during his tenure in the senate, purtell co-sponsored an amendment to federal labor laws making discrimination by employers or labor organizations an unfair labor practice. in 1954, he expressed his support for the eisenhower administration's proposal for a government-conducted vote before a union could go on strike. purtell voted in favor of the civil rights act of 1957. in 1958, purtell was defeated for re-election by his democratic opponent thomas j. dodd, a former congressman and father of future senator chris dodd, by a margin of 57%-42%.