1964 United States Senate election in California
election
The 1964 United States Senate election in California was held on November 3, 1964.
Incumbent Democratic Senator Clair Engle, who had been first elected in 1958, underwent surgery for a brain tumor in August 1963. Facing a primary challenge from Alan Cranston and deteriorating health, he withdrew from the race in April 1964. The primary election was won by Pierre Salinger, Press Secretary to President Lyndon Johnson. When Engle died in July, Salinger was appointed as interim senator in his place.
Salinger lost election to a full six-year term to Republican George Murphy, a retired Hollywood star. This was the only Senate seat Republicans gained in 1964.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Emanuel Braude
Walter Buchanan, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1934 and 1962
Demos Cordeiro
Alan Cranston, California Controller
Harold E. Fields
Lynn Johnston, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1963
George H. McLain, perennial candidate, nativist, and pensioner advocate
Henry A. Mermel
Mark Morris
Guido Joseph Pavia, resident of Napa
Pierre Salinger, White House Press Secretary
Declined to run
Stanley Mosk, California Attorney General (appointed to California Supreme Court)
Withdrew
Clair Engle, incumbent Senator (died July 30)
Campaign
On August 24, 1963, Senator Clair Engle underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, which left him partially paralyzed, forcing him to miss several Senate sessions. Despite this, he was expected to recover and proceeded with his re-election campaign. By March 1964, California State Controller Alan Cranston had entered the race and received the endorsement of the California Democratic Council.
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The subject matters to the history & society register because the source frames it as election. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q96362622. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1964, 1958, 1963 and 1934.
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