United States Senate elections, 1956
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The United States Senate elections of 1956 (and subsequent special elections in 1957) were elections for the United States Senate that coincided with the re-election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although the Democrats gained two seats in regular elections, the Republicans gained back two seats in special elections, leaving the party balance of the chamber remained unchanged.
Gains and losses
Democrats defeated incumbents Herman Welker (R-ID), George H. Bender (R-OH), and James H. Duff (R-PA), as well as winning a Republican-held seat in Colorado. Republicans defeated incumbent Earle C. Clements (D-KY) as well as winning Democratic-held seats in Kentucky, New York, and West Virginia.
Thus, this election caused Kentucky's U.S. Senate delegation to change from two Democrats to two Republicans.
Subsequent changes
During the next Congress, Republican John D. Hoblitzell, Jr. was appointed to the seat of deceased Senator Matthew M. Neely (D-WV), and Democrat William Proxmire won a special election to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-WI). Also, Price Daniel (D-TX) left the Senate to become governor of Texas, and Democrat Ralph Yarborough won a special election for that Senate seat. The net result was to leave the party balance unchanged.
Results summary
For the November 1956 general and special elections.
Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.
Parties | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Republican | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before these elections | 49 | 47 | 96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Not up | 31 | 30 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 1 (1952) | 11 | 20 | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 2 (1954) | 20 | 10 | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Up | 18 | 17 | 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General: Class 3 | 15 | 17 | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special: Class 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special: Class 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Incumbent retired | 5 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Held by same party | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Replaced by other party | 1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat 3 Democrats replaced by 3 Republicans |
4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Result | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Incumbent ran | 13 | 16 | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Won re-election | 12 | 13 | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lost re-election | 3 Republicans replaced by 3 Democrats 1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican |
4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lost renomination but held by same party |
0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Result | 15 | 14 | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total elected | 18 | 17 | 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net change | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Result | 49 | 47 | 96 |
Change in Senate composition
Before the general elections
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | ||
D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 |
D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 |
D38 Ran |
D37 Ran |
D36 Ran |
D35 Ran |
D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D39 Ran |
D40 Ran |
D41 Ran |
D42 Ran |
D43 Ran |
D44 Ran |
D45 Ran |
D46 Ran |
D47 Ran |
D48 Retired |
Majority → | D49 Retired | ||||||||
R39 Ran |
R40 Ran |
R41 Ran |
R42 Ran |
R43 Ran |
R44 Ran |
R45 Ran |
R46 Ran |
R47 Retired | |
R38 Ran |
R37 Ran |
R36 Ran |
R35 Ran |
R34 Ran |
R33 Ran |
R32 Ran |
R31 Ran |
R30 | R29 |
R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
After the general elections
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | ||
D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 |
D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 |
D38 Re-elected |
D37 Re-elected |
D36 Re-elected |
D35 Re-elected |
D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D39 Re-elected |
D40 Re-elected |
D41 Re-elected |
D42 Re-elected |
D43 Re-elected |
D44 Re-elected |
D45 Re-elected |
D46 Re-elected |
D47 Hold |
D48 Gain |
Majority → | D49 Gain | ||||||||
R39 Re-elected |
R40 Re-elected |
R41 Re-elected |
R42 Re-elected |
R43 Re-elected |
R44 Gain |
R45 Gain |
D51 Gain |
D50 Gain | |
R38 Re-elected |
R37 Re-elected |
R36 Re-elected |
R35 Re-elected |
R34 Re-elected |
R33 Re-elected |
R32 Re-elected |
R31 Re-elected |
R30 | R29 |
R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
After the November special elections and beginning of the next Congress
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | ||
D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 |
D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 |
D38 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
