Clair Engle (September 21, 1911 – July 30, 1964) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from California from 1959 until his death in 1964.

A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for participating in the vote breaking the filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the U.S. Senate while partially paralyzed and unable to speak, shortly before his death from a brain tumor.

[3] Admitted to the California bar in 1933, Engle set up a practice in Corning and soon ran for District Attorney of Tehama County.

In 1942, he won election to the California Senate, representing Tehama, Glenn and Colusa counties but ended up serving in that body for little more than a few months.

His main accomplishment was passing a law to allow the conversion of unused fairgrounds in order to house migrant farmworkers and ease a severe labor shortage.

[2] On August 31, 1943, Engle was elected as a Democrat to represent California's 2nd congressional district in the 78th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Harry Lane Englebright.

He worked with Senator Thomas Kuchel to pass the San Luis water project, the West Coast electric power intertie and the Point Reyes National Seashore.

He chose not to endorse either of his Democratic challengers, California State Controller Alan Cranston or former presidential press secretary Pierre Salinger.

[citation needed] On June 10, 1964, during the roll call for the historic, successful effort to break the filibuster on what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when the clerk reached "Mr. Engle", there was no reply.

The Senate Chaplain led the memorial service at Fort Myer, Virginia, which Chief Justice Earl Warren attended.