United States Senate elections, 1974
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34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic gain
Democratic hold
Republican gain
Republican hold | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections, 1974 were held in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon's resignation from the presidency, and Gerald Ford's subsequent pardon of Nixon. Economic issues, specifically inflation and stagnation, were also a factor that contributed to the Republican losses.[1] Democrats made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans. Following the election, the Democratic caucus controlled 60 seats (including one independent) and the Republican caucus controlled 39 seats (including one Conservative). Democrats would gain an additional seat when Democrat John A. Durkin (D-NH) won a 1975 special election that was held after the 1974 election resulted in two recounts and an extended dispute in the Senate. This was the last election to date where a member of a political party other than the Democrats or Republicans had one or more seats in the chamber (not including Independents, members of no political party). This is also the last Senate election where the Democrat won Orange County, California in a race with Republican opposition.
Gains and losses
Democrats won open seats in Vermont and Florida and unseated incumbents Peter H. Dominick (R-CO) and Marlow Cook (R-KY). Republicans took an open seat in Nevada, where Republican Paul Laxalt defeated Harry Reid by 624 votes. The election also produced other close results; Milton Young (R-ND) won reelection against Democrat William L. Guy by only 186 votes and Henry Bellmon (R-OK) won reelection against Democrat Ed Edmondson by half a percent of the vote. Bob Dole (R-KS) survived the closest election of his career against Democratic Rep. William Roy, a race undoubtedly made close due to Dole's close association with Nixon as chairman of the Republican National Committee. It was the closest the Democrats have come to winning a Senate election in Kansas since George McGill won re-election in 1932 (McGill was defeated by Clyde M. Reed in 1938).
Results summary
Parties | Total Seats | Popular Vote | ||||||||||
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Incumbents | Not up | This election | Result | +/- | Vote | % | ||||||
Up | Re-elected | Held | Gained | Lost | ||||||||
Democratic | 57 | 37 | 20 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 60 | 3 | 22,544,761 | 55.24% | |
Republican | 41 | 27 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 38 | 3 | 16,145,793 | 39.56% | |
Conservative (N.Y.) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 822,584 | 2.02% | ||||||
Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 199,108 | <0.01% | ||||||
Others | 0 | 0 | 1,098,146 | 2.69% | ||||||||
Total | 100 | 66 | 34 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 100 | 40,810,392 | 100.0% |
Source: Election Statistics - U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk
Change in Senate composition
Senate composition before the elections
D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | I1 |
D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 |
D29 | D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 |
D30 | D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38 | D39 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D49 | D48 | D47 | D46 | D45 | D44 | D43 | D42 | D41 | D40 |
D50 | ← Majority | ||||||||
D51 | D52 | D53 | D54 | D55 | D56 | D57 | R41 | R40 | |
R30 | R31 | R32 | R33 | R34 | R35 | R36 | R37 | R38 | R39 |
R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 | R25 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 | R20 |
R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 |
R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 | C1 |
Senate composition as a result of the elections
D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | I1 |
D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 |
D29 | D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 |
D30 | D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38√ | D39√ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D49√ | D48√ | D47√ | D46√ | D45√ | D44√ | D43√ | D42√ | D41√ | D40√ |
D50√ | ← Majority | ||||||||
D51√ | D52√ | D53O | D54O | D55O | D56O | D57+ | D58+ | D59+ | |
R30√ | R31√ | R32√ | R33√ | R34√ | R35√ | R36O | R37O | R38+ | D60+ |
R29√ | R28√ | R27 | R26 | R25 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 | R20 |
R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 |
R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 | C1 |
Key: |
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Race summary
A bolded state indicates an article about that election.
A bolded candidate indicates the winner.
