Anatomy of an Upset and the Birth of a Two-Party State: The Election of John Tower to the U.S. Senate from Texas in 1961
Paperback
General Political ScienceRegional: SouthwestUnited States Politics
Publisher Price: $25.95
ISBN13: 9780875659183
Publisher: Texas Christian University Press
Published: Jun 13 2025
Pages: 366
Weight: 1.15
Height: 0.87 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
In 1961, Texas shocked the nation. A state that had long dismissed Republicans as political afterthoughts suddenly sent one to the U.S. Senate--and nothing in Texas politics would ever be the same.
For nearly a century after the Civil War, Texas politics was a one-party show--Democrats ruled, and Republicans barely registered on the ballot. But by the early 1960s, social and economic change was reshaping the Lone Star State. The booming middle class, rapid industrial growth, shifting racial dynamics, and a decline in rural influence were all stirring beneath the surface. Then came a political moment that would tip the balance: the 1961 special election to replace Lyndon B. Johnson after he became vice president.
In Anatomy of an Upset, political historian Jim Broussard takes readers deep inside this pivotal contest and the forces that propelled Republican John Tower to an improbable victory. With sharp analysis and wry humor, Broussard dissects the six candidates' personalities, campaign strategies, and missteps--down to a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the vote. Along the way, he reveals how national issues like civil rights, economic policy, and ideological divisions intertwined with local concerns to push many Texans toward the GOP.
This is more than the story of one election--it's the blueprint for how Texas evolved into a Republican stronghold. By weaving together political strategy, social transformation, and the shifting loyalties of voters, Anatomy of an Upset offers a vivid portrait of a state--and a nation--on the cusp of change.
Also in
Regional: Southwest
The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado's Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance
Stark, Peter
Hardcover
Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis
Blitzer, Jonathan
Paperback
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
Fedarko, Kevin
Paperback
The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South
Griscom, David
Paperback
Friday Night Lights (25th Anniversary Edition): A Town, a Team, and a Dream
Bissinger, H. G.
Paperback
The Case of the Autographed Corpse: A Medicine Man and a Mystery Writer in Pursuit of Justice
El-Hai, Jack
Hardcover
The Grand Canyon: Native People and Early Visitors
Stampoulos, Linda L.
Shields, Kenneth D., Jr.
Paperback
The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History
Hutton, Paul Andrew
Paperback
Those Who Walked Before: Fossil Footprints at White Sands
Odess, Daniel
Bennett, Matthew
Bustos, David F.
Paperback
Language of Blood: The Making of Spanish-American Identity in New Mexico, 1880s-1930s
Nieto-Phillips, John M.
Paperback
The Counter Revolution of 1836: Texas slavery & Jim Crow and the roots of American Fascism
Horne, Gerald
Paperback
Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis
Blitzer, Jonathan
Hardcover
Ribbons of Green: The Rio Grande and the Making of Modern Albuquerque
Berrens, Robert P.
Fleck, John
Paperback
Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest
Poling-Kempes, Lesley
Paperback
Todos Los Que Se Han Ido Están Aquí / Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis
Blitzer, Jonathan
Paperback
A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History
Fleming, David
Hardcover
Friday Night Lights (25th Anniversary Edition): A Town, a Team, and a Dream
Bissinger, H. G.
Hardcover
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
Fedarko, Kevin
Hardcover
Cricket in the Web: The 1949 Unsolved Murder that Unraveled Politics in New Mexico
Moore, Paula
Paperback
The River Wild: A Celebrated Journey Down the Whitewater Rapids of the Grand Canyon
Kuhne, Cecil
Paperback
Voces del Pueblo: Artists of the Levantamiento Chicano in New Mexico
Hernández-Durán, Ray
Vásquez, Irene
Paperback
The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral-And How It Changed the American West
Guinn, Jeff
Paperback
Queen of All Mayhem: The Blood-Soaked Life and Mysterious Death of Belle Starr, the Most Dangerous Woman in the West
Huckelbridge, Dane
Hardcover
Black Wall Street 100: An American City Grapples With Its Historical Racial Trauma
Johnson, Hannibal B.
Paperback
Eating the Landscape: American Indian Stories of Food, Identity, and Resilience
Salmón, Enrique
Paperback
Enchantment and Exploitation: The Life and Hard Times of a New Mexico Mountain Range
Debuys, William
Paperback
Enslaved on the Trail of Tears: Race, Removal and the Transformation of Indian Territory
Ligon, Terry J.
Hardcover
San Antonio and Its Missions: Three Centuries of History, Memory, and Heritage
Kitchens, Joel Daniel
Hardcover
Enslaved on the Trail of Tears: Race, Removal, and the Transformation of Indian Territory
Ligon, Terry J.
Paperback
Brown and Blue: Mexican Americans, Law Enforcement, and Civil Rights in the Southwest, 1935-2025
Behnken, Brian D.
Paperback
Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre
Ball, Alverne
Hardcover
Denton Women's Interracial Fellowship: Leading a Texas City's Desegregation
Ramsay, Annetta
Hardcover
Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters in the Land of Enchantment
Radford, Benjamin
Paperback
The Great Oklahoma Swindle: Race, Religion, and Lies in America's Weirdest State
Cobb, Russell
Paperback
When the Moment Chose Me: The Day ISIS Came to Garland, TX
Hughbank D. Mgt, Richard J.
Stevens, Gregory B.
Hardcover
Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football
Dent, Jim
Paperback
Progress Denied: Quakertown, White Supremacy, and the Illusion of Democracy in Denton, Texas, 1850-1925 Volume 12
Teague, Hollie A.
Hardcover
Ghosts of Crook County: An Oil Fortune, a Phantom Child, and the Fight for Indigenous Land
Cobb, Russell
Paperback
Forgotten Battlefield of the First Texas Revolution: The First Battle of Medina August 18, 1813
Schwarz, Ted
Paperback
We Fought Back: The Black Legal Struggle for Education in Oklahoma Territory
Doolittle, Sara
Hardcover
The Water Cries: Uncovering the Slave Auction Houses of Galveston, Texas
Griffin, Anthony Paul
Paperback
A Culinary Journey Through Texas History: A State Historic Sites Cookbook
Texas Historical Commission
Hardcover
When the Moment Chose Me: The Day ISIS Came to Garland, TX
Stevens, Gregory B.
Hughbank D. Mgt, Richard J.
Paperback
Surviving Desires: Making and Selling Native Jewellery in the American Southwest
Lidchi, Henrietta
Paperback
From Burning to Blueprint: Rebuilding Black Wall Street After a Century of Silence
Matthews, Kevin, II
Paperback
Arizona Outlaws and Lawmen: Gunslingers, Bandits, Heroes and Peacekeepers
Trimble, Marshall
Paperback
History of Arizona: A Captivating Guide to Historical Events and Facts You Should Know About the Grand Canyon State
History, Captivating
Hardcover
It Happened in Texas: Stories of Events and People That Shaped Lone Star State History
Crutchfield, James A.
Paperback
The Adobe Kingdom: New Mexico 1598-1958 as experienced by the families Lucero de Godoy y Baca
Lucero, Donald L.
Paperback
