United States Senate elections, 1978

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     Republican holds      Republican pickups      Democratic holds      Democratic pickups
     Republican holds      Republican pickups      Democratic holds      Democratic pickups

The United States Senate election, 1978 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The Democrats lost a net of three seats to the Republicans, leaving the balance of the chamber 58-41 in favor of the Democrats.

Republicans took three open seats, including one in Minnesota (a special election was called after the death of Hubert Humphrey (D-MN)), as well as in Mississippi and South Dakota. They also defeated five Democratic incumbents: Floyd Haskell (D-CO), Dick Clark (D-IA), William Hathaway (D-ME), Wendell Anderson (D-MN), and Thomas McIntyre (D-NH). These were partially balanced by Democratic defeats of Edward Brooke (R-MA) and Robert Griffin (R-MI), and captures of Republican open seats in Nebraska, New Jersey, and Oklahoma.


[edit] Senate contests in 1978

A bolded state name indicates an article about that state's election.

State Incumbent Party Status Opposing Candidates
Alabama John Sparkman Democratic Retired, Democratic victory Howell Heflin (Democratic) 94.0%
Jerome B. Couch (Independent) 6.0%
Alabama1 Maryon Pittman Allen Democratic Defeated in Primary, Democratic victory Donald W. Stewart (Democratic) 54.9%
James D. Martin (Republican) 43.2%
Alaska Ted Stevens Republican Re-elected, 75.6% Donald W. Hobbs (Democratic) 24.1%
Arkansas Kaneaster Hodges, Jr. Democratic Retired, Democratic victory David Pryor (Democratic) 76.6%
Tom Kelly (Republican) 16.2%
John J. Black (Independent) 7.2%
Colorado Floyd K. Haskell Democratic Defeated, 40.3% William L. Armstrong (Republican) 40.3%
Delaware Joe Biden Democratic Re-elected, 58.0% James H. Baxter (Republican) 41.0%
Georgia Sam Nunn Democratic Re-elected, 83.1% John W. Stokes (Republican) 16.9%
Idaho James A. McClure Republican Re-elected, 68.4% Dwight Jensen (Democratic) 31.6%
Illinois Charles H. Percy Republican Re-elected, 53.3% Alex Seith (Democratic) 45.5%
Iowa Dick Clark Democratic Defeated, 47.9% Roger Jepsen (Republican) 51.1%
Kansas James B. Pearson Republican Retired, Republican victory Nancy Landon Kassebaum (Republican) 53.9%
William R. Roy (Democratic) 42.4%
Kentucky Walter Huddleston Democratic Re-elected, 61.0% Louis Guenthner (Republican) 36.9%
Anthony A. McCord (American) 2.1%
Louisiana Bennett Johnston Jr. Democratic Re-elected in primary
Maine William Hathaway Democratic Defeated, 33.9% William Cohen (Republican) 56.6%
Hayes E. Gahagan (Independent) 7.4%
Massachusetts Edward Brooke Republican Defeated, 44.8% Paul Tsongas (Democratic) 55.1%
Michigan Robert P. Griffin Republican Defeated, 47.9% Carl Levin (Democratic) 52.1%
Minnesota2 Muriel Humphrey Democratic Retired, Republican victory David Durenberger (Republican) 61.4%
Bob Short (Democratic) 34.5%
Minnesota Wendell Anderson Democratic Defeated, 40.4% Rudy Boschwitz (Republican) 56.6%
Mississippi James O. Eastland Democratic Retired, Republican victory Thad Cochran (Republican) 45.1%
Maurice Dantin (Democratic) 31.8%
Charles Evers (Independent) 22.9%
Montana Paul G. Hatfield Democratic Defeated in Primary, Democratic victory Max Baucus (Democratic) 55.7%
Larry Williams (Republican) 44.3%
Nebraska Carl Curtis Republican Retired, Democratic victory J. James Exon (Democratic) 67.6%
Donald Shasteen (Republican) 32.3%
New Hampshire Thomas J. McIntyre Democratic Defeated, 48.5% Gordon J. Humphrey (Republican) 50.7%
New Jersey Clifford P. Case Republican Defeated in Primary, Democratic victory Bill Bradley (Democratic) 55.3%
Jeffrey Bell (Republican) 43.1%
New Mexico Pete Domenici Republican Re-elected, 53.4% Toney Anaya (Democratic) 46.6%
North Carolina Jesse Helms Republican Re-elected, 54.5% John Ingram (Democratic) 45.5%
Oklahoma Dewey F. Bartlett Republican Retired, Democratic victory David L. Boren (Democratic) 65.5%
Robert B. Kamm (Republican) 32.9%
Oregon Mark Hatfield Republican Re-elected, 61.6% Vernon Cook (Democratic) 38.3%
Rhode Island Claiborne Pell Democratic Re-elected, 75.1% James G. Reynolds (Republican) 24.9%
South Carolina Strom Thurmond Republican Re-elected, 55.6% Charles D. Ravenel (Democratic) 44.4%
South Dakota James Abourezk Democratic Retired, Republican victory Larry Pressler (Republican) 66.8%
Don Barnett (Democratic) 33.2%
Tennessee Howard Baker Republican Re-elected, 55.5% Jane Eskind (Democratic) 40.3%
Texas John Tower Republican Re-elected, 49.8% Bob Krueger (Democratic) 49.3%
Virginia William L. Scott Republican Retired, Republican victory John Warner (Republican) 50.2%
Andrew P. Miller (Democratic) 49.8%
West Virginia Jennings Randolph Democratic Re-elected, 50.5% Arch A. Moore, Jr. (Republican) 49.5%
Wyoming Clifford Hansen Republican Retired, Republican victory Alan K. Simpson (Republican) 62.2%
Raymond B. Whitaker (Democratic) 37.8%

1Special election held due to death of James Allen
2Special election held due to death of Hubert Humphrey

[edit] Senate composition before and after elections

95th Congress Senate Composition   96th Congress Senate Composition
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
Color Key:   = Republican   = Democratic   = Independent

[edit] See also