June 30: Gerald Nye’s 1926 Appointment

On this date in 1926, Gerald P. Nye was appointed to the United States Senate by Governor Arthur Sorlie to represent North Dakota following the death of Senator Edwin F. Ladd. Despite debate within the Senate over whether the governor had the legal authority to appoint Nye, the Senate chose to resolve the issue and honored the appointment. Later that year, Nye won election in his own right and quickly became one of North Dakota’s leading political figures. His election was especially important for North Dakota farmers, who were facing serious economic difficulties during the 1920s.