George E. Donart was a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician from Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

. He was the Democratic nominee in a 1946 special election for the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 seat in Idaho to finish the term of John W. Thomas

John W. Thomas

John W. Thomas was an American Politician. A Republican, he served on two occasions as a United States Senator from Idaho, both times appointed after his predecessor died in office.-Early life:...

, who died in November 1945.

After Thomas' death, Democratic Governor Charles C. Gossett

Charles C. Gossett

Charles Clinton Gossett was the 20th Governor of Idaho and United States Senator from Idaho.-Biography:...

 resigned and allowed his successor Arnold Williams

Arnold Williams

Arnold Williams , served as the 21st Governor of Idaho from 1945 until 1947.Williams was born in Fillmore, Utah. He was elected as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Idaho in 1944. He became governor in November 1945 to finish the unexpired term of Charles C...

 to appoint him to the Senate vacancy, which in turn allowed him to enter the special election race as the incumbent. Donart defeated Gossett in the Democratic primary. Donart was in turn defeated in the general election by Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 Congressman Henry Dworshak

Henry Dworshak

Henry Clarence Dworshak was a Republican United States Representative and a United States Senator from Idaho....

.

Prior to his Senate run Donart served in the Idaho Legislature

Idaho Legislature

The Idaho Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Idaho. It consists of the upper Idaho Senate and the lower Idaho House of Representatives. The Idaho Senate contains 35 Senators, who are elected from 35 districts...

. He was a member of the Idaho State Senate from 1933 to 1940 and from 1943 to 1946.