1932 United States Senate elections

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

Three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

Defeats

Eleven Republicans and three Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

Post-election changes

Change in composition

After the January special election

Before the November elections

| | D Ark. (reg) Ran | | D Ariz. Ran | | D Ala. Ran | | D | | D | | D

|- | | D Kan. Ran | | D Ky. Ran | | D La. Ran | | D Md. Ran | | D Mo. Retired | | D N.Y. Ran | | D N.C. (reg) N.C. (sp) Ran | | D Ohio Ran | | D Okla. Ran S.C. Ran

|- style="height:1em"

|-

|- style="height:1em" | | R N.J. (sp) Ran | | R N.D. Ran | | R Ore. Ran | | R Pa. Ran | | R S.D. Ran | | R Utah Ran | | R Vt. Ran | | R Wash. Ran | | R Wisc. Ran

|- | | R N.H. Ran | | R Nev. Ran | | R Iowa Ran | | R Ind. Ran | | R Ill. Ran | | R Idaho Ran | | R Conn. Ran | | R Calif. Ran | | R | | R

|- | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R

|- | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R

|- | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R

|}

Result of the November elections

| | D Ark. (reg) Re-elected | | D Ariz. Re-elected | | D Ala. Re-elected | | D | | D |- | | D Ky. Re-elected | | D La. Hold | | D Md. Re-elected | | D Mo. Hold | | D N.Y. Re-elected | | D N.C. (reg) N.C. (sp) Hold | | D Ohio Re-elected | | D Okla. Re-elected | | D S.C. Re-elected | | D Calif. Gain |- Conn. Gain |- | | D Wisc. Gain | | D Wash. Gain | | D Utah Gain | | D N.H. Gain | | D Nev. Gain | | D Iowa Gain | | D Ind. Gain | | D Ill. Gain | | D Idaho Gain |- | | FL | | R Vt. Re-elected | | R S.D. Re-elected | | R Pa. Re-elected | | R Ore. Re-elected | | R N.D. Re-elected | | R N.J. (sp)

| | R | | R | | R

|- | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R

|- | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R

|- | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R | | R

|}

|}

Race summary

All races are general elections for class 3 seats, unless noted.

Elections during the 72nd Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected and seated during 1932; ordered by election date.

Elections leading to the 73rd Congress

All elections are for Class 3 seats.

Closest races

Eleven races had a margin of victory under 10%:

New York was the tipping point state with a margin of 17.2%.

Alabama

Black:
Johnson:

Arizona

Hayden:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Arizona

Arkansas

There were two elections for the same seat, due to the November 6, 1931 death of two-term Democrat Thaddeus H. Caraway.

Caraway's widow, Democrat Hattie Wyatt Caraway, was appointed November 13, 1931 to continue his term.

Arkansas (special)

Caraway:
Carson: No Vote:

Arkansas (regular)

Caraway:
White: Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Arkansas

In May 1932, Caraway surprised Arkansas politicians by announcing that she would run for a full term in the upcoming election, joining a field already crowded with prominent candidates who had assumed she would step aside. She told reporters, "The time has passed when a woman should be placed in a position and kept there only while someone else is being groomed for the job." When she was invited by Vice President Charles Curtis to preside over the Senate she took advantage of the situation to announce that she would run for reelection. Populist former Governor and Senator Huey Long of neighboring Louisiana traveled to Arkansas on a seven-day campaign swing on her behalf. She was the first female senator to preside over the body as well as the first to chair a committee (Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills). Lacking any significant political backing, Caraway accepted the offer of help from Long, whose efforts to limit incomes of the wealthy and increase aid to the poor she had supported. Long was also motivated by sympathy for the widow and his ambition to extend his influence into the home state of his party rival, Senator Joseph Robinson, who had been Al Smith's vice-presidential candidate in 1928. Bringing his colorful and flamboyant campaign style to Arkansas, Long stumped the state with Caraway for a week just before the Democratic primary. He helped her to amass nearly twice as many votes as her closest opponent.

Long effectively used a method to quiet crying babies at campaign stops in Arkansas to encourage voter interest:

Caraway went on to win the general election in November, with the accompanying victory of Franklin D. Roosevelt as U.S. President.

California

McAdoo:
Tubbs:
Shuler:

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in California

Colorado

There were two elections on November 8, 1932, for the same seat, due to the death of one-term Republican Charles W. Waterman. The primaries were held on September 13, 1932.

Colorado (special)

Schuyler:
Walker:

Democrat Walter Walker was appointed to continue the term, pending the special election, which he then lost.

Republican attorney Karl C. Schuyler was elected to finish the term, but he lost the contemporaneous election to the next term. He died in 1933.

Colorado (regular)

Adams:
Schuyler:

Democratic former senator Alva B. Adams was elected to start the new term that would begin in March 1933.

Adams would be re-elected once and serve until his December 1, 1941 death.

Connecticut

|County results |220px |Municipality results}} Bingham:
Tie: Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Connecticut

Florida

Fletcher: Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Florida

Georgia

There were two elections due to the death of William J. Harris. It was only the second time that both of Georgia's Senate seats have been up for election at the same time, following double-barrel elections in 1914.