State | Incumbent senator | Incumbent party | Result | Candidates |
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Alabama | James Allen | Democratic | Re-elected | James Allen (Democratic) 95.8% Alvin Abercrombie (Prohibition) 4.2% |
Alaska | Mike Gravel | Democratic | Re-elected | Mike Gravel (Democratic) 58.3% C. R. Lewis (Republican) 41.7% |
Arizona | Barry Goldwater | Republican | Re-elected | Barry Goldwater (Republican) 58.3% Jonathan Marshall (Democratic) 41.7% |
Arkansas | J. William Fulbright | Democratic | Lost renomination Democratic hold |
Dale Bumpers (Democratic) 84.9% John H. Jones (Republican) 15.1% |
California | Alan Cranston | Democratic | Re-elected | Alan Cranston (Democratic) 60.5% H. L. Richardson (Republican) 36.2% Jack McCoy (American Independent) 1.7% Gayle M. Justice (Peace and Freedom) 1.6% |
Colorado | Peter H. Dominick | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain |
Gary Hart (Democratic) 57.2% Peter H. Dominick (Republican) 39.5% John M King (Independent) 2.0% Joseph Fred Hyskell (Prohibition) 1.0% Henry John Olshaw (American) 0.3% |
Connecticut | Abraham A. Ribicoff | Democratic | Re-elected | Abraham A. Ribicoff (Democratic) 63.7% James H. Brannen III (Republican) 34.3% |
Florida | Edward J. Gurney | Republican | Retired Democratic gain |
Richard Stone (Democratic) 43.4% Jack Eckerd (Republican) 40.9% John Grady (American) 15.7% |
Georgia | Herman Talmadge | Democratic | Re-elected | Herman Talmadge (Democratic) 71.7% Jerry Johnson (Republican) 28.2% |
Hawaii | Daniel Inouye | Democratic | Re-elected | Daniel Inouye (Democratic) 82.9% James D. Kimmel (Independent) 17.1% |
Idaho | Frank Church | Democratic | Re-elected | Frank Church (Democratic) 56.1% Robert L. Smith (Republican) 42.1% Jean Stoddard (American) 1.8% |
Illinois | Adlai Stevenson III | Democratic | Re-elected | Adlai Stevenson III (Democratic) 62.2% George M. Burditt (Republican) 37.2% |
Indiana | Birch Bayh | Democratic | Re-elected | Birch Bayh (Democratic) 50.7% Richard Lugar (Republican) 46.4% Don L. Lee (American) 2.8% |
Iowa | Harold Hughes | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold |
John Culver (Democratic) 52.0% David M. Stanley (Republican) 47.3% |
Kansas | Bob Dole | Republican | Re-elected | Bob Dole (Republican) 50.9% William R. Roy (Democratic) 49.1% |
Kentucky | Marlow Cook | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain |
Wendell Ford (Democratic) 53.5% Marlow Cook (Republican) 44.1% William E. Parker (American) 2.4% |
Louisiana | Russell B. Long | Democratic | Re-elected | Russell B. Long (Democratic) Unopposed |
Maryland | Charles Mathias, Jr. | Republican | Re-elected | Charles Mathias, Jr. (Republican) 57.3% Barbara Mikulski (Democratic) 42.7% |
Missouri | Thomas Eagleton | Democratic | Re-elected | Thomas Eagleton (Democratic) 60.1% Thomas B. Curtis (Republican) 39.3% Cliff Talmage (Independent) 0.6% |
Nevada | Alan Bible | Democratic | Retired Republican gain |
Paul Laxalt (Republican) 47.0% Harry Reid (Democratic) 46.6% |
New Hampshire | Norris Cotton | Republican | Retired Republican hold[2] |
Louis C. Wyman (Republican) 49.7% John A. Durkin (Democratic) 49.7% |
New York | Jacob K. Javits | Republican | Re-elected | Jacob K. Javits (Republican) 45.3% Ramsey Clark (Democratic) 38.2% Barbara A. Keating (Conservative) 15.9% Rebecca Finch (Socialist Workers Party) 0.1% William F Dowling Jr (Courage) 0.1% Robert E Massi (Socialist Labor) 0.08% Mildred Edelman (Communist) 0.08% Elijah Boyd Jr (Labor) 0.07% |
North Carolina | Sam Ervin | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold |
