# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![moldmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@moldmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/21 "2016-03-10T17:18:48Z")
> [@](#): > > The Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, and Nevada seem likely to fit McGovern was from South Dakota. Quick look on Wiki and it looks like ND may qualify. ---
**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, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/22 "2016-03-10T19:09:45Z")
Here’s a starter. People can fill in the blanks if they wish: Alabama - Oscar Underwood Alaska - Mike Gravel Arizona - John McCain, Barry Goldwater Arkansas California - Richard Nixon, Alan Cranston, Hiram Johnson, William McAdoo Colorado - Gary Hart Connecticut - Christopher Dodd, Joe Lieberman, Lowell Weicker Delaware - Joe Biden Florida - Marco Rubio, Bob Graham, George Smathers, Claude Pepper Georgia - Richard Russell Hawaii - Hiram Fong Idaho - Frank Church, William Borah Illinois - Barack Obama, Carol Moseley Braun, Paul Simon Indiana - Birch Bayh, Evan Bayh, Dan Quayle, Richard Lugar, Vance Hartke Iowa - Tom Harkin Kansas - Bob Dole, Sam Brownback, Charles Curtis Kentucky - Rand Paul Louisiana Maine - Edmund Muskie, Margaret Chase Smith Maryland - Joseph France Massachusetts - John Kennedy, John Kerry, Paul Tsongas, Ted Kennedy Michigan - Arthur Vandenberg Minnesota - Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy Mississippi Missouri - Harry Truman, Stuart Symington, James Reed Montana Nebraska - Bob Kerrey, Gilbert Hitchcock Nevada - Paul Laxalt New Hampshire - Bob Smith New Jersey - Bill Bradley New Mexico New York - Hillary Clinton, Robert Kennedy, James Wadsworth North Carolina - John Edwards, Furnifold Simmons North Dakota Ohio - Warren Harding, John Glenn, Robert Taft, Atlee Pomerene Oklahoma - Robert Owen, Fred Harris, Robert Kerr Oregon - Charles McNary, Wayne Morse Pennsylvania - Rick Santorum, Arlen Specter Rhode Island - Lincoln Chafee South Carolina - Lindsey Graham, Ernest Hollings South Dakota - George McGovern, Larry Pressler Tennessee - Al Gore, Fred Thompson, Howard Baker, Estes Kefauver Texas - Lyndon Johnson, Ted Cruz, Phil Gramm, Lloyd Bentsen Utah - Orrin Hatch Vermont - Bernie Sanders Virginia - Jim Webb, Carter Glass Washington - Henry “Scoop” Jackson West Virginia - Robert Byrd Wisconsin - John Blaine, Robert La Follette Wyoming ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/23 "2016-03-10T19:28:42Z")
Montana’s [Burton K Wheeler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_K._Wheeler) was definitely planning to run in 1940 before FDR decided to run for a third term. Even afterwards, some in the isolationist wing of the party wanted him to challenge the incumbent. (He also ran as the Progressive Party’s vice presidential candidate in 1924.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/24 "2016-03-10T19:43:48Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Within living memory (going back to the '60s) I can’t think of a California senator who made a run. Pete Wilson ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/25 "2016-03-10T20:27:15Z")
New Mexico - Bill Richardson in 2008 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/26 "2016-03-10T20:30:46Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > New Mexico - Bill Richardson in 2008 Never a US Senator AFAIK ---
**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, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/27 "2016-03-10T20:52:07Z")
New Mexico Senator Clinton Anderson was seen as a possible presidential candidate in 1968 but he chose not to run due to his age (he was 73 at the time). This is the closest any New Mexico Senator has come to being a presidential candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/28 "2016-03-10T21:04:10Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, and **Nevada** seem likely to fit. Washington? West Virginia (I don’t think Jay R. ever tried)? Wisconsin? Arkansas? [Paul Laxalt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#1988_presidential_election) (R-NV) ran in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/29 "2016-03-10T21:24:32Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Never a US Senator AFAIK Oops. I somehow missed that part. He was Governor. ---
**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 11, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/30 "2016-03-11T02:41:11Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > [Paul Laxalt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#1988_presidential_election) (R-NV) ran in 1988. Yep. That’s on **Little Nemo** ’s list above. The missing states so far are: AR, LA, MS, MT, NM, ND and WY ---
**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 11, 2016, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/31 "2016-03-11T06:29:30Z")
Well, one Mississippi Senator made it all the way to the Presidency. Just not of this country. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/32 "2016-03-12T16:05:35Z")
When did Robert C. Byrd run for President? I would put WV back on the list. ---
**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 13, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/33 "2016-03-13T04:45:28Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > When did Robert C. Byrd run for President? I would put WV back on the list. [1976](http://www.4president.org/brochures/1976/robertcbyrd1976brochure.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453/34 "2016-03-13T12:29:49Z")
Current Montana senator John Tester is sometimes floated as a potential Presidential candidate, but he’s never made it official. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-state-never-had-a-senator-who-ran-for-president/748453.md?page=1)