▁Earl ▁Warren , ▁governor ▁of ▁California ▁who ▁became ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁mid - term ▁elections , ▁after ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Dem ocrat ▁Franklin ▁Del ano ▁Ro ose vel t ▁as ▁president ▁two ▁years ▁previously ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁Roberts ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁a ▁Democratic ▁African - American ▁candidate , ▁August us ▁F . ▁Haw kins . ▁Following ▁his ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁California ▁State ▁Assembly ▁defeat , ▁Roberts ▁ran ▁un success fully ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁on ▁two ▁different ▁occasions . ▁Until ▁then , ▁no ▁African ▁American ▁had ▁yet ▁been ▁elected ▁to ▁represent ▁California ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁the ▁second ▁wave ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration ▁brought ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁from ▁the ▁Southern ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁area ▁for ▁jobs ▁in ▁the ▁growing ▁defense ▁indust ries . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁Roberts ▁campaign ed ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁Cong r essional ▁District ▁against ▁inc umb ent ▁Helen ▁G ah agan ▁Douglas , ▁but ▁she ▁kept ▁her ▁seat . ▁A ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁Douglas ▁lost ▁a ▁hot ly ▁cont ested ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁race ▁to ▁Republican ▁Richard ▁M . ▁N ixon . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁July ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 2