.svg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
 County results Kennedy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Keating: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
The1964 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Republican U.S. SenatorKenneth Keating ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated byRobert F. Kennedy.
TheSocialist Labor state convention met on March 29, and nominated John Emanuel.[1] TheRepublican state convention met on August 31, and re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Kenneth B. Keating.[2] TheConservative state convention met on August 31 atSaratoga Springs, New York, and nominated Henry Paolucci.[3]
TheDemocratic Party state convention met on September 1, and nominatedU.S. Attorney GeneralRobert F. Kennedy on the first ballot with 968 votes against 153 for U.S. CongressmanSamuel S. Stratton.[4] TheLiberal Party met on September 1, and endorsed Kennedy.[5] TheSocialist Workers Party filed a petition to nominate candidates on September 7. Richard Garza was nominated.[6]
John English, aNassau County leader who helpedJohn F. Kennedy during the1960 presidential election, encouraged Robert Kennedy to oppose Keating. At the time,Samuel S. Stratton, a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromNew York's 35th congressional district, was considered the most likely Democratic candidate. At first, Kennedy resisted. After President Kennedy's assassination, Robert Kennedy remained as Attorney General forLyndon B. Johnson. However, Johnson and Kennedy feuded. Kennedy decided to run for the Senate in New York in August, and resigned from the Cabinet on September 3, 1964. While many reform Democrats resisted Kennedy, support fromRobert F. Wagner, Jr., and party bosses likeCharles A. Buckley, ofThe Bronx, and Peter J. Crotty,[7] ofBuffalo, helped Kennedy win the nomination at the party convention.[8]
During the campaign, Kennedy was frequently met by large crowds. Keating accused Kennedy of being an arrogant "carpetbagger" fromMassachusetts. Kennedy responded to these charges in a televised town meeting by saying, "If the senator of the state of New York is going be selected on who's lived here the longest, then I think people are going to vote for my opponent. If it's going be selected on who's got the best New York accent, then I think I'm probably out too. But I think if it's going be selected on the basis of who can make the best United States senator, I think I'm still in the contest."[9]
The Democratic/Liberal candidate was elected. Campaign help from PresidentLyndon B. Johnson, as well as theDemocratic landslide after the assassination ofJohn F. Kennedy, helped carry Kennedy into office, as Kennedy polled about 1.1 million votes less in New Yorkthan Johnson did.
The incumbent Keating was defeated.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert F. Kennedy | 3,539,103 | 49.49% | +6.03% | |
| Liberal | Robert F. Kennedy | 284,646 | 4.00% | −0.91% | |
| Democratic + Liberal | Robert F. Kennedy | 3,823,749 | 53.47% | +5.09% | |
| Republican | Kenneth Keating (incumbent) | 3,104,056 | 43.40% | −7.35% | |
| Conservative | Henry Paolucci | 212,216 | 2.97% | +2.97% | |
| Socialist Labor | John Emanuel | 7,358 | 0.1% | +0.1% | |
| Socialist Workers | Richard Garza | 4,202 | 0.06% | +0.06% | |
| Total votes | 7,151,581 | 100.00% | |||
| Spoilt vote | Blank, void, and scattering | 152,909 | |||
November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968 | ||
| Life |  | |
| Electoral | ||
| Speeches |
| |
| Books |
| |
| Assassination | ||
| Legacy and memorials |
| |
| Popular culture |
| |
| Family, family tree |
| |
.jpg)
