Rush D. Holt, Sr.

Rush Dew Holt, Sr. (June 19, 1905–February 8, 1955) was an American politician who was a United States Senator from West Virginia from 1935 until 1941.

A Democrat, he was elected at age 29 in November 1934, but because a Senator was constitutionally required to be at least 30 years old, he could not take his seat in January 1935 and had to wait until after his next birthday, in June 1935. At the time of his election, he supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt and had the backing of the United Mine Workers; however, after he was in office, he seemed to change his political stance, becoming a critic of the New Deal and losing the support of the United Mine Workers. Holt was also a staunch isolationist, firmly opposing any U.S. involvement in overseas warfare at a time when World War II was beginning. He was defeated for the Democratic renomination in 1940 and later became a Republican, unsuccessfully running for governor of West Virginia in 1952. [1]

His son, Rush D. Holt, Jr., is presently a U.S. Representative from New Jersey.

External links

• "Unsworn Senators", an article from TIME magazine that is partially about Holt, January 14, 1935.
• Congressional biography