Robert Rice Reynolds

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Robert Rice Reynolds (18 June 1884 - 13 February 1963) was a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1932 and 1945.

Originally from the town of Asheville, where he had practiced law, Reynolds first ran for the United States Senate in 1926, but was not successful. He ran again in 1932 and defeated interim Senator Cameron Morrison in the Democratic primary by nearly two to one after running a particularly nasty campaign, which accused Morrison of being a Communist sympathizer. During one campaign speech, he proclaimed, "Cam likes fish eggs, and Red Russian fish eggs at that. Don't you want a Senator who likes North Carolina hen eggs?"

Reynolds had marked Fascist sympathies during his public career. He was in close contact and sympathy with William Dudley Pelley's pro-Nazi Silver Legion of America. As Senator, Reynolds sympathized with the Nazi government in Germany and fought for the America First organization. On the floor of the Senate, he said: "The dictators are doing what is best for their people. I say it is high time we found out how they are doing it, and why they are progressing so rapidly. Hitler has solved the unemployment problem. There is no unemployment in Italy. Hitler and Mussolini have a date with destiny. It is foolish to oppose them, so why not play ball with them?"

In 1938, Reynolds became chairman of the Senate Committee of Military Affairs. In April 1940, Reynolds provided a Nazi agent, Simon Emil Koedel, with detailed confidential information about France’s ports. He was not charged with treason.

By 1944, the Democratic Party had had enough of Reynolds and chose former governor Clyde R. Hoey to seek Reynolds' seat in the primary. As a result, Reynolds did not seek reelection, and Hoey won the primary and went on to win the general election in a landslide victory over a Republican opponent. Reynolds did seek to return to the Senate in 1950, but was hopelessly discredited by this time and won only 10% in the Democratic primary.

After leaving public life, he practiced law and real estate until his death, in Ashville.

Preceded by Cameron A. Morrison

United States Senator (Class 3) from North Carolina 1932-1945 Served alongside: Josiah William Bailey

Succeeded by Clyde Roark Hoey