United States Senate elections, 1926

United States Senate elections, 1926
1924 ←
 November 2, 1926
 → 1928
35 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate
49 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Charles Curtis Joseph Robinson
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Kansas Arkansas
Last election 54 seats 41 seats
Seats before 55 40
Seats won 48 46
Seat change -7 +6
  Republican holds
  Democratic holds
  Democratic pickups
Majority Leader before election

Charles Curtis
Republican

 Elected Majority Leader

Charles Curtis
Republican

The U.S. Senate election, 1926 was an election for the United States Senate which occurred in the middle of Republican President Calvin Coolidge's second term. Although Coolidge remained popular, the Republican majority was reduced by six seats.

Democrats defeated the following incumbents:

Senate contests in 1926

State Incumbent Party Status Opposing Candidates
Alabama Oscar W. Underwood Democrat Retired: Democratic victory, 80.9 - 19.1 Hugo L. Black (Democrat)
E. H. Dryer (Republican)
Arizona Ralph H. Cameron Republican Defeated, 58.3 - 41.7 Carl Hayden (Democrat)
Arkansas Thaddeus H. Caraway Democrat Re-elected, 82.8 - 17.2 R. A. Jones (Republican)
California Samuel M. Shortridge Republican Re-elected, 63.1 - 36.9 John B. Elliott (Democrat)
Colorado Rice W. Means Republican Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 50.3 - 46.4 Charles W. Waterman (Republican)
William E. Sweet (Democrat)
Connecticut Hiram Bingham III Republican Re-elected, 63.3 - 35.6 Rollin U. Tyler (Democrat)
Florida Duncan U. Fletcher Democrat Re-elected, 77.9 - 12.8 John M. Lindsay (Independent)
Georgia Walter F. George Democrat Re-elected, unopposed
Idaho Frank R. Gooding Republican Re-elected, 45.4 - 29.6 - 25.0 H. F. Samuels (Progressive)
John F. Nugent (Democrat)
Illinois William B. McKinley Republican Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 46.9 - 43.1 - 8.7 Frank L. Smith (Republican)
George E. Brennan (Democrat)
Hugh S. Magill (Independent)
Indiana1 Arthur Raymond Robinson Republican Re-elected, 50.6 - 48.4 - 0.5 - 0.5 Evans Woollen (Democrat)
Albert Stanley (Prohibitionist)
William O. Fogleson (Socialist)
Indiana James E. Watson Republican Re-elected, 50.0 - 48.9 - 0.5 - 0.5 Albert Stump (Democrat)
William H. Harris (Prohibitionist)
Forrest Wallace (Socialist)
Iowa David W. Stewart Republican Retired: Republican victory, 56.5 - 43.3 Smith W. Brookhart (Republican)
Claude R. Porter (Democrat)
Kansas Charles Curtis Republican Re-elected, 63.6 - 34.7 - 1.7 Charles Stephens (Democrat)
M.L. Phillips (Socialist)
Kentucky Richard P. Ernst Republican Defeated, 51.8 - 48.2 Alben W. Barkley (Democrat)
Louisiana Edwin S. Broussard Democrat Re-elected, unopposed
Maine2 Arthur J. Gould Republican Re-elected, 71.8 - 28.2 Fulton J. Redman (Democrat)
Maryland Ovington E. Weller Republican Defeated, 57.5 - 41.4 - 1.1 Millard E. Tydings (Democrat)
William A. Toole (Socialist)
Massachusetts3 William M. Butler Republican Defeated, 52.0 - 46.5 David I. Walsh (Democrat)
Missouri Harry B. Hawes Democrat Re-elected, 51.3 - 47.7 George H. Williams (Republican)
Nevada Tasker L. Oddie Republican Re-elected, 55.8 - 42.5 Raymond T. Baker (Democrat)
New Hampshire George H. Moses Republican Re-elected, 62.3 - 37.7 Robert C. Murchie (Democrat)
New York James W. Wadsworth, Jr. Republican Defeated, 46.5 - 42.4 - 8.2 Robert F. Wagner (Democrat)
F. W. Cristman (Independent)
North Carolina Lee S. Overman Democrat Re-elected, 60.5 - 39.5 Johnson J. Hayes (Republican)
North Dakota Gerald P. Nye Republican Re-elected, 69.6 - 12.2 - 8.7 - 6.3 Norris H. Nelson (Independent)
F. F. Burchard (Democrat)
C. P. Stone (Independent)
Ohio Frank B. Willis Republican Re-elected, 53.2 - 46.6 Atlee Pomerene (Democrat)
Oklahoma John W. Harreld Republican Defeated, 54.8 - 44.7 Elmer Thomas (Democrat)
Oregon Robert N. Stanfield Republican Defeated as Independent, 39.8 - 36.3 - 22.5 Frederick Steiwer (Republican)
Bert E. Haney (Democrat)
Pennsylvania4 George W. Pepper Republican Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 54.6 - 43.1 William S. Vare (Republican)
William B. Wilson (Democrat)
South Carolina Ellison D. Smith Democrat Re-elected, unopposed
South Dakota Peter Norbeck Republican Re-elected, 59.5 - 33.3 - 7.2 C. J. Gunderson (Democrat)
Howard Platt (Independent)
Utah Reed Smoot Republican Re-elected, 61.5 - 37.6 Ashby Snow (Democrat)
Vermont Porter H. Dale Republican Re-elected, 73.4 - 26.5 James E. Kennedy (Democrat)
Washington Wesley L. Jones Republican Re-elected, 51.3 - 46.5 A. Scott Bullitt (Democrat)
Wisconsin Irvine L. Lenroot Republican Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 55.0 - 20.3 - 12.2 - 5.7 John J. Blaine (Republican)
Charles D. Rosa (Independent)
Thomas M. Kearney (Democrat)
Leo Krzycki (Socialist)

1 special election held due to death of Samuel M. Ralston (D-IN)

2 special election held due to death of Bert M. Fernald (R-ME)

3 special election held due to death of Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA)

4 Vare was never seated, due to charges of fraud and corruption in his campaign. His seat remained vacant until 1929.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections
D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D
R R R R R R R F D D
R
R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R
In the next Congress
D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D
V F D D D D D D D D
R
R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R R R
R R R R R R R R
Key:
D = Democratic
F = Farmer-Labor
R = Republican
V = Vacant
Majority
divider

See also

Pre-17th Amendment
Post-17th Amendment