1948 United States Senate election in Maine

The 1948 United States Senate election in Maine was held on September 13, 1948. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader Wallace White did not seek a fourth term in office.

1948 United States Senate election in Maine

← 1942 September 13, 1948 1954 →

Nominee Margaret Chase Smith Adrian Scolten Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 159,182 64,074 Percentage 71.30% 28.70%

County Results Smith:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election Wallace H. White Jr. Republican Elected U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith Republican

U.S. Representative Margaret Chase Smith defeated the two most recent Governors of Maine, Horace Hildreth and Sumner Sewall, in the Republican primary. In the general election, Smith resoundingly defeated Democrat Adrian Scolten of Portland.

Smith was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate without first being appointed.^[a] Smith's election also made her the first woman to serve in both houses of the United States Congress, as well as the first woman to represent the state of Maine in the Senate.^[1]

• Albion P. Beverage
• Horace Hildreth, Governor of Maine since 1945
• Sumner Sewall, former Governor of Maine from 1941 to 1945
• Margaret Chase Smith, U.S. Representative from Skowhegan

• Adrian Scolten, farmer

Scolten was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

• 1948 United States Senate elections