# 1932 United States Senate election in Arkansas

Elections in Arkansas :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1836
1837
1840
1843
1844 sp
1846
1848
1848 sp
1853
1855
1859
1868
1870
1876
1877
1878
1883
1885
1885 sp
1889
1891
1895
1897
1901
1903
1906
1907
1909
1913
1913 sp
1914
1916 sp
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1932 sp
1936
1937 sp
1938
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1836
1837
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1847
AL sp
1848
1851
1852
1853
1854
1856
1858
1860
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1885
3rd sp
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
2nd sp
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1913
6th sp
1914
1916
1918
1920
1921
6th sp
1922
1923
6th sp
1924
1926
1928
1930
4th sp
1932
1933
5th sp
1934
1936
1938
1939
4th sp
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1961
6th sp
1962
1964
1966
4th sp
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2001
3rd sp
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1836
1840
1844
1848
1849 sp
1852
1856
1860
1862 (C)
1864 (U)
1868
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1913 sp
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
2022
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2022
Treasurer elections
2022
2024 (special)
Senate elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
1990
Amendment 3
2004
Amendment 3
2008
Act 1
2012
Issue 1
2018
Issue 5 :
Little Rock
Mayoral elections
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Fayetteville
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
Fort Smith
Mayoral elections
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Springdale
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
Jonesboro
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
Rogers
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
Conway
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
vte :
The 1932 United States Senate election in Arkansas took place on November 8, 1932. Incumbent Senator Hattie Caraway, who had been appointed to succeed her late husband Thaddeus Caraway in 1931 and won a special election to complete his term in January, ran for a full term in office.
In winning, Caraway became the first woman ever elected to a full term in the United States Senate.

## Background

Incumbent U.S. Senator Thaddeus Caraway died in office on November 6, 1931. Governor of Arkansas Harvey Parnell appointed Caraway's widow, Hattie, to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected. The special election to complete the unexpired term was held in January, and Hattie Caraway won against only nominal opposition.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* O. L. Bodenhamer, former national commander of The American Legion (1929–30)
* Charles H. Brough, former governor of Arkansas (1917–21)
* Hattie Caraway, incumbent U.S. Senator
* William G. Hutton, former Sheriff of Pulaski County
* William F. Kirby, former U.S. Senator (1916–21)
* Melbourne M. Martin
* Vincent M. Miles, former member of the Democratic National Committee (1921–29)

### Campaign

In May 1932, Vice President Charles Curtis invited Senator Caraway to preside over the Senate, making her the first woman to do so. She took advantage of the opportunity to announce that she would run for reelection, surprising Arkansas politicians by joining a field already crowded with prominent candidates who had assumed she would step aside. She told reporters, "The time has passed when a woman should be placed in a position and kept there only while someone else is being groomed for the job."
Senator Huey Long of neighboring Louisiana traveled to Arkansas on a seven-day campaign swing on Caraway's behalf just before the primary. Caraway supported Long's efforts to limit income inequality and increase poverty aid. Long was also motivated by personal sympathy for the widow and his ambition to extend his influence into the home state of his party rival, Senator Joseph Robinson.
Long later recalled his campaign methods on behalf of Caraway:
   Mrs. Caraway would never forget nor cease to laugh over the plans we made for caring for obstreperous infants in the audience so that their mothers might listen to the speeches without the crowds being disturbed. I remember when I saw her notice one of our campaigners take charge of the first baby. The child began fretting and then began to cry. One of the young men accompanying us immediately gave it a drink of water. The child quieted for a bit and resumed a whimper, whereupon the same campaign worker handed the baby an all-day sucker, which it immediately grasped and soon fell asleep. Mrs. Caraway did not understand that it was a matter of design until it had been repeated several times.

### Endorsements

Federal officials
* Huey Long, U.S. Senator from Louisiana

### Results

1932 Democratic U.S. Senate primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Hattie Caraway (incumbent) | 127,702 | 44.73% |
| | Democratic | O. L. Bodenhamer | 63,858 | 22.37% |
| | Democratic | Vincent M. Miles | 30,423 | 10.66% |
| | Democratic | Charles H. Brough | 26,207 | 9.18% |
| | Democratic | William F. Kirby | 21,448 | 7.51% |
| | Democratic | W. G. Hutton | 8,922 | 3.13% |
| | Democratic | Melbourne M. Martin | 6,961 | 2.44% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 285,521 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

1932 U.S. Senate election in Arkansas :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Hattie Caraway (incumbent) | 187,994 | 89.71% |
| | Republican | John H. White | 21,558 | 10.29% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 209,552 | 100.00% |