So, 1919, lost in 1920, 1 year terms? Where there any previous GOP majorities, in either house? I know we elected a couple Senators but the more recent one at least was the result of a rat split.
No, I believe they were either 2 or 4 year terms at the time. I don’t have the numbers for the legislature, but the two times prior there were enough Republicans to elect a Senator occurred in 1897 and 1909, following the occasions when they had elected GOP Governors (in 1895 & 1907).
Had Republican Edwin Morrow won the 1915 Gubernatorial election, he probably would’ve run for and won the 1918 Senate race, and would likely have served until 1930 (as a bad GOP year would’ve seen him defeated).
Morrow’s uncle, William Bradley, was the 1st GOP Governor of KY in 1895, he later was elected by the legislature in 1909 to the other Senate seat. Although there were technically not enough Republicans to elect Bradley, Dem ex-Gov. J.C.W. Beckham was not universally popular with KY Democrats and his utter refusal to withdraw for a compromise Dem resulted in four “Wet” Democrats voting for Republican Bradley (who opposed Prohibition).
Bradley died in 1914, right after being struck by a streetcar the day he was declaring he wouldn’t run in the first Senatorial popular election that year. Curiously, Beckham got his seat.