. S . ▁Senate ▁invalid ated ▁Lor imer ' s ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁election ▁and ▁declared ▁the ▁seat ▁vac ant . ▁The ▁Illinois ▁Att orney ▁General , ▁William ▁H . ▁Ste ad ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁General ▁Assembly ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁properly ▁elect ▁Lor imer ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁and ▁so ▁the ▁Governor ▁could ▁not ▁appoint ▁a ▁replacement . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁General ▁Assembly ▁had ▁a ▁second ▁Senate ▁seat ▁to ▁fill . ▁ ▁Iowa ▁▁ ▁Inc umb ent ▁Republican ▁William ▁S . ▁Ken y on , ▁who ▁had ▁just ▁won ▁a ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁special ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁seat , ▁was ▁easily ▁re - elect ed ▁by ▁the ▁Iowa ▁General ▁Assembly ▁over ▁Democratic ▁former ▁con gress man ▁Daniel ▁W . ▁Hamilton . ▁ ▁Kansas ▁▁ ▁One - term ▁inc umb ent ▁Republican ▁( and ▁future ▁Vice ▁President ) ▁Charles ▁Curt is ▁lost ▁ren om ination ▁to ▁Governor ▁of ▁Kansas ▁Walter ▁R . ▁St ub bs , ▁who ▁then ▁lost ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁to ▁Democratic ▁Judge ▁William ▁H . ▁Thompson ▁as ▁Democr ats ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Kansas ▁Legisl ature ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁state ▁elections . ▁ ▁Thompson ▁would ▁only ▁serve ▁one ▁term , ▁losing ▁re - e lection ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁Curt is , ▁mean while , ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁be ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁seat ▁for ▁three ▁terms ▁before ▁res ign ing ▁to ▁become ▁U .