James G. Scrugham Wins 1942 Nevada US Senate Special Election

James G. Scrugham Wins 1942 Nevada Senate Special Election

The 1942 United States Senate special election in Nevada, held on November 3, 1942, concluded with James G. Scrugham securing a partial term in the upper chamber after defeating Cecil W. Creel. Scrugham entered the general election contest following a primary battle that unseated the appointed incumbent, Berkeley L. Bunker.

The vacancy arose following the death of Key Pittman, who had won re-election to a sixth term—his fifth full term—in the 1940 Senate election but died before the term could start. To fill the sudden void, Governor Edward P. Carville appointed Berkeley L. Bunker to the seat.

Primary Contest Upends Incumbent Appointment

Governor Carville’s appointment of Bunker did not go unchallenged, leading to a competitive primary election held on September 1, 1942. James G. Scrugham, serving at the time as the U.S. Representative from Nevada’s at-large congressional district, mounted a successful challenge against the appointed incumbent.

Scrugham captured the Democratic nomination by defeating Bunker. Official tallies showed Scrugham’s margin over Bunker amounted to almost exactly a tenth of his total vote count, securing the nomination with 11,461 total votes and a 1,146-vote lead over his primary rival.

General Election Dynamics and County Results

Following the September primary, Scrugham advanced to face Cecil W. Creel in the autumn general election. Creel ran unopposed for the Republican nomination, so there was no Republican primary.

County-level returns from the November 3 special election demonstrated distinct geographic support splits. Scrugham captured between 50 and 60 percent, 60 and 70 percent, and 70 and 80 percent of the vote in various jurisdictions. Creel registered vote shares in the 50 to 60 percent and 60 to 70 percent ranges in specific Nevada counties before Scrugham ultimately consolidated his statewide victory for the partial Senate term.