Georgia (regular)

George:
Arnold:

Georgia (special)

Democratic incumbent William J. Harris died April 18, 1932. Richard Russell Jr., the Democratic Governor of Georgia, appointed fellow-Democrat John S. Cohen April 25, 1932 to continue the term but Cohen was not a candidate for election.

Russell then won the September 14, 1932 Democratic primary over Representative Charles R. Crisp (nicknamed by Russell as "kilowatt Charlie" due to his links to the unpopular Georgia Power Company), 57.72% to 42.28%. Russell was then unopposed in the November 8, 1932 special election.

Idaho

Pope:
Thomas:

Illinois

Dieterich:
Glenn:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Illinois

Indiana

Van Nuys:
Watson:

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Indiana

Iowa

Field:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Iowa

Primaries were held on June 6, 1932.

Murphy served only 3 years until his July 16, 1936 death.

Kansas

McGill:
Paulen:

Kentucky

Barkley:
Thatcher:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Kentucky

Louisiana

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Louisiana

Maryland

Tydings:
Williams:

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Maryland

Missouri

Clark:
Kiel:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Missouri

Nevada

McCarran:
Oddie:

New Hampshire

Moses:

New Jersey (special)

Barbour:
Stewart:

New York

Wagner:
Medalie:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in New York, 1932 New York state election

North Carolina

North Carolina (special)

Reynolds:
Newell:

Democratic former-Governor of North Carolina Cameron A. Morrison was appointed on December 13, 1930, to continue Overman's term, pending a special election. Primaries for both parties were held on June 4, 1932. Morrison lost the primary run-off election.

Reynolds was seated December 5, 1932.

North Carolina (regular)

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in North Carolina

Primaries for both parties were held on June 4, 1932 and a Democratic run-off primary was held on July 2, 1932. Interim appointee Cameron A. Morrison lost the primary run-off election.

Reynolds would be re-elected once and serve until his 1945 retirement.

North Dakota

Nye:

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in North Dakota

Ohio

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Ohio

Oklahoma

Thomas:
Franklin:

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

Oregon

Steiwer:

Gleason:

Pennsylvania

Davis: Rupp:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Smith:
Blease:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in South Carolina

|- | |-

South Dakota

Norbeck:
Cherry:

Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in South Dakota

Utah

Berman:

Garn:

Vermont

|x220px |County results |x220px |Municipality results}} Dale:
Martin:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Vermont

Washington

Bone:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Washington

Wisconsin

Duffy:
Chapple:
Main article: 1932 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

Notes

References

References

1. "THE CONGRESS: Democratic Senate".
2. "U.S. Senate: Party Division".
3. Whaples, Robert. (March 1995). "Where Is There Consensus Among American Economic Historians? The Results of a Survey on Forty Propositions". [[Cambridge University Press]].
4. "AR US Senate Special".
5. "CO US Senate Special".
6. "NC US Senate Special".
7. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate Race – Nov 08, 1932".
8. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1932". Clerk.house.gov.
9. "AZ US Senate".
10. "CARAWAY, Hattie Wyatt {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives".
11. (2019-12-06). "Women in Congress: Statistics and Brief Overview". [[Congressional Research Service]].
12. [[Huey Pierce Long Jr.]], ''Every Man a King: The Autobiography of Huey P. Long'' ([[New Orleans]]: National Book Club, Inc., 1933), pp. 313–314.
13. Hendricks, Nancy. (April 9, 2013). "Senator Hattie Caraway: An Arkansas Legacy". The History Press.
14. "Our Campaigns – CO US Senate – D Primary Race – Sep 13, 1932".
15. "Our Campaigns – CO US Senate – R Primary Race – Sep 13, 1932".
16. (August 1, 1933). "Karl C. Schuyler Died Last Night". [[Grand Junction Daily Sentinel]].
17. "Our Campaigns – CO US Senate – Special Election Race – Nov 08, 1932".
18. "Our Campaigns – CO US Senate Race – Nov 08, 1932".
19. Caro, Robert. (2002). "Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson". [[Alfred A. Knopf]].
20. "Our Campaigns – GA US Senate – D Primary Race – Sep 14, 1932".
21. "Our Campaigns – GA US Senate Race – Nov 08, 1932".
22. "GA US Senate - D Primary".
23. "Our Campaigns – IA US Senate – D Primary Race – Jun 06, 1932".
24. "Our Campaigns – IA US Senate – R Primary Race – Jun 06, 1932".
25. "NY US Senate". Our Campaigns.
26. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – Special D Primary Race – Jun 04, 1932".
27. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – Special R Primary Race – Jun 04, 1932".
28. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – Special D Runoff Race – Jul 02, 1932".
29. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – D Primary Race – Jun 04, 1932".
30. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – R Primary Race – Jun 04, 1932".
31. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – D Runoff Race – Jul 02, 1932".
32. "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 8, 1932". Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House.
33. "General Election Results – U.S. Senator – 1914–2014". Office of the Vermont Secretary of State.