1968 United States Senate election in Kentucky

1968 United States Senate election in Kentucky

November 5, 1968

Nominee Marlow Cook Katherine Peden Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 484,260 448,960 Percentage 51.36% 47.62%

County results Cook:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80–90% Peden:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Thruston Morton Republican Elected U.S. Senator Marlow Cook Republican

The 1968 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 5, 1968. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thruston Morton retired from office. Jefferson County Judge (the equivalent of a County Executive) Marlow Cook won the open seat.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Marlow Cook, Jefferson County Judge
• Eugene Siler, former U.S. Representative
• Thurman Jerome Hamlin, perennial candidate
• E. W. Kemp

Results

Republican primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Marlow Cook	73,171	61.99%
	Republican	Eugene Siler	39,743	33.67%
	Republican	E.W. Kemp	3,104	2.63%
	Republican	Thurman Jerome Hamlin	2,015	1.71%
Total votes			118,033	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Katherine Peden, Commissioner of Commerce
• John Y. Brown Sr., former U.S. Representative
• Foster Ockerman, former State Representative^[2]
• Ted Osborn, State Representative^[3]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Katherine Peden	86,317	42.51%
	Democratic	John Y. Brown	51,509	25.37%
	Democratic	Foster Ockerman	25,602	12.61%
	Democratic	Ted R. Osborn	20,049	9.88%
	Democratic	Others	19,560	9.63%
Total votes			203,037	100.00%

General election

Results

1968 U.S. Senate election in Kentucky^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Marlow Cook	484,260	51.36%
	Democratic	Katherine Peden	448,960	47.62%
	American Independent	Duane F. Olsen	9,645	1.02%
Majority			35,300	3.74%
Turnout			942,865
	Republican hold

See also

• 1968 United States Senate elections

References

1. "Our Campaigns - KY US Senate - R Primary Race - May 28, 1968".
2. "Interview with Edwin Foster Ockerman Sr., January 21, 2004". Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
3. "Eastern University Status becomes effectives after four months of waiting". Eastern Progress (Eastern Kentucky University). July 1, 1966. p. 1.
4. "Our Campaigns - KY US Senate - D Primary Race - May 28, 1968".
5. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1968" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved March 31, 2019.