| Election Name: | 1949 United States Senate special election in New York |
| Country: | New York |
| Flag Image: | Flag of New York (1909–2020).svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1944 United States Senate election in New York |
| Previous Year: | 1944 |
| Next Election: | 1950 United States Senate election in New York |
| Next Year: | 1950 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1949 |
| Image1: | Herbert Lehman (D-NY) (cropped) (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Herbert H. Lehman |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Alliance1: | Liberal Party of New York |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,582,438 |
| Percentage1: | 51.99% |
| Nominee2: | John Foster Dulles |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,384,381 |
| Percentage2: | 48.01% |
| Senator | |
| Before Election: | John Foster Dulles |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Herbert H. Lehman |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The United States Senate special election of 1949 in New York was held on November 8, 1949. On June 28, 1949, incumbent senator Robert F. Wagner resigned due to ill health. On July 7, John Foster Dulles was appointed by Governor Thomas Dewey to fill the vacancy temporarily.[1]
The Republican State Committee nominated Dulles to succeed himself. The Democratic State Committee nominated former Governor Herbert H. Lehman. The Liberal Party endorsed Lehman. The American Labor Party made no nominations and urged its members not to vote for any candidate. The Democratic/Liberal ticket was elected and Dulles was defeated.[2]
Longtime incumbent Senator Robert F. Wagner resigned effective June 29, 1949, citing ill health. Governor Thomas E. Dewey appointed John Foster Dulles, his foreign policy advisor, to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected, and a special election to complete Wagner's term in office was scheduled for November 8, 1949, to coincide with the regularly scheduled state election.
Alex Rose, David Dubinsky, Adolf A. Berle, Americans for Democratic Action, and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union pushed for Herbert H. Lehman to seek the Democratic nomination.
Dulles accused Lehman of working with communists while leading the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and for accepting the support of the American Labor Party in previous elections. He also incorrectly claimed that the ALP also nominated Lehman.
Vito Marcantonio sought to have Henry A. Wallace run as the American Labor Party's nominee, which would have aided Marcantonio in the concurrent New York City mayoral election, but Wallace declined.
The number of votes Lehman received on the Liberal line was greater than his margin of victory.