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Republican holds Republican pickups Democratic holds Democratic pickups Independent holds Conservative pickups
The U.S. Senate election, 1970 was an election for the United States Senate which was a midterm election in the term of President Richard M. Nixon. Nixon's "Southern strategy" was effective at taking several seats from the Democrats, in spite of this being a midterm election. The Democrats lost a net of three seats, while the Republicans and the Conservative Party of New York State picked up one net seat each, and Democratic Harry F. Byrd, Jr. was re-elected as an independent.
The Republicans picked up one open seat in Ohio, and defeated incumbents Albert Gore, Sr. (D-TN), Joseph D. Tydings (D-MD), and Thomas J. Dodd (D-CT) (who had been censured by the Senate for using campaign funds for personal use). Democrats picked up the seats of Ralph Tyler Smith (R-IL) and George Murphy (R-CA). Conservative James L. Buckley defeated Republican incumbent Charles E. Goodell (R-NY) and a Democratic challenger.
[edit] Senate contests in 1970
| State |
Incumbent |
Party |
Status |
Opposing Candidates |
| Alaska1 |
Ted Stevens |
Republican |
Re-elected, 59.6 - 40.4 |
Wendell P. Kay (Democrat)
|
| Arizona |
Paul Fannin |
Republican |
Re-elected, 56.0 - 44.0 |
Sam Grossman (Democrat)
|
| California |
George Murphy |
Republican |
Defeated, 53.9 - 44.3 |
John V. Tunney (Democrat)
|
| Connecticut |
Thomas J. Dodd |
Democrat |
Defeated, 41.7 - 33.8 - 24.5 |
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. (Republican)
Joseph D. Duffey (Democrat)
|
| Delaware |
John J. Williams |
Republican |
Retired: Republican victory, 58.8 - 40.1 |
William V. Roth, Jr. (Republican)
Jacob Zimmerman (Democrat)
|
| Florida |
Spessard Holland |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, 53.9 - 46.1 |
Lawton Chiles (Democrat)
William C. Cramer (Republican)
|
| Hawaii |
Hiram L. Fong |
Republican |
Re-elected, 51.6 - 48.4 |
Cecil Heftel (Democrat)
|
| Illinois2 |
Ralph T. Smith |
Republican |
Defeated, 57.4 - 42.2 |
Adlai E. Stevenson III (Democrat)
|
| Indiana |
Vance Hartke |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 50.1 - 49.9 |
Richard L. Roudebush (Republican)
|
| Maine |
Edmund S. Muskie |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 61.9 - 38.3 |
Neil S. Bishop (Republican)
|
| Maryland |
Joseph D. Tydings |
Democrat |
Defeated, 50.7 - 48.1 |
John Glenn Beall, Jr. (Republican)
|
| Massachusetts |
Edward M. Kennedy |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 62.1 - 37.0 |
Josiah A. Spaulding (Republican)
|
| Michigan |
Philip A. Hart |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 66.8 - 32.9 |
Lenore Romney (Republican)
|
| Minnesota |
Eugene McCarthy |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, 57.8 - 41.6 |
Hubert Humphrey (Democrat)
Clark MacGregor (Republican)
|
| Mississippi |
John C. Stennis |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 88.4 - 11.6 |
William R. Thompson (Independent)
|
| Missouri |
Stuart Symington |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 51.1 - 48.2 |
John C. Danforth (Republican)
|
| Montana |
Mike Mansfield |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 60.5 - 39.5 |
Harold E. Wallace (Republican)
|
| Nebraska |
Roman L. Hruska |
Republican |
Re-elected, 52.5 - 47.5 |
Frank B. Morrison (Democrat)
|
| Nevada |
Howard W. Cannon |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 57.7 - 41.2 |
William J. Raggio (Republican)
|
| New Jersey |
Harrison A. Williams, Jr. |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 54.0 - 42.2 |
Nelson G. Gross (Republican)
|
| New Mexico |
Joseph M. Montoya |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 52.3 - 46.6 |
Anderson Carter (Republican)
|
| New York |
Charles E. Goodell |
Republican |
Defeated: Conservative victory, 38.8 - 36.8 - 24.3 |
James L. Buckley (Conservative)
Richard L. Ottinger (Democrat)
|
| North Dakota |
Quentin N. Burdick |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 61.3 - 37.8 |
Thomas S. Kleppe (Republican)
|
| Ohio |
Stephen M. Young |
Democrat |
Retired: Republican victory, 49.7 - 47.5 |
Robert A. Taft, Jr. (Republican)
Howard M. Metzenbaum (Democrat)
|
| Pennsylvania |
Hugh Scott |
Republican |
Re-elected, 51.4 - 45.4 |
William G. Sesler (Democrat)
|
| Rhode Island |
John O. Pastore |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 67.5 - 31.5 |
John McLaughlin (Republican)
|
| Tennessee |
Albert Gore, Sr. |
Democrat |
Defeated, 51.3 - 47.4 |
Bill Brock (Republican)
|
| Texas |
Ralph Yarborough |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 53.5 - 46.4 |
Lloyd Bentsen (Democrat)
George H. W. Bush (Republican)
|
| Utah |
Frank E. Moss |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 56.2 - 42.5 |
Laurence J. Burton (Republican)
|
| Vermont |
Winston L. Prouty |
Republican |
Re-elected, 58.9 - 40.2 |
Philip H. Hoff (Democrat)
|
| Virginia |
Harry F. Byrd, Jr. |
Independent |
Re-elected, 53.5 - 31.2 - 15.3 |
George C. Rawlings, Jr. (Democrat)
Ray Garland (Republican)
|
| Washington |
Henry M. Jackson |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 82.4 - 16.0 |
Charles W. Elicker (Republican)
|
| West Virginia |
Robert C. Byrd |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 77.6 - 22.4 |
Elmer H. Dodson (Republican)
|
| Wisconsin |
William Proxmire |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 70.8 - 28.5 |
John E. Erickson (Republican)
|
| Wyoming |
Gale McGee |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 55.8 - 44.2 |
John S. Wold (Republican)
|
1 special election held due to death of Bob Bartlett (D-AK)
2 special election held due to death of Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL)
[edit] See also
[edit] Senate composition before and after elections
