Wayne Morse - Post-Senate Career

Post-Senate Career

Morse spent most of the remaining years of his life attempting to regain his membership in the U.S. Senate. His first attempt since being defeated in 1968 was in 1972. He won the Democratic primary against his old foe, Robert Duncan. In the general election, he lost to the incumbent Mark Hatfield, the Republican incumbent whom he had endorsed in 1966 over fellow Democrat Duncan because of Hatfield's shared opposition to the war in Vietnam but which had become for Morse, according to his principal biographer, a "dismissible virtue" in 1972. In that same year, following the withdrawal of Thomas Eagleton from the national Democratic ticket, a "mini convention" was called to confirm Sargent Shriver as George McGovern's vice presidential running mate. Although most of the delegates voted for Shriver, Oregon cast 4 of its 34 votes for Morse.

On March 19, 1974, Morse, at age 73, filed the paperwork to seek the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat he had lost six years before. Three other Oregon Democrats filed to run against Morse in the 1974 Democratic primary election on May 28 and made Morse's age a key campaign issue. His most prominent opponent was Oregon Senate President Jason Boe. The New York Times said in an editorial that Morse would serve the state with "fierce integrity if elected". Morse managed to defeat Boe in the primary and began preparing for the general election.

On July 21, 1974, Morse was hospitalized at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland due to kidney failure and was listed in critical condition. Morse died on July 22, 1974, while attempting to keep a busy campaign schedule. An editorial ran in The New York Times stating that death "has deprived the United States Senate of a superb public servant".

The Oregon Democratic Central Committee met in August and nominated State Senator Betty Roberts to replace Morse as the Democratic nominee in the Senate race. Roberts lost to the incumbent Bob Packwood in the fall.