# 1944 United States Senate special election in New Jersey

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vte :
The 1944 United States Senate special election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1944.
The election was held to fill the unexpired term of W. Warren Barbour, who died in November 1943. H. Alexander Smith was elected to the open seat over Democratic U.S. Representative Elmer H. Wene.
The incumbent Democratic appointee, Arthur Walsh, did not run.

## Background

Incumbent Senator W. Warren Barbour was elected in 1940 to a six-year term set to expire in 1947. He died on November 22, 1943, of a cerebral hemorrhage.
On November 26, Governor of New Jersey Charles Edison appointed Arthur Walsh to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected.
A special election to complete the remainder of Barbour's unexpired term was scheduled for November 7, 1944, concurrent with the general election for presidential electors and U.S. House of Representatives.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Elmer H. Wene, U.S. Representative from Vineland

#### Declined

* Arthur Walsh, interim Senator

### Results

1944 Democratic U.S. Senate special primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Elmer H. Wene | 151,126 | 100.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 151,126 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* H. Alexander Smith, Princeton attorney and member of the Republican National Committee
* Andrew O. Wittreich, Tenafly resident

### Results

1944 Republican Senate special primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | H. Alexander Smith | 187,190 | 82.55% |
| | Republican | Andrew O. Wittreich | 39,576 | 17.45% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 226,766 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

* John C. Butterworth (Socialist Labor)
* George W. Ridout (Prohibition), Methodist minister
* Morris Riger (Socialist)
* H. Alexander Smith (Republican), Princeton attorney and member of the Republican National Committee
* Elmer H. Wene (Democratic), U.S. Representative from Vineland

### Results

1944 U.S. Senate special election in New Jersey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Howard Alexander Smith | 940,051 | 50.44% |
| | Democratic | Elmer H. Wene | 910,096 | 48.84% |
| | Prohibition | George W. Ridout | 9,873 | 0.53% |
| | Socialist Labor | John C. Butterworth | 1,997 | 0.11% |
| | Socialist | Morris Riger | 1,593 | 0.09% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29,955 | 1.60% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,863,610 | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |