barbour returned to the Senate after defeating Democrat William H. J. Ely, the state administrator of the Works Progress Administration.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* William H. J. Ely, administrator of the New Jersey WPA and former State Senator from Bergen County

### Results

1938 Democratic U.S. Senate special primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | William H. J. Ely | 286,625 | 100.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 286,625 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* William Warren Barbour, former U.S. Senator (1931–37)
* C. Dan Coskey, candidate for Senate in 1936
* George O. Pullen, supporter of Francis Townsend

#### Declined

* Joseph Frelinghuysen, former U.S. Senator (1917–23) (endorsed Barbour)

### Results

1938 Republican Senate special primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William Warren Barbour | 309,967 | 89.83% |
| | Republican | George O. Pullen | 21,645 | 6.27% |
| | Republican | C. Dan Coskey | 13,444 | 3.90% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 345,056 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

* William Warren Barbour (Republican), former U.S. Senator (1931–37)
* John C. Butterworth (Socialist Labor)
* William H. J. Ely (Democrat), administrator of the New Jersey WPA
* Louis H. Kelley (Prohibition)
* William Norman (Communist)
* John Palangio (Socialist)
* Fred Turner (Townsend)

### Results

1938 United States Senate special election in New Jersey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William Warren Barbour | 816,667 | 52.98% |
| | Democratic | William H. J. Ely | 704,159 | 45.68% |
| | Prohibition | Louis H. Kelley | 8,201 | 0.53% |
| | Socialist | John Palangio | 3,671 | 0.24% |
| | Townsend Pension-Labor | Fred Turner | 3,521 | 0.23% |
| | Communist | William Norman | 3,515 | 0.23% |
| | Socialist Labor | John C. Butterworth | 1,873 | 0.12% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 112,508 | 7.30% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,541,607 | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |