Former Maryland Sen. Joseph Tydings, a Democrat who served from 1965 until he was defeated in 1970 thanks to an effort by the NRA and their allies, died Monday at the age of 90. Tydings was the stepson of Millard Tydings, who himself represented Maryland in the Senate for 24 years until Joseph McCarthy helped beat him in 1950 during the Red Scare.
The younger Tydings served in the Army before he was elected to the state House in 1954. Tydings went on to become the U.S. attorney for Maryland during the Kennedy administration, and he later recounted in his autobiography that he'd prosecuted so many Democratic politicians that Attorney General Robert Kennedy once exclaimed, "My God, Joe, can't you ever find a Republican to indict?"
President John F. Kennedy convinced Tydings to challenge GOP Sen. James Glenn Beall in 1964, and Tydings even held his farewell luncheon from the Justice Department on what turned out to be the same day that Kennedy was assassinated. In the primary Tydings faced state Comptroller Louis Goldstein, who had the support of the state Democratic machine, and beat him 59-33. Tydings decisively unseated Beall 63-37 as President Lyndon Johnson was carrying the state by a similar margin.
During his one term, Tydings was known for his support for civil rights and gun safety, as well as his opposition to the Vietnam War. Tydings angered both President Richard Nixon when he helped defeat two of his Supreme Court nominees, as well as the NRA. His support for the Nixon administration's crime bill for D.C., which included "no knock" police entry provisions also infuriated many black voters.
Tydings faced a tough 1970 primary challenge from conservative George P. Mahoney, a perennial candidate who had run several high profile but unsuccessful campaigns. The NRA worked hard to beat Tydings, who was also hurt by a Life article accusing him of "conflicts of interest" in office. Tydings won 53-38, but soon had to deal with a tough challenge from GOP Rep. John Glenn Beall Jr., the son of the man he'd defeated six years before. Anti-gun safety groups once again opposed the senator, and in November, Beall unseated him 51-48.
Tydings went back to practicing law after his defeat, and in 1972, he successfully argued Eisenstadt v. Baird in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which established the right for unmarried people to use contraception. Tydings sought a rematch with Beall in 1976, but he lost the primary to Rep. Paul Sarbanes 55-35, who went on to win decisively in November.