United States Senate elections, 1940
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Republican hold Republican gain Democratic hold Democratic gain Progressive hold | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1940 coincided with the election of Franklin Roosevelt to his third term as President.
Change in Senate composition
Senate composition before the elections
D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | ||
D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 |
D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 |
D29 | D30 | D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38 |
D48 | D47 | D46 | D45 | D44 | D43 | D42 | D41 | D40 | D39 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D49 | ← Majority | ||||||||
D50 | D51 | D52 | D53 | D54 | D55 | D56 | D57 | D58 | |
D68 | D67 | D66 | D65 | D64 | D63 | D62 | D61 | D60 | D59 |
D69 | FL1 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 |
R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 |
R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 | I1 | P1 |
Senate composition as a result of the elections
D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | ||
D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 |
D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 |
D29 | D30 | D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38 |
D48√ | D47√ | D46√ | D45√ | D44 | D43 | D42 | D41 | D40 | D39 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D49√ | ← Majority | ||||||||
D50√ | D51√ | D52√ | D53√ | D54√ | D55√ | D56√ | D57√ | D58√ | |
R27+ | R28+ | D66+ | D65O | D64O | D63O | D62O | D61√ | D60√ | D59√ |
R26+ | R25+ | R24@ | R23O | R22O | R21O | R20√ | R19√ | R18√ | R17√ |
R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16√ |
R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 | I1 | P1 |
Key: |
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Summary
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.[2] The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party also disappeared from the Senate, as Henrik Shipstead joined the Republican party and Ernest Lundeen had died during the preceding term.
Gains and losses
Incumbent John G. Townsend, Jr. (R-DE) was defeated by a Democrat, but Republicans defeated two incumbents James M. Slattery (D-IL) and Sherman Minton (D-IN), and took two open seats in Nebraska and Ohio.
Notable frehmen were future Governor of Arizona Ernest W. McFarland (D-AZ), future Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler (D-KY) and future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harold H. Burton (R-OH).
Senate contests in 1940
Separate elections
Date | State | Incumbent | Party | Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 22, 1940 | Illinois Special: Class 2 |
James M. Slattery | Democratic | Appointee lost election to finish term Republican gain |
C. Wayland Brooks (Republican) 50.1% James M. Slattery (Democratic) 49.6% |
November 5 elections
State | Incumbent | Party | Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona | Henry F. Ashurst | Democratic | Lost renomination Democratic hold |
Ernest W. McFarland (Democratic) 71.6% I. A. Jennings (Republican) 28.0% A. Walter Gehres (Prohibition) 0.4% |
California | Hiram W. Johnson | Republican | Re-elected | Hiram W. Johnson (Republican) 82.5% Fred Dyster (Prohibition) 13.5% Anita Whitney (Communist) 3.6% |
Connecticut | Francis T. Maloney | Democratic | Re-elected | Francis T. Maloney (Democratic) 53.2% Paul L. Cornell (Republican) 45.7% |
Delaware | John G. Townsend, Jr. | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain |
James M. Tunnell (Democratic) 50.6% John G. Townsend, Jr. (Republican) 47.3% William F Allen (Liberal Democratic) 2.1% |
Florida | Charles O. Andrews | Democratic | Re-elected | Charles O. Andrews (Democratic) Unopposed |
Idaho Special: Class 2 |
John W. Thomas | Republican | Appointee elected to finish term | John W. Thomas (Republican) 53.0% Glen H. Taylor (Democratic) 47.1% |
Indiana | Sherman Minton | Democratic | Lost re-election Republican gain |
Raymond E. Willis (Republican) 50.5% Sherman Minton (Democratic) 49.1% Carl W. Thompson (Prohibition) 0.3% John H. Kingsbury (Socialist) 0.1% |
Kentucky Special: Class 2 |
