| | '''Hugh Alfred Butler''' (February 28, 1878 – July 1, 1954) was a strongly [[conservative]] [[Republican]] from [[Nebraska]] who served as the state's U.S. senator from 1941 until his death in office at 1954. Similar to his senatorial colleague [[Kenneth Wherry]], Butler was an outspoken [[isolationist]] and part of the [[Old Right]]. | | '''Hugh Alfred Butler''' (February 28, 1878 – July 1, 1954) was a strongly [[conservative]] [[Republican]] from [[Nebraska]] who served as the state's U.S. senator from 1941 until his death in office at 1954. Similar to his senatorial colleague [[Kenneth Wherry]], Butler was an outspoken [[isolationist]] and part of the [[Old Right]]. |
| | In 1940, incumbent [[Democrat]] senator Edward R. Burke, who initially supported [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] but broke with the president, lost renomination. In the concurrent GOP primary, Butler won with a plurality polling 37% of the vote.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=611019 NE US Senate - R Primary Race - Apr 09, 1940]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 23, 2021.</ref> During the general election, Burke crossed party lines in endorsing Butler, who handily defeated Democrat Robert L. Cochran.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=30897 NE US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1940]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 23, 2021.</ref> Butler similarly won re-election in [[1946 Midterm Elections|1946]] and 1952 by landslide margins.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16002 Candidate - Hugh A. Butler]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 23, 2021.</ref> | | In 1940, incumbent [[Democrat]] senator Edward R. Burke, who initially supported [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] but broke with the president, lost renomination. In the concurrent GOP primary, Butler won with a plurality polling 37% of the vote.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=611019 NE US Senate - R Primary Race - Apr 09, 1940]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 23, 2021.</ref> During the general election, Burke crossed party lines in endorsing Butler, who handily defeated Democrat Robert L. Cochran.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=30897 NE US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1940]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 23, 2021.</ref> Butler similarly won re-election in [[1946 Midterm Elections|1946]] and 1952 by landslide margins.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=16002 Candidate - Hugh A. Butler]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 23, 2021.</ref> |