The 1902 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 4, 1902, to elect 18 of the chamber's 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. This was the first state senate election held in Alabama after the ratification of the 1901 Alabama Constitution. The constitution increased the size of the state senate from 33 members to 35, creating a new 34th and 35th district. After the establishment of Houston County and its placement in the 35th district in 1903, these districts would remain intact until the 1962 election, when federal courts mandated new districts be drawn.

As a result of the 1900 election, there was only one non-Democrat in the Senate, holdover Populist senator James A. Hurst of District 6. Hurst was re-elected on a Republican-Populist fusion ticket, remaining the only non-Democrat in the Senate. Joel W. Goldsby of Mobile County was unanimously elected President pro tempore of the Senate when the legislature convened.

Summary

Party Candidates SeatsNum.Vote%BeforeUpWonAfter +/– Democratic 18 28,666 82.09% 32 17 17 34 2 Populist 3 4,071 11.66% 1 1 1 1 Republican 2 6,086 17.43% 0 0 0 0 Total 23 34,919 100% 33 35 2 By district

District Democrats Populists and Republicans Total Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Votes 6th Marcus M. Smith 1,981 48.77% James A. Hurst (Pop-Rep.) 2,081 51.23% 4,062 −100 −2.46% 8th William B. Castleberry 1,475 86.16% Graves Embry (Rep.) 237 13.84% 1,712 +1,238 +72.31% 12th Christopher C. Nesmith 2,697 58.10% H. P. Gaines (Rep.) 1,945 41.90% 4,642 +752 +16.20% 34th Walter Scott Smith 2,720 59.87% W. J. Campbell (Pop-Rep.) 1,823 40.13% 4,543 +897 +19.74% 35th William Oates Long 1,365 89.10% John W. Smith (Pop.) 167 10.90% 1,532 +1,198 +78.20% Source: Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1903 (p. 243–244)

In January 1903, M. M. Smith, the Democratic nominee in Senate District 6, contested the election of Populist James A. Hurst, alleging voter irregularities. Hurst remained seated.

See also

1902 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama 1902 Alabama gubernatorial election 1902 Alabama House of Representatives election 1902 United States elections

References