1946 United States Senate elections

Results summary

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

Three Republicans and five Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

Defeats

One Republican, one Progressive, and ten Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

Post election changes

Change in composition

Before the elections

Election results

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Race summaries

Special elections during the 79th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1946, ordered by election date, then state.

Races leading to the 80th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1947; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Closest races

Ten races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Alabama (special)

Sparkman: Main article: 1946 United States Senate special election in Alabama

Arizona

McFarland:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Arizona

Incumbent Democrat Ernest McFarland ran for re-election to a second term, easily defeating Republican Ward S. Powers in the general election.

California

California (special)

Main article: 1946 United States Senate special election in California

Results

California (regular)

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in California

Knowland:
Rogers:

Connecticut

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Connecticut

There were 2 elections for the same seat due to the January 16, 1945, death of Democrat Francis T. Maloney. Republican Thomas C. Hart was appointed February 15, 1945, to continue the term, pending a special election. Republican Governor of Connecticut Raymond E. Baldwin won both elections, but resigned only three years after the election to become a state judge.

Connecticut (regular)

|County results |220px |Municipality results}} Tone:

Connecticut (special)

Delaware

Williams:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Delaware

Florida

Holland:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Florida

Idaho (special)

Dworshak:
Donart:

Indiana

Jenner:
Townsend:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Indiana

Kentucky (special)

Cooper:
Brown:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate special election in Kentucky

Maine

Brewster:
McDonald: Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Maine

Maryland

Markey:
O'Conor:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Maryland

Massachusetts

|[[File:1946 United States Senate election in Massachusetts results map by county.svg|300px]] |County results |[[File:1946 United States Senate Election in Massachusetts by Municipality.svg|300px|]] |Municipality results Walsh:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

Republican Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. defeated incumbent David I. Walsh.

Michigan

Vandenberg:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Michigan

Minnesota

Thye:
Jorgenson:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Minnesota

Mississippi

Bilbo:
Ellis:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Mississippi

Missouri

Kem:
Briggs:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Missouri

Montana

Ecton:
Erickson: Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Montana

Nebraska

Butler:
Mekota: Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Nebraska

Nevada

Malone:
Bunker:

New Jersey

Smith:
Brunner:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in New Jersey

New Mexico

Chevez:
Hurley:

New York

American Labor Ives:
Lehman:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in New York

The New York state election was held on November 5, 1946.

The Socialist Labor state convention met on April 7 and nominated Eric Hass for the U.S.Senate. The party filed a petition to nominate candidates under the name "Industrial Government Party."

The Liberal Party gathered 51,015 signatures and filed a petition to nominate candidates with the Secretary of State on September 2.

The Republican state convention met on September 4 at Saratoga Springs, New York. They nominated Assembly Majority Leader Irving M. Ives.

The Democratic state convention met on September 4 at Albany, New York, and nominated Ex-Governor Herbert H. Lehman (in office 1933–1942) for the U.S. Senate.

The American Labor state convention met on September 3 and endorsed Lehman. Fielding, Chapman and Abt were withdrawn from the ticket on September 5, and Democrats Corning, Young and Epstein substituted on the ticket.

The Socialist Workers Party filed a petition to nominate candidates headed by Farrell Dobbs for Governor.

The Industrial Government, Socialist and Socialist Workers tickets were not allowed on the ballot because of "defective nominating petitions." The Court of Appeals upheld the decisions of the lower courts.

The whole Republican ticket was elected in a landslide.

Obs.:

• "Blank, void and scattering" votes: 178,694

North Dakota

North Dakota (regular)

Langer:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in North Dakota

First-term Republican William Langer was re-elected to a second term. Langer would be re-elected twice more, serving until his 1959 death.

North Dakota (special)

Young:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate special election in North Dakota

Newly-elected Democrat John Moses had died March 3, 1945, and Republican state senator Milton Young was appointed March 12, 1945, to continue the term, pending a special election. Young was elected June 25, 1946, to finish the term that would end in 1951. Young would go on to be elected 5 more times, serving until his 1981 retirement.

Ohio

There were 2 elections to the same seat due to the September 30, 1945, resignation of Republican Harold H. Burton.

Democrat James W. Huffman was appointed to continue the term, pending a special election in which Huffman was not a candidate. Huffman was, however, nominated to the regular election, which he lost.

