United States Senate elections, 1958

United States Senate elections, 1958

November 4, 1958[1]

32 of the 98 seats in the United States Senate, plus 2 mid-term vacancies and 2 new seats 49 seats needed for a majority   Majority party Minority party   Leader Lyndon Johnson Everett Dirksen Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Texas Illinois Last election 49 seats 47 seats Seats won 64 34 Seat change 15 13 Popular vote 20,620,465 16,180,851 Percentage 55.0% 43.1% Swing 4.4% 5.4% Seats up 13 21

Democratic gain(s)   Democratic hold   Republican hold

Majority Leader before election Lyndon Johnson Democratic Elected Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic

The U.S. Senate election, 1958 was an election for the United States Senate which occurred in the middle of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's second term. As is common in midterm elections, the party in the White House lost seats, but losses this year were on a huge scale, perhaps due to the high unemployment of the Recession of 1958. The Eisenhower Administration's position on right-to-work issues galvanized labor unions which supported Democrats. The launch of Sputnik may also have been a factor. The Democratic Party took thirteen Republican seats (10 of them by defeating incumbents), and also won both Senate seats in the new state of Alaska. Senate elections in 1959 in the new state of Hawaii were split between the two parties; combined with the 1958 results, this yielded an aggregate gain of 16 seats for the Democrats for a party balance of 65-35. This was the second-largest swing in the history of the Senate, only behind the Republican gains of 18 seats in 1866, and is only the third time in U.S. history that 10 or more Senate seats changed hands in a midterm election (after 1866 and 1946).

Change in Senate composition

These charts reflect the 1958 elections, including the two new seats for Alaska. They do not reflect the two new seats (which turned out to be one Democratic and one Republican) added during the new Congress for Hawaii.

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
R47	R46	R45	R44	R43	R42	R41	R40	R39
R29	R30	R31	R32	R33	R34	R35	R36	R37	R38
R28	R27	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21	R20	R19
R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18
R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

Senate composition as a result of the elections

D9	D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
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+	D58+	D59+
R30√	R31√	R32O	R33O	R34O	D64^	D63^	D62+	D61+	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

Key:	D Democratic R Republican		√ Incumbent re-elected or appointee elected to finish term O Party hold: New senator elected from same party + Party gain: New senator elected from different party ^ Party gain: New senator elected from new seat

New seats

New Democratic seats

1. Alaska (class 2): won by Bob Bartlett
2. Alaska (class 3): won by Ernest Gruening

Incumbents retiring

Democrats

• None.

Republican seats held by Republicans

1. New York: Irving M. Ives, replaced by Kenneth B. Keating
2. Pennsylvania: Edward Martin, replaced by Hugh Scott
3. Vermont: Ralph E. Flanders, replaced by Winston L. Prouty

Republicans replaced by Democrats

1. California: William F. Knowland, replaced by Clair Engle
2. Indiana: William E. Jenner, replaced by Vance Hartke
3. New Jersey: H. Alexander Smith, replaced by Harrison A. Williams, Jr.

Incumbents who lost re-election (or appointee who lost election)

Democrats replaced by Republicans

• None.

Republicans replaced by Democrats

West Virginia's delegation changed from two Republicans to two Democrats.

1. Connecticut: William A. Purtell, lost to Thomas J. Dodd
2. Maine: Frederick G. Payne, lost to Edmund S. Muskie
3. Michigan: Charles E. Potter, lost to Philip A. Hart
4. Minnesota: Edward John Thye, lost to Eugene McCarthy
5. Nevada: George W. Malone, lost to Howard W. Cannon
6. Ohio: John W. Bricker, lost to Stephen M. Young
7. Utah: Arthur V. Watkins, lost to Frank E. Moss
8. West Virginia: William C. Revercomb, lost to Robert C. Byrd
9. West Virginia (Class 2): John D. Hoblitzell, Jr., lost to Jennings Randolph
10. Wyoming: Frank A. Barrett, lost to Gale McGee

Complete list of races

All races are for the Class 1 seat, unless otherwise indicated.

Key: Bold states indicate separate article on that election. Bold candidates indicate winner.