Robert Burren Morgan (Democratic) 62.1% William E. Stevens (Republican) 37.0% |
North Dakota | Milton Young | Republican | Re-elected | Milton Young (Republican) 48.4% William L. Guy (Democratic) 48.3% |
Ohio | Howard Metzenbaum | Democratic | Lost renomination Democratic hold |
John Glenn (Democratic) 64.6% Ralph J. Perk (Republican) 30.7% |
Oklahoma | Henry Bellmon | Republican | Re-elected | Henry Bellmon (Republican) 49.4% Ed Edmondson (Democratic) 48.9% |
Oregon | Bob Packwood | Republican | Re-elected | Bob Packwood (Republican) 54.9% Betty Roberts (Democratic) 44.2% |
Pennsylvania | Richard Schweiker | Republican | Re-elected | Richard Schweiker (Republican) 53.0% Peter F. Flaherty (Democratic) 45.9% George W. Shankey (Constitution) 1.1% |
South Carolina | Ernest Hollings | Democratic | Re-elected | Ernest Hollings (Democratic) 69.5% Gwenyfred Bush (Republican) 28.6% |
South Dakota | George McGovern | Democratic | Re-elected | George McGovern (Democratic) 53.0% Leo K. Thorsness (Republican) 47.0% |
Utah | Wallace F. Bennett | Republican | Retired Republican hold |
Jake Garn (Republican) 50.0% Wayne Owens (Democratic) 44.1% |
Vermont | George Aiken | Republican | Retired Democratic gain |
Patrick Leahy (Democratic) 49.5% Richard W. Mallary (Republican) 46.4% |
Washington | Warren G. Magnuson | Democratic | Re-elected | Warren G. Magnuson (Democratic) 60.7% Jack Metcalf (Republican) 36.1% Gene Goosman (American Independent) 2% Clare Fraenzl (Socialist Workers) 0.8% Pat Ruckert (U.S. Labor) 0.4% |
Wisconsin | Gaylord Nelson | Democratic | Re-elected | Gaylord Nelson (Democratic) 61.8% Tom Petri (Republican) 35.8% |
Complete list of races
Vermont
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Incumbent Republican George Aiken did not run for re-election to another term in the United States Senate. Democratic candidate, attorney and prosecutor Patrick Leahy defeated Republican candidate, congressman Richard W. Mallary to succeed him.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
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Republican | Richard W. Mallary | 27,221 | 59.1% | ||
Republican | Charles R. Ross | 16,479 | 35.8% | ||
Republican | T. Serse Ambrosini | 2,265 | 4.9% | ||
Republican | Other | 61 | 0.1% | ||
Total votes | 46,026 | 100.0% | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
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Democratic | Patrick Leahy | 19,801 | 83.9% | ||
Democratic | Nathaniel Frothingham | 3,703 | 15.7% | ||
Democratic | Other | 97 | 0.4% | ||
Total votes | 23,601 | 100.0% | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Patrick Leahy | 70,629 | 49.47% | ||
Republican | Richard W. Mallary | 66,223 | 46.38% | ||
Liberty Union | Bernie Sanders | 5,901 | 4.13% | ||
N/A | Other | 19 | 0.0% | ||
Total votes | 142,772 | 100.0% | |||
References
- ↑ James M. Naughton (November 6, 1974). "Senate and House Margins Are Substantially Enlarged". New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ Election was contested; Louis C. Wyman (R) was seated, then resigned so that a new election could take place. Norris Cotton (R) held the seat temporarily until a new special election in 1975 selected John A. Durkin (D).
- 1 2 "Primary Election Results" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ↑ "General Election Results - U.S. Senator - 1914-2014" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
See also
- United States elections, 1974
- 93rd United States Congress
- 94th United States Congress
- Watergate Babies
- Watergate Scandal