# Which state never had a senator who ran for president **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453 "2016-03-09T19:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wizard101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Wizard101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wizard101)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/1 "2016-03-09T19:22:42Z")
Does anyone know if there is a state that has never had one of its U.S. Senators run for president? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/2 "2016-03-09T19:29:45Z")
I don’t think Wyoming has ever had one. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/3 "2016-03-09T19:48:37Z")
Oregon? Maryland? Hawaii? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/4 "2016-03-09T21:14:09Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Oregon? Maryland? Hawaii? Oregon’s Senator Charles McNary was a candidate in 1940. Hawaii’s Senator Hiram Fong was a candidate in 1964 and 1968. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/5 "2016-03-09T21:22:50Z")
And Maryland Senator Joseph France was a candidate in 1932. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/6 "2016-03-10T01:32:39Z")
> [@Wizard101](#): > > Does anyone know if there is a state that has never had one of its U.S. Senators run for president? I think we need a definition. What does it mean to “run” for President? I was nominated by a major party? My friend wrote in my name? ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/7 "2016-03-10T01:41:56Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I don’t think Wyoming has ever had one. Nah, Wyoming had Dick Cheney. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/8 "2016-03-10T02:06:37Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > Nah, Wyoming had Dick Cheney. Cheney was never a senator- though he did seem to consider himself the fourth branch of the government sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/9 "2016-03-10T05:55:22Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I think we need a definition. What does it mean to “run” for President? I was nominated by a major party? My friend wrote in my name? I went by a loose definition; anyone who officially announced they were running for President. I figure anyone who’s already a Senator has a credible campaign just be announcing his or her intent. So I would count Rand Paul, for example, as having run for President. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/10 "2016-03-10T06:02:29Z")
New Mexico? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/11 "2016-03-10T06:49:17Z")
> [@5\_time\_champ](#): > > Cheney was never a senator- though he did seem to consider himself the fourth branch of the government sometimes. Nor did he ever run for President. Maybe that was meant as a lame joke though. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/12 "2016-03-10T07:12:28Z")
Louisiana. I think, closest would be Huey P Long He had plans to run, even announced that he was planning to run, but was killed a month later. No Official announcement that he was running, ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/13 "2016-03-10T16:07:40Z")
Alaska, right? It of course had a governor nominated for national office, however. The Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, and Nevada seem likely to fit. Washington? West Virginia (I don’t think Jay R. ever tried)? Wisconsin? Arkansas? Oklahoma is out; its first Senator, Robert Owen, tried to be [nominated](http://genealogytrails.com/oka/OKUSSenators.html) at the Democratic convention in 1920. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/14 "2016-03-10T16:44:05Z")
Within living memory (going back to the '60s) I can’t think of a California senator who made a run. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/15 "2016-03-10T16:49:54Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Within living memory (going back to the '60s) I can’t think of a California senator who made a run. A guy who’d been a California senator got elected President in the '60s. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/16 "2016-03-10T16:55:57Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > A guy who’d been a California senator got elected President in the '60s. Aw, crap. Forgot about Tricky Dick. In my defense, it had been 16 years since he left the Senate. (8 years as VP, 8 years unemployed.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/17 "2016-03-10T16:58:46Z")
Alan Cranston was still serving as a Senator from California when he ran for President in 1984, dropping out after poor finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/18 "2016-03-10T17:00:52Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Alan Cranston was still serving as a Senator from California when he ran for President in 1984, dropping out after poor finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. I swear, I live in this state and read the newspapers. 🙂 I’ll go away now. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/19 "2016-03-10T17:07:55Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Alaska, right? It of course had a governor nominated for national office, however. > > The Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, and Nevada seem likely to fit. Washington? West Virginia (I don’t think Jay R. ever tried)? Wisconsin? Arkansas? > > Oklahoma is out; its first Senator, Robert Owen, tried to be [nominated](http://genealogytrails.com/oka/OKUSSenators.html) at the Democratic convention in 1920. How quickly we forget . > [@](#): > > Maurice Robert “Mike” Gravel (/ɡrəˈvɛl/; born May 13, 1930) is an American politician who is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a candidate in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/20 "2016-03-10T17:10:35Z")
Washington is out too > [@](#): > > Henry Martin “Scoop” Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was a U.S. Congressman (1941–1953) and Senator (from 1953 until his death in Everett, Washington, on September 1, 1983) from the state of Washington. Jackson was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 and 1976. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453.md?page=2)