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Republican holds
Republican pickups
Democratic holds
Democratic pickups
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The U.S. Senate election, 1956 was an election for the United States Senate which coincided with the re-election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The party balance of the chamber remained unchanged as Republican and Democratic gains cancelled each other.
Democrats defeated incumbents Herman Welker (R-ID), George H. Bender (R-OH), and James H. Duff (R-PA), as well as taking the open seat in Colorado. Republicans defeated incumbent Earle C. Clements (D-KY) as well as taking open seats in Kentucky, New York, and West Virginia.
Thus, Kentucky's delegation changed from two Democrats to two Republicans on the same Election Day.
During the term, Republican John D. Hoblitzell, Jr. was appointed to the seat of deceased Senator Matthew M. Neely (D-WV), and Democrat William Proxmire won a Special Election to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-WI). These gains left party balance unchanged.
Key: Bold states indicate separate article on that race. √ Bold candidates indicate winner.
| State | Incumbent | Party | Result | Opposing Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | √ Lister Hill | Democratic | Re-elected, unopposed | Unopposed |
| Arizona | √ Carl Hayden | Democratic | Re-elected, 61.4% – 38.6% | Ross F. Jones (Republican) |
| Arkansas | √ J. William Fulbright | Democratic | Re-elected, 83.0% – 17.0% | Ben C. Henley (Republican) |
| California | √ Thomas H. Kuchel | Republican | Re-elected, 54.0% – 45.6% | Richard Richards (Democratic) Ray Gourley (Prohibition) |
| Colorado | Eugene D. Millikin | Republican | Retired Democratic gain, 50.2% – 49.8% |
√ John A. Carroll (Democratic) Dan Thornton (Republican) |
| Connecticut | √ Prescott S. Bush | Republican | Re-elected, 54.8% – 43.1% | Thomas J. Dodd (Democratic) |
| Florida | √ George A. Smathers | Democratic | Re-elected, unopposed | Unopposed |
| Georgia | Walter F. George | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold, unopposed |
√ Herman E. Talmadge (Democratic) |
| Idaho | Herman Welker | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain, 56.2% – 38.7% |
√ Frank Church (Democratic) |
| Illinois | √ Everett M. Dirksen | Republican | Re-elected, 54.1% – 45.7% | Richard Stengel (Democratic) |
| Indiana | √ Homer E. Capehart | Republican | Re-elected, 55.2% – 44.4% | Claude R. Wickard (Democratic) |
| Iowa | √ Bourke B. Hickenlooper | Republican | Re-elected, 53.9% – 46.1% | R. M. Evans (Democratic) |
| Kansas | √ Frank Carlson | Republican | Re-elected, 57.9% – 40.5% | George Hart (Democratic) |
| Kentucky General: Class 3 |
Earle C. Clements | Democratic | Lost re-election Republican gain, 50.4% – 49.7% |
√ Thruston Morton (Republican) |
| Kentucky Special: Class 2 |
Robert Humphreys | Democratic | Interim appointee retired Republican gain, 53.2% – 46.8% |
√ John S. Cooper (Republican) Lawrence W. Wetherby (Democratic) |
| Louisiana | √ Russell B. Long | Democratic | Re-elected, unopposed | Unopposed |
| Maryland | √ John M. Butler | Republican | Re-elected, 53.0% – 47.0% | George P. Mahoney (Democratic) |
| Missouri | √ Thomas C. Hennings, Jr. | Democratic | Re-elected, 56.4% – 43.6% | Herbert Douglas (Republican) |
| Nevada | √ Alan Bible | Democratic | Re-elected, 52.6% – 47.4% | Cliff Young (Republican) |
| New Hampshire | √ Norris Cotton | Republican | Re-elected, 64.1% – 35.9% | Laurence M. Pickett (Democratic) |
| New York | Herbert H. Lehman | Democratic | Retired Republican gain, 53.3% – 46.7% |
√ Jacob K. Javits (Republican) Robert F. Wagner, Jr. (Democratic) |
| North Carolina | √ Sam J. Ervin, Jr. | Democratic | Re-elected, 66.6% – 33.4% | Joel A. Johnson (Republican) |
| North Dakota | √ Milton R. Young | Republican | Re-elected, 63.6% – 36.0% | Quentin N. Burdick (Democratic) |
| Ohio | George H. Bender | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain, 52.9% – 47.1% |
√ Frank J. Lausche (Democratic) |
| Oklahoma | √ A. S. Mike Monroney | Democratic | Re-elected, 55.4% – 44.7% | Douglas McKeever (Republican) |
| Oregon | √ Wayne Morse | Democratic | Re-elected, 54.2% – 45.8% | Douglas McKay (Republican) |
| Pennsylvania | James H. Duff | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain, 50.1% – 49.7% |
√ Joseph S. Clark (Democratic) |
| South Carolina General: Class 3 |
√ Olin B. Johnston | Democratic | Re-elected, unopposed | Unopposed |
| South Carolina Special: Class 2 |
Thomas A. Wofford | Democratic | Appointee retired Democratic hold, unopposed |
√ Strom Thurmond (Democratic) |
| South Dakota | √ Francis Case | Republican | Re-elected, 50.8% – 49.2% | Kenneth Holum (Democratic) |
| Utah | √ Wallace F. Bennett | Republican | Re-elected, 54.0% – 46.0% | Alonzo F. Hopkin (Democratic) |
| Vermont | √ George D. Aiken | Republican | Re-elected, 66.4% – 33.6% | Bernard G. O'Shea (Democratic) |
| Washington | √ Warren G. Magnuson | Democratic | Re-elected, 61.1% – 38.9% | Arthur B. Langlie (Republican) |
| West Virginia Special: Class 1 |
William R. Laird, III | Democratic | Interim appointee retired Republican gain, 53.7% – 46.3% |
√ Chapman Revercomb (Republican) William C. Marland (Democratic) |
| Wisconsin | √ Alexander Wiley | Republican | Re-elected, 58.6% – 41.2% | Henry W. Maier (Democratic) |
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