The 1934 United States Senate elections were held in the middle of Democratic President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's first term. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, voters strongly backed Roosevelt's

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

and his allies in the Senate, with Democrats picking up a net of nine seats, giving them a supermajority (which required 64 seats, two-thirds of the total 96 seats in 1934). This marked the first time that an incumbent president's party did not lose seats in both houses in a midterm election, followed by

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

and

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

. This was also the first time in American history that the opposition party failed to flip any Senate seats, something that only occurred once since, in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

Gains and losses

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

s lost ten seats: One seat changed from Republican to Progressive when an incumbent was re-elected to the new party. Democrats took nine seats, including an open seat in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and the seats of eight incumbents.

Losing incumbents

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Frederic C. Walcott Frederic Collin Walcott (February 19, 1869April 27, 1949) was a United States senator from Connecticut. Biography Born in New York Mills, Oneida County, New York, the son of William Stuart Walcott and Emeline Alice Welch Walcott, Walcott atten ...

(R) lost to Francis T. Maloney (D) #

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Arthur Raymond Robinson Arthur Raymond Robinson (March 12, 1881March 17, 1961) was a United States senator from Indiana. Early life Born in Pickerington, Ohio, Robinson attended the common schools, graduated from the Ohio Northern University in 1901 ( B. Comm. Sci. ...

(R) lost to

Sherman Minton Sherman "Shay" Minton (October 20, 1890 – April 9, 1965) was an American politician and jurist who served as a U.S. senator from Indiana and later became an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; he was a member of the ...

(D) #

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Roscoe C. Patterson Roscoe Conkling Patterson (September 15, 1876October 22, 1954) was an American lawyer from Missouri. He was most notable for his service as a United States representative (1921–1923) and a U.S. Senator (1929–1935). Early life Patterson was b ...

(R) lost to

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

(D) #

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Hamilton Fish Kean Hamilton Fish Kean (February 27, 1862December 27, 1941) was a U.S. Senator from New Jersey. Early life Kean was the son of Lucy (née Halstead) and John Kean. He was related to several prominent American politicians including his great-grandfathe ...

(R) lost to

A. Harry Moore Arthur Harry Moore (July 3, 1877 – November 18, 1952) was an American Democratic politician and attorney who was the 39th governor of New Jersey, serving three nonconsecutive three-year terms between 1926 and 1941. As of , Moore remains t ...

(D) #

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

: Simeon D. Fess (R) lost to

Vic Donahey Alvin Victor "Honest Vic" Donahey (July 7, 1873April 8, 1946) was an American Democratic Party politician from Ohio. Donahey was the 50th governor of Ohio and a United States Senator from Ohio. Donahey left school early to become a printer; in ...

(D) #

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

David A. Reed David Aiken Reed (December 21, 1880February 10, 1953) was an American lawyer and Republican party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1922 to 1935. He was a co-author of the restr ...

(R) lost to Joseph F. Guffey (D) #

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

Felix Hebert Felix Hebert (December 11, 1874December 14, 1969) was a United States senator from Rhode Island. Born near St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, he came to the United States when his parents, Edouard and Catherine (Vandale) Hebert, returned in 1880 and ...

(R) lost to Peter G. Gerry (D) #

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

: Henry D. Hatfield (R) lost to Rush D. Holt Sr. (D)

Retirement

: George L. P. Radcliffe (D) picked up the seat when

Phillips Lee Goldsborough Phillips Lee Goldsborough I (August 6, 1865October 22, 1946), was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican politician and member of the United States Senate representing Maryland, State of Maryland from 1929 to 1935. He was also ...

(R) retired.

Party change

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

: Republicans suffered an additional loss when Robert M. La Follette Jr. (R) joined the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Italy ...

Change in composition

Before the elections

At the beginning of 1934.

Elections result

Race summaries

Elections during the 73rd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1934; ordered by election date then by state.

Elections leading to the 74th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1935; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Arizona

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Indiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Montana (Regular)

Montana (Special)

Nebraska

Nebraska (Regular)

Nebraska (Special)

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New Mexico (Regular)

New Mexico (Special)

New York

In New York, the whole Democratic ticket was elected in the third landslide in a row.

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

There were two elections due to a resignation.

Tennessee (Regular)

Three-term Democrat

Kenneth D. McKellar Kenneth Douglas McKellar (January 29, 1869October 25, 1957) was an American politician from Tennessee who served as a United States Representative from 1911 until 1917 and as a United States Senator from 1917 until 1953. A Democrat, he served lo ...

was easily re-elected.

Tennessee (Special)

One-term Democrat

Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ...

resigned March 3, 1933 to become

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

. Democrat

Nathan L. Bachman Nathan Lynn Bachman (August 2, 1878April 23, 1937) was a United States Senate, United States Senator from Tennessee from 1933 until his death. He was a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. Biography Bachman was born ...

was appointed to continue Hull's term, pending a special election which Bachman easily won.

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Vermont (Regular)

Vermont (Special)

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

There were two elections to the same seat due to the November 3, 1933 death of Democrat

John B. Kendrick John Benjamin Kendrick (September 6, 1857 – November 3, 1933) was an American politician and cattleman who served as a United States senator from Wyoming and as the ninth Governor of Wyoming as a member of the Democratic Party. Early life ...

. Democrat

Joseph C. O'Mahoney Joseph Christopher O'Mahoney (November 5, 1884December 1, 1962) was an American journalist, lawyer, and politician. A Democrat, he served four complete terms as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming on two occasions, first from 1934-1953 and then again fro ...

was appointed to continue the term, pending a special election. O'Mahoney won both the special election and the regular election to the next term.

Wyoming (regular)

Wyoming (special)

O'Mahoney would be re-elected

twice Twice (; Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn: ''To~uwaisu''; commonly stylized as TWICE) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaey ...

and serve until his 1952 defeat.

Notes

References

{{1934 United States elections

Gains and losses

Losing incumbents

Retirement

Party change

Change in composition

Before the elections

Elections result

Race summaries

Elections during the 73rd Congress

Elections leading to the 74th Congress

Arizona

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Indiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Montana (Regular)

Montana (Special)

Nebraska

Nebraska (Regular)

Nebraska (Special)

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New Mexico (Regular)

New Mexico (Special)

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Tennessee (Regular)

Tennessee (Special)

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Vermont (Regular)

Vermont (Special)

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Wyoming (regular)

Wyoming (special)

See also

Notes

References