▁over wh el ming ly ▁voting ▁for ▁Thomas . ▁ ▁Del aware ▁▁ ▁Inc umb ent ▁Republican ▁Harry ▁A . ▁Richard son ▁retired ▁after ▁one ▁term ▁in ▁office . ▁ ▁Dem ocrat ▁Will ard ▁Sa uls bury ▁Jr . ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Committee ▁since ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁and ▁had ▁run ▁for ▁U . S . ▁sen ator ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁but ▁Republic ans ▁controlled ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁un success ful . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁however , ▁Democr ats ▁were ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature , ▁Sa uls bury ▁was ▁the ▁preference ▁of ▁most ▁Democr ats , ▁and ▁he ▁obtained ▁the ▁required ▁majority ▁January ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁after ▁several ▁days ▁of ▁ball oting . ▁ ▁Georgia ▁▁ ▁The ▁Georgia ▁General ▁Assembly ▁failed ▁to ▁elect ▁a ▁sen ator , ▁as ▁Democratic ▁inc umb ent ▁August us ▁O . ▁Ba con ' s ▁term ▁ended . ▁ ▁The ▁Governor ▁of ▁Georgia ▁therefore ▁appointed ▁Ba con ▁to ▁begin ▁the ▁term , ▁pending ▁a ▁late ▁election . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁Ba con ▁was ▁elected ▁by ▁the ▁general ▁popul ace ▁without ▁opposition , ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁sen ator ▁elected ▁under ▁the ▁Se vent