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The 1908 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held by the Kentucky General Assembly as a part of the 1908–09 Senate elections. Despite the Democratic party winning a majority of seats in both chambers of the legislature in 1907, Republican nominee and former governor William O. Bradley defeated Democratic nominee and former governor J. C. W. Beckham. This was the second time that a Republican was elected to the Senate in Kentucky, after William J. Deboe in 1897.

Despite no law requiring primary elections, Beckham and his allies arranged for the state Democratic party to hold a primary election in November 1906. Beckham defeated incumbent Democratic senator James B. McCreary, garnering 53% of the vote. The primary election saw prohibition emerge as the dominant issue in the election, with Beckham supporting the prohibitionist cause. Republicans, on the other hand, unanimously nominated Bradley in a legislative caucus.

When the General Assembly convened to elect a senator, several Democratic members refused to vote for Beckham. Some voted for McCreary, but the Democratic legislators opposed to Beckham mainly hoped that Beckham would withdraw in favor of a Democratic candidate opposed to prohibition. After more than a month of balloting, four Democratic legislators voted for Bradley, an opponent of prohibition. Once it was clear that Bradley had received a majority of the vote, most Democratic members changed their vote to other Democratic politicians they preferred to Beckham, leaving him with only 15 votes.

Beckham would later be elected to the same Senate seat in 1914, following the death of Bradley.

Background
Prior to the ratification of the 17th amendment in 1913, United States Senators were indirectly elected by the state legislatures. A law adopted in 1866 to standardize senate elections required that a candidate must receive an majority of the vote in both houses of the legislature; if no candidate received a majority of the vote cast in both chambers, then the candidate must receive a majority of the vote on a joint ballot of both houses.

Kentucky
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J. C. W. Beckham
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William O. Bradley
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James B. McCreary
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Democratic nomination
In June 1906, the Democratic State Executive Committee voted unanimously to hold a primary election for all statewide offices to be elected in 1907, as well as the Democratic nominee for the 1908 senate election. The decision to hold a primary election was unexpected, as the party typically selected candidates by a nominating convention. McCreary criticized the primary as merely a tactic by Beckham and his allies on the committee to give him the nomination. McCreary was particularly critical of the timing of the election: November 1906, more than fourteen months before the general assembly was to elect a senator.

Campaign
McCreary hoped to campaign on national issues.

Alleging that the whisky industry was funding McCreary's campaign, Beckham frequently discussed prohibition as a key issue of the race. Beckham further argued that McCreary, then 68, was a perennial candidate who had sought various offices in the state since the time that Beckham was born.

Debates
Beckham challenged McCreary to a debate, which he quickly accepted. However, negotiations between the two fell through and no debate was held.

Results
Beckham won [[File:1908 United States Senate Democratic primary election in Kentucky results map by congressional district.svg|thumb|324px|Results by congressional district: {{legend|#7996e2|Beckham}}

{{legend|#7996e2|50–60%}}

{{legend|#6674de|60–70%}}

{{legend|#584CDE|70–80%}} {{legend|#51c2c2|McCreary}}

{{legend|#51c2c2|50–60%}}

{{legend|#2aacac|60–70%}}

{{legend|#009696|70–80%}} ]]

Republican nomination
On the evening of January 6, the Republican caucus of the legislature met to choose a nominee for the election. Bradley was chosen unanimously. Bradley, seen as the standard-bearer for Kentucky Republicans ever since his election to the governorship, was the expected nominee for the seat. Following his nomination, Bradley spoke to the caucus thanking them for his nomination while decrying the state of law and order in Kentucky. Bradley promised that he would be the next Senator from the state so long as the Republican caucus would "sit steady in the boat".

Lassing and Farris letters
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Louisville elections
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Gubernatorial election
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Legislative elections
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Initial ballots
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Summary
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Votes not cast for party nominee
All legislators voted for their party's nominee on every ballot in which they were present except the Democratic members noted here.