United States Senate elections, 1940

United States Senate elections, 1940
1938 ←
 November 5, 1940
 → 1942
36 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate
49 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Alben Barkley Charles McNary
Party Democratic Republican
Leader's seat Kentucky Oregon
Last election 69 seats 23 seats
Seats before 69 25
Seats won 66 28
Seat change -3 +3
  Republican holds
  Republican pickups
  Democratic holds
  Democratic pickups
Majority Leader before election

Alben Barkley
Democratic

 Elected Majority Leader

Alben Barkley
Democratic

The United States Senate elections of 1940 coincided with the election of Franklin Roosevelt to his third term as President. Although Roosevelt was re-elected, support for his administration had dropped somewhat after eight years, and the Republican opposition gained three seats from the Democrats. However, the New Dealers regained firm control of both the US House of Representative and US Senate because Progressives dominated the election.[1] The Farmer-Labor Party also disappeared from the Senate, as Henrik Shipstead joined the Republican party and Ernest Lundeen had died during the preceding term.

Although incumbent John G. Townsend, Jr. (R-DE) was defeated by a Democrat, Republicans defeated incumbents James M. Slattery (D-IL) and Sherman Minton (D-IN), and took open seats in Nebraska and Ohio.

Contents

Senate contests in 1940

State Incumbent Party Status Opposing Candidates
Arizona Henry F. Ashurst Democrat Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 71.6 - 28.0 - 0.4 Ernest W. McFarland (Democrat)
I. A. Jennings (Republican)
A. Walter Gehres (Prohibition)
California Hiram W. Johnson Republican Re-elected, 82.5 - 13.5 - 3.6 Fred Dyster (Prohibition)
Anita Whitney (Communist)
Connecticut Francis T. Maloney Democrat Re-elected, 53.2 - 45.7 Paul L. Cornell (Republican)
Delaware John G. Townsend, Jr. Republican Defeated, 50.6 - 47.3 - 2.1 James M. Tunnell (Democrat)
William F Allen (Liberal Democrat)
Florida Charles O. Andrews Democrat Re-elected, unopposed
Idaho1 John W. Thomas Republican Re-elected, 53.0 - 47.1 Glen H. Taylor (Democrat)
Illinois2 James M. Slattery Democrat Defeated, 50.1 - 49.6 C. Wayland Brooks (Republican)
Indiana Sherman Minton Democrat Defeated, 50.5 - 49.1 - 0.3 - 0.1 Raymond E. Willis (Republican)
Carl W. Thompson (Prohibition)
John H. Kingsbury (Socialist)
Kentucky3 A. B. "Happy" Chandler I Democrat Re-elected, 58.3 - 41.7 Walter B. Smith (Republican)
Maine Frederick Hale Republican Retired: Republican victory, 58.6 - 41.3 Ralph O. Brewster (Republican)
Louis J. Brann (Democrat)
Maryland George L. P. Radcliffe Democrat Re-elected, 64.7 - 33.5 Harry W. Nice (Republican)
Massachusetts David I. Walsh Democrat Re-elected, 55.6 - 42.8 Henry Parkman, Jr. (Republican)
Michigan Arthur H. Vandenberg Republican Re-elected, 52.7 - 47.0 Frank Fitzpatrick (Democrat)
Minnesota Henrik Shipstead Republican Re-elected, 53.0 - 25.7 - 20.6 Elmer Austin Benson (Farmer-Labor)
John E. Regan (Democrat)
Mississippi Theodore G. Bilbo Democrat Re-elected, unopposed
Missouri Harry S. Truman Democrat Re-elected, 51.2 - 48.7 - 0.1 - 0.01 Manvel H. Davis (Republican)
W. F. Rinck (Socialist)
Theodore Baeff (Socialist Labor)
Montana Burton K. Wheeler Democrat Re-elected, 73.4 - 26.6 E. K. Cheadle (Republican)
Nebraska Edward R. Burke Democrat Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 57.0 - 41.5 Hugh Butler (Republican)
R. L. Cochran (Democrat)
Nevada Key Pittman Democrat Re-elected, 60.5 - 39.5 Samuel Platt (Republican)
New Jersey W. Warren Barbour Republican Re-elected, 55.1 - 44.1 James H. R. Cromwell (Democrat)
New Mexico Dennis Chavez Democrat Re-elected, 56.0 - 44.1 Albert K. Mitchell (Republican)
New York James M. Mead Democrat Re-elected, 53.3 - 46.7 Bruce Barton (Republican)
North Dakota Lynn J. Frazier Republican Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 38.1 - 35.1 - 26.5 William Langer (Republican)
William Lemke (Independent)
Charles V. Vogel (Democrat)
Ohio Vic Donahey Democrat Retired: Republican victory, 52.4 - 47.6 Harold H. Burton (Republican)
John McSweeney (Democrat)
Pennsylvania Joseph F. Guffey Democrat Re-elected, 51.8 - 47.4 Jay Cooke (Republican)
Rhode Island Peter G. Gerry Democrat Re-elected, 55.2 - 44.8 James O. McManus (Republican)
Tennessee Kenneth D. McKellar Democrat Re-elected, 70.8 - 29.2 Howard H. Baker, Sr. (Republican)
Texas Tom Connally Democrat Re-elected, 94.3 - 5.7 George I. Shannon (Republican)
Utah William H. King Democrat Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 62.9 - 37.2 Abe Murdock (Democrat)
Philo T. Farnsworth, Jr. (Republican)
Vermont Warren R. Austin Republican Re-elected, 66.5 - 33.6 Ona S. Searles (Democrat)
Vermont4 Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. Republican Retired: Republican victory, 61.6 - 38.4 George D. Aiken (Republican)
Herbert B. Comings (Democrat)
Virginia Harry F. Byrd Democrat Re-elected, 93.3
Washington Lewis B. Schwellenbach Democrat Retired: Democratic victory, 54.2 - 45.8 Monrad Wallgren (Democrat)
Stephen F. Chadwick (Republican)
West Virginia Rush D. Holt Democrat Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 56.3 - 43.7 Harley M. Kilgore (Democrat)
Thomas Sweeney (Republican)
Wisconsin Robert M. La Follette, Jr. Progressive Re-elected, 45.3 - 41.4 - 13.2 Fred H. Clausen (Republican)
James E. Finnegan (Democrat)
Wyoming Joseph C. O'Mahoney Democrat Re-elected, 58.7 - 41.3 Milward Simpson (Republican)

1 special election held due to death of William E. Borah (R-ID)

2 special election held due to death of James H. Lewis (D-IL)

3 special election held due to death of Marvel M. Logan (D-KY)

4 special election held due to death of Ernest W. Gibson (R-VT)

Senate composition before and after elections

76th Congress Senate Composition   77th Congress Senate Composition
                                                                                                 
                                                                                                 
                                                                                                 
                                                                                                 
Color Key:   = Republican   = Democratic   = Independent   = Progressive   = Farmer-Labor

References

  1. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,849318,00.html

See also

Pre-17th Amendment
Post-17th Amendment