Senator Byrd for Virginia

Following the era of Massive Resistance, the power of the Byrd Organization eroded in Virginia as African Americans, labor unions, and state newcomers became more politically active. Harry Byrd Jr., having entered the Senate to fill his father's vacant seat, narrowly won the 1966 Democratic primary. By 1970, he had decided not to subject himself to the uncertainties within the party, and in March announced he would seek reelection as an Independent. The campaign, of which this poster is an artifact, garnered a majority of the popular vote, and Byrd chose to continue to caucus with the Democrats in the Senate, resisting overtures from the White House to cross the aisle.