United States Senate elections, 1964

United States Senate elections, 1964

November 3, 1964

33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate, plus 2 mid-term vacancies 51 seats needed for a majority   Majority party Minority party   Leader Mike Mansfield Everett Dirksen Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Montana Illinois Last election 66 seats 34 seats Seats won 68 32 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 30,217,130 22,654,661 Percentage 56.3% 42.2% Swing 5.9% 6.8% Seats up 26 9

Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold

Majority Leader before election Mike Mansfield Democratic Elected Majority Leader Mike Mansfield Democratic

The United States Senate election in 1964 coincided with the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson by an overwhelming majority, to a full term. His Democratic Party picked up a net two seats from the Republicans. As of 2012, this is the last time either party has had a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which would have hypothetically allowed the Senate Democrats to override a veto, impeach and remove certain officials, or invoke cloture without any votes from Republicans. The Senate election coincided with Democratic gains in the House in the same year.

Notably, of the 34 seats up for election this year, 25 of were held by Democrats, who managed to retain 24 of them. A party defending 2/3 of the seats up for election would not make net gains in the Senate again until 2012.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

As a result of the elections

Retirements

Republicans replaced by Republicans

1. Arizona: Barry Goldwater retired to run for President. He was replaced by Paul Fannin (R)

Democrats replaced by Democrats

1. Tennessee (Class 2): Appointee Herbert S. Walters (D) was replaced by Ross Bass (D)

Incumbents who lost elections

Democrats lost to Republicans

1. California: Appointee Pierre Salinger (D) lost to George Murphy (R) for the next term

Democrats lost to Democrats

1. Oklahoma (Class 2): Appointee J. Howard Edmondson (D) lost nomination to Fred R. Harris (D), who won the general election

Republicans lost to Democrats

1. Maryland: James Glenn Beall (R) lost to Joseph D. Tydings (D)
2. New Mexico: Edwin L. Mechem (R) lost to Joseph M. Montoya (D)
3. New York: Kenneth B. Keating (R) lost to Robert F. Kennedy (D)

Other races

In a close race in Nevada, Democratic incumbent Howard Cannon won re-election over Republican Lieutenant Governor Paul Laxalt by fewer than 100 votes.

Subsequent gains

1. Michigan: Patrick V. McNamara (D) died April 30, 1966, and was replaced May 11, 1966 by appointee Robert P. Griffin (R).

Complete list of races

Bold state indicates a separate article on that election.

Bold candidate indicates the winner.

See also

• United States presidential election, 1964
• United States House elections, 1964
• 89th United States Congress

External links

• "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1964" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. 1965.