▁election . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁sen ate , ▁un se ating ▁Republican ▁Senator ▁George ▁W . ▁Mal one ▁with ▁ 5 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁C annon ▁was ▁nearly ▁defeated ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁re - e lection ▁bid ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁holding ▁off ▁Republican ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ▁Paul ▁La x alt ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁closest ▁Senate ▁elections ▁ever . ▁On ▁election ▁night , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁networks ▁actually ▁project ed ▁that ▁C annon ▁had ▁lost , ▁but ▁several ▁prec inct s ▁didn ' t ▁report ▁in ▁until ▁the ▁next ▁morning ▁and ▁gave ▁C annon ▁enough ▁votes ▁to ▁secure ▁a ▁second ▁term . ▁Ult imately , ▁C annon ▁only ▁won ▁by ▁ 4 8 ▁votes . ▁He ▁likely ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁won ▁had ▁it ▁not ▁been ▁for ▁Ly nd on ▁Johnson ' s ▁presence ▁at op ▁the ▁ticket ; ▁Johnson ▁easily ▁carried ▁the ▁state ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁ 4 4 - state ▁lands lide ▁that ▁year . ▁C annon ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁with ▁far ▁less ▁difficulty ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁defe ating ▁then ▁W ash oe ▁County ▁District ▁Att orney ▁William ▁R aggio . ▁He ▁also ▁won ▁re - e lection ▁easily ▁over ▁former ▁Congress man ▁David ▁Tow ell ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁C annon ▁was ▁ens n ared ▁in ▁a ▁sc andal ▁when ▁Team sters ▁President