In Bentsen et al. v. Blackwell et al., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving Texas' 1949 senatorial primary election, where Lloyd Bentsen had won over George Peddy by a narrow margin of votes in the Democratic Party's runoff primary. Peddy contested the results, alleging fraud and irregularities in voting procedures that affected his chances of winning; he sought to have himself declared as the rightful nominee or alternatively for another runoff to be held. The case reached federal court after being dismissed at state level due to lack of jurisdiction, with Peddy arguing that his constitutional rights were violated under color of state law - thus making it a federal matter under Civil Rights Act provisions. However, Justice Hugo Black writing for majority stated that no substantial federal question was presented and affirmed dismissal by lower courts without prejudice towards any proper state remedy available to complainant (Peddy). The Court found no evidence supporting claims about violation of federally protected rights nor did they find grounds justifying intervention into what essentially remained an internal party affair.

The dissenting opinion in the Bentsen v. Blackwell case argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Texas law, which allowed for party nominees to be chosen by a committee rather than through primary elections, was undemocratic and violated citizens' right to vote. The dissenters believed that this method of selecting candidates limited voter participation and undermined democratic principles. They contended that all eligible voters should have an equal opportunity to influence political outcomes, not just those selected for the committee. Furthermore, they expressed concern about potential corruption or bias within these committees due to their unchecked power in candidate selection. Ultimately, they disagreed with the majority's interpretation of state rights versus individual voting rights under federal law.