1954 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

One Republican and one Democrat retired instead of seeking re-election. Two Republicans and one Democrat also retired instead of finishing the unexpired term.

Defeats

Three Republicans and two Democrats sought re-election, and two Republicans and one Democrat also sought election to finish the unexpired term, but lost in the primary or general election.

Party entrance

Wayne Morse (I-OR) who caucused with the Democrats, officially joined the party in April 1955.

Post-election changes

Change in composition

Before the elections

Results of the elections

|}

Race summaries

Special elections during the 83rd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1954 or before January 3, 1955; ordered by election date, then state, then class.

Races leading to the 84th Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on January 3, 1955; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

Closest races

Twelve races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Alabama

Sparkman:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Alabama

Arkansas

McClellan:
McMath:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Arkansas

California (special)

Thomas Kuchel:
Sam Yorty: Main article: 1954 United States Senate special election in California

Following the resignation of Richard Nixon to assume the vice presidency, Governor Earl Warren appointed Thomas Kuchel to Nixon's seat; Kuchel assumed the office on January 2, 1953.

Colorado

Allott:
Carroll:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Colorado

Delaware

Frear:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Delaware

Georgia

Russell: Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Georgia

Idaho

Dworshak:
Taylor:
In Idaho, Republican Incumbent Henry Dworshak defeated Glen H. Taylor, who had previously represented Idaho in the Senate from 1945 to 1951. Allegations of Communist ties were used against Taylor by Dworshak and other Republicans to win the election.{{Election box begin no change

Illinois

Douglas:
Meeks:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Illinois

Iowa

Martin:

Gillette:
Tie: Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Iowa

Kansas

Schoeppel:
McGill:

Main article: 1960 United States Senate election in Kansas

Kentucky

Barkley:
Cooper:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky

Louisiana

Ellender:
Ellis: Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Louisiana

Maine

Smith:
Fullam: Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Maine

Massachusetts

|[[File:1954 United States Senate election in Massachusetts results map by county.svg|250px]] |County Results |[[File:1954 United States Senate Election in Massachusetts by Municipality.svg|250px|]] |Municipality Results Saltonstall Furcolo

Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall defeated his challengers.

Democrat Foster Furcolo (Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts since 1952 and member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district from 1949 to 1952) beat John I. Fitzgerald (former member of the Boston City Council and Democratic candidate for Senate in 1948) and Joseph L. Murphy (former member of the Massachusetts Senate).

Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall (United States senator since 1945 and Governor of Massachusetts from 1939 to 1945) was renominated. Other nominees included Socialist Workers Thelma Ingersoll (ran for Senate in 1952.) and Prohibition Harold J. Ireland (candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General in 1948 and 1952).

Michigan

McNamara:
Ferguson:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Michigan

Minnesota

Humphrey:
Bjornson:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Minnesota

Mississippi

Eastland:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Mississippi

Montana

Murray:
D'Ewart:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Montana

In Montana incumbent senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936, 1942, and 1948, ran for re-election.

Murray won the Democratic primary against trivial opponents (farmer Ray E. Gulick and Sam G. Feezell).

Republican Wesley A. D'Ewart United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district beat Robert Yellowtail, former Superintendent of the Crow Indian Reservation, for the GOP nomination. A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate.

Nebraska

Nebraska had three Senate elections on the ballot. Both incumbents had died in the span of three months, leading to appointments and special elections.

Nebraska (special, class 1)

Hruska:
Green: Main article: 1954 United States Senate special election in Nebraska

Incumbent Republican Hugh A. Butler died July 1, 1954, and governor Robert B. Crosby appointed Republican Samuel W. Reynolds on July 3 to continue the term. Reynolds did not run to finish the term, and Republican Roman Hruska won the seat in November to finish the term ending in 1959.

Nebraska (special, class 2)

Abel:
Meier:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate elections in Nebraska

Second-term Republican Kenneth S. Wherry was re-elected in 1948, but died on November 29, 1951. Governor Val Peterson appointed Fred A. Seaton to fill the seat temporarily. After Seaton chose not to run to continue the term, former governor Dwight P. Griswold elected to fill the remaining two years of the term, but died April 12, 1954, and Republican Eva Bowring was appointed April 16 by governor Crosby to continue Wherry's term. In November, Republican Hazel Abel was elected to finish the term.

Nebraska (regular)

Curtis:
Neville: Main article: 1954 United States Senate elections in Nebraska

Although elected to finish the class 2 term, Abel did not run for the next term, and Republican Carl Curtis was elected in November to the next term.

On December 31, 1954, Abel resigned and Curtis was appointed January 1, 1955, two days ahead of his elected term.

Nevada (special)

Bible:
Brown:

New Hampshire

New Hampshire (regular)

Bridges:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in New Hampshire

New Hampshire (special)

Cotton:
Betley: Main article: 1954 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire

New Jersey

Case:
Howell:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey

New Mexico

Anderson:
Mechem

North Carolina

Like Nebraska, North Carolina, had three elections on the ballot. Both senators had died during the 83rd Congress, leading to appointments and special elections.