Ohio (special)

Main article: 1946 United States Senate special election in Ohio

Ohio (regular)

Bricker:
Huffman:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Ohio

Pennsylvania

Cooke:
Guffey:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

Incumbent Democrat Joseph F. Guffey lost re-election to Republican Edward Martin.

Rhode Island

Tennessee

McKellar:

Ladd:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Tennessee

Texas

Connally:

Sells:

No vote: Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Texas

Utah

Watkins:
Murdock:

Vermont

|x220px |County results |x220px |Municipality results}} Flanders:
McDevitt:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Vermont

Incumbent Republican Ralph Flanders successfully ran for re-election to a full term in the United States Senate, defeating Democratic candidate Charles P. McDevitt.

Virginia

Virginia (regular)

Byrd:

Parsons:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Virginia

Incumbent Harry F. Byrd Sr. was re-elected to a fourth term after defeating Republican Lester S. Parsons.

Virginia (special)

Robertson:
Woods:
Main article: 1946 United States Senate special election in Virginia

Appointed Democrat Thomas G. Burch retired after filling the vacancy caused by the May 28, 1946, death of Democrat Carter Glass. Democrat Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Republican Robert H. Woods and was elected to finish Glass's term.

Washington

Cain:
Mitchell: Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Washington

West Virginia

Kilgore:
Sweeney:

Wisconsin

McCarthy:
McMurray: Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

Three-term incumbent Republican Robert La Follette Jr. lost renomination to Joseph McCarthy, who then won the general election.

Wyoming

O'Mahoney:
Henderson:

Main article: 1946 United States Senate election in Wyoming

Notes

References

• New York:

References

1. Leuchtenburg, William E. (November 2006). "New Faces of 1946: An unpopular president. A war-weary people. In the midterm elections of 60 years ago, voters took aim at incumbents". Smithsonian (magazine). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. p. 2 of 5. Retrieved May 12, 2009. "On October 14, scarcely more than three weeks before midterm elections, Truman bit the bullet. Even when his approval rating dropped to 32 percent, he had told reporters that controls were indispensable. On this night, however, speaking to the largest radio audience since the end of the war, Truman lashed out at "the few men in Congress who, in the service of selfish interests, have been determined for some time to wreck price controls no matter what the cost might be to our people." Then he stunned the nation by announcing that he was lifting controls on meat. With the lid off, prices skyrocketed. The New York Daily News headlined: PRICES SOAR, BUYERS SORE/STEERS JUMP OVER THE MOON. Brickbats flew at the president. "Brother," said Ohio's Clarence J. Brown, chair of the Republican Congressional Committee, "the tide is sweepin' our way.""
2. Arthur Krock. (November 10, 1946). "Dominant Cause Seen for Republican Sweep". New York Times.
3. (November 10, 1946). "Three Republicans Who Will Lead the Next Congress". New York Times.
4. [[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives]]. (1947-02-01). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1946". [[U.S. Government Printing Office]].
5. "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page".
6. "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page".
7. "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page".
8. "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page".
9. "AL US Senate - D Primary".
10. "Our Campaigns - AZ US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1946".
11. "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate Special".
12. "Our Campaigns - CT US Senate Race - Nov 04, 1946".
13. "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1946".
14. (April 8, 1946). "Socialist Labor Party Ticket". [[The New York Times]].
15. (September 2, 1946). "LIBERALS TO FILE PETITIONS TODAY". [[The New York Times]].
16. (September 5, 1946). "ALBANY 'TEAM' KEPT". [[The New York Times]].
17. (September 5, 1946). "DEWEY IS ASSAILED; ...MEAD SPURNS ANY RED AID". [[The New York Times]].
18. (September 4, 1946). "DEMOCRATIC DEAL IRKS LABOR PARTY". [[The New York Times]].
19. (September 6, 1946). "ALP WITHDRAWS 3 FROM STATE TICKET". [[The New York Times]].
20. (October 26, 1946). "MINOR PARTIES RULED OFF BALLOT IN STATE". [[The New York Times]].
21. "Our Campaigns - NY US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1946".
22. "Statement of the Findings of the State Board of Canvassers, Primary Election Held June 25 , 1946". [[North Dakota Secretary of State]].
23. "Our Campaigns - OH US Senate - D Primary Race - May 07, 1946".
24. (1950). "Southern Primaries and Elections 1920-1949". University of Alabama Press.
25. "General Election Results - U.S. Senator - 1914-2014". Office of the Vermont Secretary of State.
26. "WI US Senate - R Primary".