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Republican holds Republican pickups Democratic holds Democratic pickups Simultaneous hold
The United States Senate elections of 1942 occurred midway through Franklin Roosevelt's third term as President. Although this election took place during World War II, the opposition Republican party made major gains, taking eight seats from the Democrats and one from an independent. Various commentators have ascribed this to anger with the administration over Pearl Harbor, general irritation with the conditions of wartime, or the defeat of weak Democratic incumbents from the 1936 election. The Democrats nonetheless retained a significant majority.
Republicans captured open seats in Delaware, South Dakota, and West Virginia, and defeated six incumbents:
[edit] Senate contests in 1942
| State |
Incumbent |
Party |
Status |
Opposing Candidates |
| Alabama |
John H. Bankhead II |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| Arkansas |
George L. Spencer |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, unopposed |
John L. McClellan (Democrat)
|
| Colorado |
Edwin C. Johnson |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 50.2 - 49.2 |
Ralph L. Carr (Republican)
|
| Colorado1 |
Eugene D. Millikin |
Republican |
Re-elected, 56.1 - 42.1 |
James A. Marsh (Democrat)
|
| Delaware |
James H. Hughes |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 54.2 - 44.9 |
Clayton D. Buck (Republican)
E. Ennals Berl (Democrat)
|
| Georgia |
Richard Russell, Jr. |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| Idaho |
John Thomas |
Republican |
Re-elected, 51.5 - 48.5 |
Glen H. Taylor (Democrat)
|
| Illinois |
C. Wayland Brooks |
Republican |
Re-elected, 53.2 - 46.4 |
Raymond S. McKeough (Democrat)
|
| Iowa |
Clyde L. Herring |
Democrat |
Defeated, 58.0 - 41.7 |
George A. Wilson (Republican)
|
| Kansas |
Arthur Capper |
Republican |
Re-elected, 57.1 - 40.3 |
George McGill (Democrat)
|
| Kentucky |
A. B. "Happy" Chandler I |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 55.3 - 44.7 |
Richard J. Colbert (Republican)
|
| Louisiana |
Allen J. Ellender |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| Maine |
Wallace H. White, Jr. |
Republican |
Re-elected, 66.7 - 33.3 |
Fulton J. Redman (Democrat)
|
| Massachusetts |
Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. |
Republican |
Re-elected, 52.4 - 46.6 |
Joseph E. Casey (Democrat)
|
| Michigan |
Prentiss M. Brown |
Democrat |
Defeated, 49.6 - 47.2 |
Homer Ferguson (Republican)
|
| Minnesota |
Arthur E. Nelson |
Republican |
Retired: Republican victory, 47.0 - 28.2 - 14.4 - 10.4 |
Joseph H. Ball (Republican)
Elmer Austin Benson (Farmer-Labor)
Martin A. Nelson (Independent)
Ed Murphy (Democrat)
|
| Mississippi |
Wall Doxey |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, unopposed |
James O. Eastland (Democrat)
|
| Montana |
James E. Murray |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 49.1 - 48.4 |
Wellington D. Rankin (Republican)
|
| Nebraska |
George W. Norris |
Independent |
Defeated, 49.0 - 28.6 - 22.0 |
Kenneth S. Wherry (Republican)
Foster May (Democrat)
|
| Nevada2 |
Berkeley L. Bunker |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 58.7 - 41.3 |
James G. Scrugham (Democrat)
Cecil W. Creel (Republican)
|
| New Hampshire |
Styles Bridges |
Republican |
Re-elected, 54.6 - 45.4 |
Francis P. Murphy (Democrat)
|
| New Jersey |
William H. Smathers |
Democrat |
Defeated, 53.1 - 45.8 |
Albert W. Hawkes (Republican)
|
| New Mexico |
Carl A. Hatch |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 59.2 - 40.8 |
J. Benson Newell (Republican)
|
| North Carolina |
Josiah W. Bailey |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 65.9 - 34.1 |
Sam J. Morris (Republican)
|
| Oklahoma |
Josh Lee |
Democrat |
Defeated, 54.8 - 44.8 |
Edward H. Moore (Republican)
|
| Oregon |
Charles L. McNary |
Republican |
Re-elected, 77.1 - 22.9 |
Walter W. Whitbeck (Democrat)
|
| Rhode Island |
Theodore F. Green |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 58.0 - 42.0 |
Ira L. Letts (Republican)
|
| South Carolina |
Burnet R. Maybank |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| South Dakota |
William J. Bulow |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 58.7 - 41.3 |
Harlan J. Bushfield (Republican)
Tom Berry (Democrat)
|
| Tennessee |
A. Tom Stewart |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 70.5 - 21.5 |
F. Todd Meacham (Republican)
|
| Texas |
W. Lee O'Daniel |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 94.9 |
|
| Virginia |
Carter Glass |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 91.1 - 6.5 |
Lawrence S. Wilkes (Socialist)
|
| West Virginia |
Joseph Rosier |
Democrat |
Retired: Republican victory, 55.4 - 44.6 |
Chapman Revercomb (Republican)
Matthew M. Neely (Democrat)
|
| Wyoming |
Henry H. Schwartz |
Democrat |
Defeated, 54.6 - 45.4 |
Edward V. Robertson (Republican)
|
1 special election held due to death of Alva B. Adams (D-CO)
2 special election held due to death of Key Pittman (D-NV)
[edit] Senate composition before and after elections
[edit] See also
