 The sitting MP for Dartford was Jennie Adamson, who had won a by-election for Labour in 1938; she decided to fight in the new Bexley constituency.Dodds, who was living in Dartford, was selected as Labour candidate for the new Dartford borough constituency.When the election came he had a straight fight with the Conservative Party candidate, Captain Ralph Grubb, who had served on the staff of Field-Marshal Montgomery.