D39 | D40 | D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 | D47 | D48 |
Majority → | D49 Hold | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R39 | R40 | R41 | R42 | R43 | R44 | R45 | R46 Gain |
R47 Gain | |
R38 | R37 | R36 | R35 | R34 | R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 |
R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
Key: |
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Race summaries
Special elections during the 84th Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1956 or in 1957 before January 3; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Kentucky (Class 2) |
Robert Humphreys | Democratic | 1956 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 6, 1956. Republican gain. |
√ John S. Cooper (Republican) 53.2% Lawrence W. Wetherby (Democratic) 46.8% |
South Carolina (Class 2) |
Thomas A. Wofford | Democratic | 1956 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 6, 1956. Democratic hold. |
√ Strom Thurmond (Democratic) Unopposed |
West Virginia (Class 1) |
William R. Laird, III | Democratic | 1956 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 6, 1956. Republican gain. |
√ Chapman Revercomb (Republican) 53.7% William C. Marland (Democratic) 46.3% |
Races leading to the 85th Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1956; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
Elections during the 85th Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1957 after January 3; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Texas (Class 1) |
William A. Blakley | Democratic | 1957 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired when successor elected. Winner elected April 28, 1957. Democratic hold. |
√ Ralph Yarborough (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Wisconsin (Class 1) |
Joseph McCarthy | Republican | 1946 1952 |
Incumbent died May 2, 1957. Winner elected August 28, 1957. Democratic gain. |
√ William Proxmire (Democratic) 56.4% Walter J. Kohler Jr. (Republican) 40.5%[2] |
Complete list of races
New York
In New York, the Republican state convention met on September 10 at Albany, New York, and nominated New York State Attorney General Jacob K. Javits.[3] The Democratic state convention met on September 10 at Albany, New York, and nominated Mayor of New York City Robert F. Wagner, Jr., for the U.S. Senate.[4] The Liberal Party endorsed the Democratic nominee, Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr., for the U.S. Senate.[5] On October 1, a movement was launched to vote for General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate.[6] On October 2, MacArthur disavowed the campaign, and stated that he was not a candidate.[7]
The Republican candidate was elected.
Party | Candidate | Votes |
---|---|---|
Republican | Jacob K. Javits | 3,723,933 |
Democratic | Robert F. Wagner, Jr. | 2,964,511 |
Liberal | Robert F. Wagner, Jr. | 300,648 |
North Dakota
In North Dakota, the incumbent, Republican Milton Young, sought and received re-election to his third term, defeating North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate Quentin N. Burdick, son of North Dakota congressman Usher L. Burdick.[8]
Only Young filed as a Republican, and the endorsed Democratic candidate was Quentin Burdick, the son of well-known politician Usher Burdick, and former candidate for Governor of North Dakota. Young and Burdick won the primary elections for their respective parties.
One independent candidate, Arthur C. Townley, also filed before the deadline. Townley would later seek the state's other senate seat in 1958 (see election), and was known for creating the National Non-Partisan League.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Milton R. Young | 155,305 | 63.61 | ||
Democratic | Quentin N. Burdick | 87,919 | 36.01 | ||
Independent | Arthur C. Townley | 937 | 0.38 | ||
Majority | |||||
Turnout | 244,161 | ||||
Oregon
In Oregon, Republican-turned-Independent-turned Democratic Senator Wayne Morse decided to seek re-election for his first full term as a Democrat. Morse defeated Republican candidate Douglas McKay in the hotly contested general election.[9]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Wayne Morse, incumbent Senator since 1945; member of the Democratic party since 1955 |
396,849 | 54.20 | ||
Republican | Douglas McKay, former Governor of Oregon (1949–1952) and United States Secretary of the Interior (1953–1956) |
335,405 | 45.80 | ||
Majority | 61,444 | 8.39 | |||
Turnout | 732,254 | ||||
Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, incumbent Republican U.S. Senator James H. Duff sought re-election to another term, but was defeated by the Democratic nominee, Joseph S. Clark, Jr.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Joseph S. Clark, Jr. Former Mayor of Philadelphia |
2,268,641 | 50.08 | ||
Republican | James H. Duff Incumbent U.S. Senator |
2,250,671 | 49.69 | ||
Socialist Labor | George S. Taylor | 7,447 4528794 | 0.16 | ||
Militant Workers | Herbert G. Lewin | 2,035 | 0.05 | ||
South Carolina
In South Carolina the regular election was held simultaneously with the special election.