State	Incumbent senator	Incumbent party	Election result	Candidates
Alaska Class 2	None: New state		New seat Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1961 Democratic gain	Bob Bartlett (Democratic) 83.8% R. E. Robertson (Republican) 15.0% Keith Capper (write in) 1.2%
Alaska Class 3	None: New state		New seat Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1963 Democratic gain	Ernest Gruening (Democratic) 52.6% Mike Stepovich (Republican) 47.4%
Arizona	Barry Goldwater	Republican	Re-elected	Barry Goldwater (Republican) 56.1% Ernest W. McFarland (Democratic) 43.9%
California	William F. Knowland	Republican	Retired To Run For Governor Democratic gain	Clair Engle (Democratic) 57.0% Goodwin J. Knight (Republican) 42.9%
Connecticut	William A. Purtell	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Thomas J. Dodd (Democratic) 57.3% William A. Purtell (Republican) 42.4% Vivien Kellems (write-in) 0.3%
Delaware	John J. Williams	Republican	Re-elected	John J. Williams (Republican) 53.3% Elbert N. Carvel (Democratic) 46.7%
Florida	Spessard Holland	Democratic	Re-elected	Spessard Holland (Democratic) 71.2% Leland Hyzer (Republican) 28.8%
Indiana	William E. Jenner	Republican	Retired Democratic gain	Vance Hartke (Democratic) 56.5% Harold W. Handley (Republican) 42.4% John Stelle (Prohibition) 1.1%
Maine	Frederick G. Payne	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Edmund S. Muskie (Democratic) 60.8% Frederick G. Payne (Republican) 39.2%
Maryland	James Glenn Beall	Republican	Re-elected	James Glenn Beall (Republican) 51.0% Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. (Democratic) 49.0%
Massachusetts	John F. Kennedy	Democratic	Re-elected	John F. Kennedy (Democratic) 73.2% Vincent J. Celeste (Republican) 26.2%
Michigan	Charles E. Potter	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Philip A. Hart (Democratic) 53.6% Charles E. Potter (Republican) 46.1%
Minnesota	Edward John Thye	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Eugene McCarthy (Democratic) 52.9% Edward John Thye (Republican) 46.6% William M. Curran (Socialist Workers) 0.5%
Mississippi	John C. Stennis	Democratic	Re-elected	John C. Stennis Unopposed
Missouri	Stuart Symington	Democratic	Re-elected	Stuart Symington (Democratic) 66.5% Hazel Palmer (Republican) 33.6%
Montana	Mike Mansfield	Democratic	Re-elected	Mike Mansfield (Democratic) 76.2% Lou W. Welch (Republican) 23.8%
Nebraska	Roman L. Hruska	Republican	Re-elected	Roman L. Hruska (Republican) 55.6% Frank B. Morrison (Democratic) 44.4%
Nevada	George W. Malone	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Howard W. Cannon (Democratic) 57.7% George W. Malone (Republican) 42.3%
New Jersey	H. Alexander Smith	Republican	Retired Democratic gain	Harrison A. Williams, Jr. (Democratic) 51.4% Robert W. Kean (Republican) 46.9%
New Mexico	Dennis Chavez	Democratic	Re-elected	Dennis Chavez (Democratic) 62.7% Forrest S. Atchley (Republican) 37.3%
New York	Irving M. Ives	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Kenneth B. Keating (Republican) 50.8% Frank S. Hogan (Democratic) 48.4%
North Carolina Special: Class 2	Benjamin Everett Jordan	Democratic	Appointee elected to finish term ending January 3, 1961	Benjamin Everett Jordan (Democratic) 70.0% Richard C. Clarke, Jr. (Republican) 30.0%
North Dakota	William Langer	Republican	Re-elected	William Langer (Republican) 57.2% Raymond Vensdel (Democratic) 41.5%
Ohio	John W. Bricker	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Stephen M. Young (Democratic) 52.5% John W. Bricker (Republican) 47.5%
Pennsylvania	Edward Martin	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Hugh Scott (Republican) 51.2% George M. Leader (Democratic) 48.4%
Rhode Island	John O. Pastore	Democratic	Re-elected	John O. Pastore (Democratic) 64.5% Bayard Ewing (Republican) 35.5%
Tennessee	Albert Gore, Sr.	Democratic	Re-elected	Albert Gore, Sr. (Democratic) 79.0% Hobart F. Atkins (Republican) 19.0%
Texas	Ralph Yarborough	Democratic	Re-elected	Ralph Yarborough (Democratic) 74.6% Roy Whittenburg (Republican) 23.6%
Utah	Arthur V. Watkins	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Frank E. Moss (Democratic) 38.7% Arthur V. Watkins (Republican) 34.8% J. Bracken Lee (Independent) 26.4%
Vermont	Ralph E. Flanders	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Winston L. Prouty (Republican) 52.2% Frederick J. Fayette (Democratic) 47.8%
Virginia	Harry F. Byrd	Democratic	Re-elected	Harry F. Byrd (Democratic) 69.3% Louise Wensel (Independent) 26.3%
Washington	Henry M. Jackson	Democratic	Re-elected	Henry M. Jackson (Democratic) 67.3% William B. Bantz (Republican) 31.4%
West Virginia	Chapman Revercomb	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Robert C. Byrd (Democratic) 59.2% Chapman Revercomb (Republican) 40.8%
West Virginia Special: Class 2	John D. Hoblitzell, Jr.	Republican	Appointee lost election Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1961 Democratic gain	Jennings Randolph (Democratic) 59.3% John D. Hoblitzell, Jr. (Republican) 40.7%
Wisconsin	William Proxmire	Democratic	Re-elected	William Proxmire (Democratic) 57.1% Roland J. Steinle (Republican) 42.7%
Wyoming	Frank A. Barrett	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Gale McGee (Democratic) 50.8% Frank A. Barrett (Republican) 49.2%

See also

• 86th United States Congress
• United States House of Representatives elections, 1958

References

1. September 8, 1958 in Maine