1976 U.S. Senate Election
In 1976, after only two terms in the House of Representatives, Litton entered into what amounted to a three-way Democratic Party primary race for the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Senator Stuart Symington. The other major contestants were Symington's son James W. Symington and former Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes. Final election results showed Congressman Litton winning with 45.39%, former Governor Warren Hearnes second at 26.38%, and Congressman James Symington finishing third with 25.16% of the statewide vote. Seven other candidates including Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Charles Wheeler split the remaining 4 percent of the vote.
Litton won the primary but died with his entire family (wife Sharon and their two children, Linda and Scott) along with pilot Paul Rupp Jr. and the pilot's son, Paul Rupp III, en route to a victory party in Kansas City, Missouri; their plane crashed on take-off from the Chillicothe airport shortly after 9 p.m. on election night. The investigation into the crash determined the twin-engine plane broke a crankshaft while under the strain of take off.
The State Democratic Committee held a vote on a new nominee on August 21 and Hearnes defeated Jim Spainhower garnering 63.3% of the vote. Hearnes lost the general election to John C. Danforth who garnered 56.93% of the vote.
A museum of Litton memorabilia is in the Jerry L. Litton Visitor Center near the dam at Smithville Lake in Smithville, Missouri
Read more about this topic: Jerry Litton
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