Happy Chandler | Democratic | Appointee elected to finish term | Happy Chandler (Democratic) 58.3% Walter B. Smith (Republican) 41.7% |
Maine | Frederick Hale | Republican | Retired Republican hold |
Ralph O. Brewster (Republican) 58.6% Louis J. Brann (Democratic) 41.3% |
Maryland | George L. P. Radcliffe | Democratic | Re-elected | George L. P. Radcliffe (Democratic) 64.7% Harry W. Nice (Republican) 33.5% |
Massachusetts | David I. Walsh | Democratic | Re-elected | David I. Walsh (Democratic) 55.6% Henry Parkman, Jr. (Republican) 42.8% |
Michigan | Arthur H. Vandenberg | Republican | Re-elected | Arthur H. Vandenberg (Republican) 52.7% Frank Fitzpatrick (Democratic) 47.0% |
Minnesota | Henrik Shipstead | Farmer–Labor | Re-elected as a Republican Republican gain |
Henrik Shipstead (Republican) 53.0% Elmer Austin Benson (Farmer–Labor) 25.7% John E. Regan (Democratic) 20.6% |
Mississippi | Theodore G. Bilbo | Democratic | Re-elected | Theodore G. Bilbo (Democratic) Unopposed |
Missouri | Harry S. Truman | Democratic | Re-elected | Harry S. Truman (Democratic) 51.2% Manvel H. Davis (Republican) 48.7% W. F. Rinck (Socialist) 0.1% Theodore Baeff (Socialist Labor) 0.01% |
Montana | Burton K. Wheeler | Democratic | Re-elected | Burton K. Wheeler (Democratic) 73.4% E. K. Cheadle (Republican) 26.6% |
Nebraska | Edward R. Burke | Democratic | Lost renomination Republican gain |
Hugh Butler (Republican) 57.0% R. L. Cochran (Democratic) 41.5% |
Nevada | Key Pittman | Democratic | Re-elected | Key Pittman (Democratic) 60.5% Samuel Platt (Republican) 39.5% |
New Jersey | W. Warren Barbour | Republican | Re-elected | W. Warren Barbour (Republican) 55.1% James H. R. Cromwell (Democratic) 44.1% |
New Mexico | Dennis Chavez | Democratic | Re-elected | Dennis Chavez (Democratic) 56.0% Albert K. Mitchell (Republican) 44.1% |
New York | James M. Mead | Democratic | Re-elected | James M. Mead (Democratic) 53.3% Bruce Barton (Republican) 46.7% |
North Dakota | Lynn J. Frazier | Republican | Lost renomination Republican hold |
William Langer (Republican) 38.1% William Lemke (Independent) 35.1% Charles V. Vogel (Democratic) 26.5% |
Ohio | Vic Donahey | Democratic | Retired Republican gain |
Harold H. Burton (Republican) 52.4% John McSweeney (Democratic) 47.6% |
Pennsylvania | Joseph F. Guffey | Democratic | Re-elected | Joseph F. Guffey (Democratic) 51.8% Jay Cooke (Republican) 47.4% |
Rhode Island | Peter G. Gerry | Democratic | Re-elected | Peter G. Gerry (Democratic) 55.2% James O. McManus (Republican) 44.8% |
Tennessee | Kenneth D. McKellar | Democratic | Re-elected | Kenneth D. McKellar (Democratic) 70.8% Howard H. Baker, Sr. (Republican) 29.2% |
Texas | Tom Connally | Democratic | Re-elected | Tom Connally (Democratic) 94.3% George I. Shannon (Republican) 5.7% |
Utah | William H. King | Democratic | Lost renomination Democratic hold |
Abe Murdock (Democratic) 62.9% Philo T. Farnsworth, Jr. (Republican) 37.2% |
Vermont | Warren R. Austin | Republican | Re-elected | Warren R. Austin (Republican) 66.5% Ona S. Searles (Democratic) 33.6% |
Vermont Special: Class 3 |
Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. | Republican | Appointee retired Republican hold |
George D. Aiken (Republican) 61.6% Herbert B. Comings (Democratic) 38.4% |
Virginia | Harry F. Byrd | Democratic | Re-elected | Harry F. Byrd (Democratic) 93.3 |
Washington | Lewis B. Schwellenbach | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold |
Monrad Wallgren (Democratic) 54.2% Stephen F. Chadwick (Republican) 45.8% |
West Virginia | Rush D. Holt | Democratic | Lost renomination Democratic hold |
Harley M. Kilgore (Democratic) 56.3% Thomas Sweeney (Republican) 43.7% |
Wisconsin | Robert M. La Follette, Jr. | Progressive | Re-elected | Robert M. La Follette, Jr. (Progressive) 45.3% Fred H. Clausen (Republican) 41.4% James E. Finnegan (Democratic) 13.2% |
Wyoming | Joseph C. O'Mahoney | Democratic | Re-elected | Joseph C. O'Mahoney (Democratic) 58.7% Milward Simpson (Republican) 41.3% |
See also
- 77th United States Congress
- United States presidential election, 1940
- United States House elections, 1940
References
- ↑ September 9, 1940 in Maine
- ↑ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,849318,00.html
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