United States Senate elections, 1968

United States Senate elections, 1968

November 5, 1968
34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 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 64 seats 36 seats Seats before 62 38 Seats won 57 43 Seat change 5 5 Popular vote 24,976,660 23,588,832 Percentage 49.3% 46.5% Swing 1.4% 4.5%
Republican hold   Republican gain   Democratic hold   Democratic gain
Majority Leader before election Mike Mansfield Democratic Elected Majority Leader Mike Mansfield Democratic

The United States Senate elections, 1968 were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the presidential election. Although Richard Nixon won the presidential election narrowly, the Republicans picked up five net seats in the Senate. Republicans would gain another seat after the election when Alaska Republican Ted Stevens was appointed to replace Democrat Bob Bartlett.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

As a result of the elections

At the beginning of the next Congress

Incumbents who retired

Democratic hold

1. Alabama: J. Lister Hill (D) was replaced by James Allen (D).

Democratic gain

1. Iowa: Bourke B. Hickenlooper (R) was replaced by Harold Hughes (D).

Republican holds

1. Kansas: Frank Carlson (R) was replaced by Bob Dole (R).
2. Kentucky: Thruston Ballard Morton (R) was replaced by Marlow W. Cook (R).

Republican gains

1. Arizona: Carl Hayden (D) was replaced by Barry Goldwater (R), who gave up Arizona's other Senate seat in 1964 to run for president.
2. Florida: George Smathers (D) was replaced by Edward J. Gurney (R), the first Republican to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.

Incumbents who lost their seats

Democratic holds

1. Alaska: Ernest Gruening (D) lost renomination to Mike Gravel (D), who later won the general election.
2. Missouri: Edward V. Long (D) lost renomination to Thomas Eagleton (D), who later won the general election.

Democratic gain

1. California: Thomas Kuchel (R) lost renomination to Max Rafferty (R), who later lost the general election to Alan Cranston (D).

Republican gains

1. Maryland: Daniel Brewster (D) lost re-election to Charles Mathias, Jr. (R)
2. Ohio: Frank J. Lausche (D) lost renomination to John J. Gilligan (D), who later lost the general election to William B. Saxbe (R).
3. Oklahoma: A. S. Mike Monroney (D), lost re-election to Henry Bellmon (R).
4. Oregon: Wayne Morse (D), lost re-election to Bob Packwood (R).
5. Pennsylvania: Joseph S. Clark (D), lost re-election to Richard Schweiker (R).

Later change

Republican gain

1. Alaska: Bob Bartlett (D) died December 11, 1968 and Ted Stevens (R) was appointed December 24, 1968.

Complete list of races

A bolded state name indicates an article about that state's election.

All seats were class 3.

See also

• United States elections, 1968
  • United States gubernatorial elections, 1968
  • United States presidential election, 1968
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1968
• 90th United States Congress
• 91st United States Congress