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Republican holds Republican pickups Democratic holds Democratic pickups
The U.S. Senate election, 1950 was an election for the United States Senate which occurred in the middle of Harry Truman's second term as President. As with most 20th century second term mid-terms, the party out of the Presidency made significant gains. The Democratic administration's popularity declining during the Cold War, and in the aftermath of a severe recession in 1948, the Republican opposition made a net gain of five seats, nearly taking control of the chamber.
The Republicans defeated incumbents Scott W. Lucas (D-IL) (current Majority Leader), Millard E. Tydings (D-MD), Francis J. Myers (D-PA), and Elbert B. Thomas (D-UT), as well as taking open seats in Idaho and California. The Democrats only defeated one incumbent, Forrest C. Donnell (R-MO).
During the interim, Republicans and Democrats would exchange seats in Michigan and Connecticut due to deaths and appointments, but this would not affect party balance.
A notable freshman was future President Richard M. Nixon, who would be elected Vice President two years later.
[edit] Senate contests in 1950
| State |
Incumbent |
Party |
Status |
Opposing Candidates |
| Alabama |
Lister Hill |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 76.5 - 23.5 |
John G. Crommelin, Jr. (Republican) |
| Arizona |
Carl Hayden |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 62.8 - 37.2 |
Bruce Brockett (Republican) |
| Arkansas |
J. William Fulbright |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| California |
Sheridan Downey |
Democrat |
Retired: Republican victory, 59.2 - 40.8 |
Richard M. Nixon (Republican)
Helen Gahagan Douglas (Democrat) |
| Colorado |
Eugene D. Millikin |
Republican |
Re-elected, 53.3 - 46.8 |
John A. Carroll (Democrat) |
| Connecticut[1] |
William Benton |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 49.2 - 49.1 |
Prescott S. Bush (Republican) |
| Connecticut |
Brien McMahon |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 51.7 - 46.6 |
Joseph E. Talbot (Republican) |
| Florida |
Claude Pepper |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 76.2 - 23.7 |
George A. Smathers (Democrat)
John P. Booth (Republican) |
| Georgia |
Walter F. George |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| Idaho |
Glen H. Taylor |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 61.7 - 38.3 |
Herman Welker (Republican)
D. Worth Clark (Democrat) |
| Idaho[2] |
Henry C. Dworshak |
Republican |
Re-elected, 51.9 - 48.1 |
Claude J. Burtenshaw (Democrat) |
| Illinois |
Scott W. Lucas |
Democrat |
Defeated, 53.9 - 45.8 |
Everett M. Dirksen (Republican) |
| Indiana |
Homer E. Capehart |
Republican |
Re-elected, 52.8 - 46.4 |
Alex M. Campbell (Democrat) |
| Iowa |
Bourke B. Hickenlooper |
Republican |
Re-elected, 54.8 - 44.7 |
Albert J. Loveland (Democrat) |
| Kansas |
Frank Carlson |
Republican |
Re-elected, 54.3 - 43.8 |
Paul Aiken (Democrat) |
| Kentucky |
Earle C. Clements |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 54.2 - 45.1 |
Charles I. Dawson (Republican) |
| Louisiana |
Russell B. Long |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 87.7 - 12.3 |
Charles S. Gerth (Republican) |
| Maryland |
Millard E. Tydings |
Democrat |
Defeated, 53.0 - 46.0 |
John M. Butler (Republican) |
| Missouri |
Forrest C. Donnell |
Republican |
Defeated, 53.6 - 46.4 |
Thomas C. Hennings, Jr. (Democrat) |
| Nevada |
Patrick A. McCarran |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 58.0 - 42.0 |
George E. Marshall (Republican) |
| New Hampshire |
Charles W. Tobey |
Republican |
Re-elected, 55.7 - 38.0 - 6.3 |
Emmet J. Kelley (Democrat)
Wesley Powell (Independent) |
| New York |
Herbert H. Lehman |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 50.3 - 45.3 |
Joe R. Hanley (Republican) |
| North Carolina[3] |
Frank Porter Graham |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 67.0 - 32.6 |
Willis Smith (Democrat)
E. L. Gavin (Republican) |
| North Carolina |
Clyde R. Hoey |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 68.7 - 31.3 |
Halsey B. Leavitt (Republican) |
| North Dakota |
Milton R. Young |
Republican |
Re-elected, 67.6 - 32.4 |
Harry O'Brien (Democrat) |
| Ohio |
Robert A. Taft |
Republican |
Re-elected, 57.5 - 42.5 |
Joseph T. Ferguson (Democrat) |
| Oklahoma |
Elmer Thomas |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 54.8 - 45.2 |
A. S. Mike Monroney (Democrat)
W. H. Bill Alexander (Republican) |
| Oregon |
Wayne Morse |
Republican |
Re-elected, 74.8 - 23.2 |
Howard Latourette (Democrat) |
| Pennsylvania |
Francis J. Myers |
Democrat |
Defeated, 51.3 - 47.7 |
James H. Duff (Republican) |
| Rhode Island[4] |
Edward L. Leahy |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, 61.6 - 38.4 |
John O. Pastore (Democrat)
Austin T. Levy (Republican) |
| South Carolina |
Olin B. Johnston |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| South Dakota |
Chandler Gurney |
Republican |
Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 63.9 - 36.1 |
Francis Case (Republican)
John A. Engel (Democrat) |
| Utah |
Elbert D. Thomas |
Democrat |
Defeated, 53.9 - 45.8 |
Wallace F. Bennett (Republican) |
| Vermont |
George D. Aiken |
Republican |
Re-elected, 78.0 - 22.0 |
James E. Bigelow (Democrat) |
| Washington |
Warren G. Magnuson |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 53.4 - 46.0 |
Walter Williams (Republican) |
| Wisconsin |
Alexander Wiley |
Republican |
Re-elected, 53.3 - 46.2 |
Thomas E. Fairchild (Democrat) |
[edit] Senate composition before and after elections
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ special election held due to resignation of Raymond E. Baldwin (R-CT)
- ^ special election held due to death of Bert H. Miller (D-ID).
- ^ special election held due to death of Joseph Melville Broughton (D-NC)
- ^ special election held due to resignation of J. Howard McGrath (D-RI) to become Attorney General
[edit] See also
