Donald Stewart (Alabama politician)

Stewart was elected as a Democrat to fill the unexpired U.S. Senate term of James B. Allen, who died in office, and whose seat was held in the interim by Allen's widow, Maryon Pittman Allen. After he defeated Mrs. Allen in the primary, Stewart faced the Republican nominee, former Congressman James D. Martin, who like James Allen was a native of Gadsden. Mrs. Allen had called Stewart "a flaming liberal", and her brother, James Pittman, thereafter formed the group "Conservative Democrats for Martin." Stewart specifically challenged Martin's record when he had served a term in the House from 1965 to 1967. Martin challenged Stewart's commitment to the right-to-work provision of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. In his campaign against Stewart, Martin made negative allusions to Stewart's disclosure that in 1958, when he was eighteen, he had undergone treatment for a nervous breakdown.[5] Stewart defeated Martin, 401,852 (56 percent) to 316,170 (44 percent).[6]

Stewart took office on November 8, 1978.[3] In his first year as a U.S. senator, he compiled a near-perfect attendance record, introduced twelve bills and was co-sponsor of eighty others. Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd appointed him to a deputy whip position, making him the only freshman Senator to serve in party leadership in the 96th Congress.[2]

Stewart failed to gain reelection to the Senate in 1980, losing the Democratic primary to state Public Service Commissioner Jim Folsom, Jr. Folsom went on to lose narrowly to Republican Jeremiah Denton in the general election. Stewart remained in the Senate until January 2, 1981, when he resigned one day before his term expired.[2]