North Carolina (special, class 2)

Democrat Willis Smith died June 26, 1953, and Democrat Alton A. Lennon was appointed July 10 to continue the term. In November, Lennon lost the nomination to Democrat W. Kerr Scott to finish the term. Scott took office November 29, 1954.

North Carolina (regular)

Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina

Scott:
West:

Democrat W. Kerr Scott was also elected to the next term, which would begin January 3, 1955.

North Carolina (special, class 3)

Democrat Clyde R. Hoey died May 12, 1954, and Democrat Sam Ervin was appointed June 5 to continue the term. In November, Ervin was elected to finish the term.

Ohio (special)

Bender:
Burke:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio

Oklahoma

Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

Kerr:
Mock:

Oregon

Neuberger:
Cordon:

Rhode Island

Sundlun:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

South Carolina

Brown:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina

In South Carolina, Senator Burnet R. Maybank did not face a primary challenge in the summer and was therefore renominated as the Democratic Party's nominee for the election in the fall. However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A. Brown as their candidate for the election. Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate. He easily won the election and became the first U.S. senator to be elected by a write-in vote (William Knowland of California in 1946 was technically the first, but the ballots in that election were blank with no candidates listed, so essentially every candidate was running a write-in campaign).

Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election. His unexpected death on September 1 caused panic and confusion within the hierarchy of the state Democratic party because the state law required that a party's nominee be certified by September 3. Hours after Maybank's funeral, the state Democratic executive committee met in secret and chose state Senator Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell County as the party's nominee for the general election. Not only was Brown a part of the "Barnwell Ring", but he was also a member of the executive committee.

The state Democratic Party's decision to choose a candidate without holding a special primary election drew widespread criticism across the state. On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit. At least six county Democratic committees repudiated the action by the state committee and called for a primary election. Despite repeated calls for a primary, the state executive committee voted against holding a primary because they did not think that there was enough time before the general election to hold a primary election.

Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates. Thurmond and his supporters stated that the executive committee had several legal alternatives as opposed to the outright appointment of state Senator Brown. In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term.

Thurmond received support from Governor James F. Byrnes and from those who backed his Presidential bid as a Dixiecrat in the 1948 Presidential election. Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule" and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson. For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote. Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown.

On the other hand, Brown was supported by the Democratic party regulars and he also gained the endorsement of Senator Olin D. Johnston. Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952.

Marcus A. Stone, a lumberman in Florence and Dillon, was a candidate in previous Democratic primaries for governor and senator. He did very little campaigning for the general election.

South Dakota

Mundt:
Holum:

Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota

Tennessee

Wall Jr:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Tennessee

Texas

Watson: Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Texas

Virginia

Robertson:
Lewis: Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in Virginia

In Virginia, Democratic incumbent Senator A. Willis Robertson defeated Independent Democrat Charles Lewis and Social Democrat Clarke Robb and was re-elected to a third term in office.

West Virginia

Neely:
Sweeney:
Main article: 1954 United States Senate election in West Virginia

Wyoming

There were two elections the same day to the same seat, due to the June 19, 1954, death of Democrat Lester C. Hunt. Both elections were won by Democratic former senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney.

Wyoming (special)

Main article: 1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming

Republican Edward D. Crippa was appointed June 24, 1954, to continue the term, pending a November 2 special election.

Wyoming (regular)

O'Mahoney:
Harrison:

Main article: 1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming

O'Mahoney would serve out the remainder of Hunt's term followed by this one term and then retire after 1960.

Notes

References

Sources

• "Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of South Carolina to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1955, pp. 4–5.
• U.S. Senate Biography of Strom Thurmond

References

1. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1954". Clerk.house.gov.
2. (1991). "Eisenhower: Soldier and President". Simon and Schuster.
3. [[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives]]. (1955-10-15). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1954". [[U.S. Government Printing Office]].
4. "Our Campaigns – Container Detail Page".
5. "SENATORS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1789-present, A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789". United States Senate.
6. Beal, Merrill. (March 1959). "The 1954 Election in Idaho". The Western Political Quarterly.
7. [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=43836 Thelma Ingersoll] at ourcampaigns.com
8. "Our Campaigns – MA US Senate Race – Nov 08, 1960".
9. "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, July 20, 1954". [[Montana Secretary of State]].
10. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – Special D Primary Race – May 29, 1954".
11. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – Special Election Race – Nov 02, 1954".
12. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – D Primary Race – May 29, 1954".
13. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate Race – Nov 02, 1954".
14. "Our Campaigns – NC US Senate – Special Election Race – Nov 02, 1954".
15. Wilgoren, Debbi. (November 3, 2010). "Murkowski appears to make history in Alaska". [[The Washington Post]].
16. Lander, Ernest: ''A History of South Carolina 1865-1960'', page 183. University of South Carolina Press, 1970.