The special election resulted from the resignation of Senator Strom Thurmond on April 4, 1956, who was keeping a campaign pledge he had made in the 1954 election. Thurmond was unopposed in his bid to complete the remaining four years of the term. Senator Strom Thurmond faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats and avoided a primary election. There was a possibility that Governor George Bell Timmerman, Jr. might enter the race, but Thurmond was held in such high regard by the voters that there would have been no chance of defeating Thurmond. With no challenge to the remainder of the term, Thurmond did not conduct a campaign and rejoined his old law firm in Aiken until he returned to the Senate after the general election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Strom Thurmond | 245,371 | 100.0 | +36.9 | |
Majority | 245,371 | 100.0 | +73.7 | ||
Turnout | 245,371 | 32.2 | +5.9 | ||
Democratic hold | |||||
Incumbent Democratic Senator Olin D. Johnston handily defeated Republican mayor of Clemson Leon P. Crawford. Olin D. Johnston, the incumbent Senator, faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats and avoided a primary election. Leon P. Crawford, the mayor of the town of Clemson in the Upstate, faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election. Crawford campaigned as a defender of states' rights and denounced Johnston for backing the New Deal and the Fair Deal. The state Republican Party believed that Crawford could have a chance in the election if he galvanized the 128,000 registered black voters, although they were weary of being labeled as the black party. In the end, Johnston remained highly popular with the voters who were still leery of the Republican party and he easily defeated Crawford in the general election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Olin D. Johnston | 230,150 | 82.2 | -17.7 | |
Republican | Leon P. Crawford | 49,695 | 17.8 | +17.8 | |
No party | Write-Ins | 124 | 0.0 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 180,455 | 64.4 | -35.4 | ||
Turnout | 279,969 | 36.8 | |||
Democratic hold | |||||
Vermont
In Vermont, incumbent Republican George Aiken ran successfully for re-election to another term in the United States Senate, defeating Democratic incumbent Bernard G. O'Shea.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Aiken (inc.) | 49,454 | 99.9 | ||
Republican | Other | 27 | 0.1 | ||
Total votes | 49,481 | 100 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Bernard G. O'Shea | 7,997 | 99.8 | ||
Democratic | Other | 19 | 0.2 | ||
Total votes | 8,016 | 100 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Aiken (inc.) | 103,101 | 66.4 | ||
Democratic | Bernard G. O'Shea | 52,184 | 33.6 | ||
Total votes | 155,289 | 100 | |||
See also
References
- ↑ W. (William) Richard Stengel was an Illinois lawyer, state legislator and (after his loss to Dirksen) Rock Island County State's attorney and an Illinois judge. He died in 1994.
- ↑ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=55&year=1957&f=0&off=3&elect=7
- ↑ G.O.P. UNANIMOUS; ...JAVITS IS NAMED FOR SENATE RACE in NYT on September 11, 1956 (subscription required)
- ↑ Wagner's Address Accepting Democratic Senatorial Nomination in NYT on September 11, 1956 (subscription required)
- ↑ STEVENSON PUTS RACIAL 'CLIMATE' UP TO PRESIDENT; ...Wins Liberal Nomination, With Mayor Wagner Party Nominates Slate in NYT on September 12, 1956 (subscription required)
- ↑ WRITE-IN STATE VOTE FOR M'ARTHUR URGED in NYT on October 2, 1956 (subscription required)
- ↑ M'ARTHUR DISAVOWS BID; General Repeats He Is Not Candidate for Senate in NYT on October 3, 1956 (subscription required)
- 1 2 "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 6, 1956" (PDF). Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=40154
- 1 2 "Primary Election Results" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ↑ "General Election Results - U.S. Senator - 1914-2014" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- 1956 U.S. Senate Election results
- STATE ELECTORS TO VOTE MONDAY; But Harriman Will Not Hold Reception for Republicans; Final Tally Listed; Dewey Held Receptions; 4.3 Million for Eisenhower in NYT on December 11, 1956 (subscription required)
- "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: 1957, pp. 8–9.
- Kalk, Bruce H. (2001). The Origins of the Southern Strategy: Two-Party Competition in South. Lexington Books. pp. 30, 33.
- Bass, Jack; Marilyn W. Thompson (1998). Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond. Longstreet. p. 155.