This small change was just enough to give Democrats control of the chamber with the help of the Independent (Wayne Morse of Oregon) who at the start of this Congress in January 1955 agreed to caucus with them; he later officially joined the party in April 1955.

A contribution to the Republican reversal was backlash against GOP-driven McCarthyism and the numerous controversies it spawned, including the Army–McCarthy hearings.

Other factors included a comment made in Detroit by Defense Secretary Charles Wilson, former president of General Motors, equating unemployed auto workers with "lazy kennel dogs who sit... and yell.

D'Ewart United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district beat Robert Yellowtail, former Superintendent of the Crow Indian Reservation, for the GOP nomination.

A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate.

However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A.

Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate.

[15] Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election.

On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit.

Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates.

In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term.

Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule"[16] and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson.

For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote.

Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown.

Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952.

Republican Edward D. Crippa was appointed June 24, 1954, to continue the term, pending a November 2 special election.