1952 United States Senate Elections

The 1952 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate which coincided with the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower to the presidency by a large margin. The Republicans took control of the senate by managing to make a net gain of two seats, which was reduced to one when Wayne Morse (R-OR) became an independent. The Republicans still held a majority after Morse's switch. This election was the second time in history (after 1932) that the party in power lost their majority and the Senate Majority Leader lost his own re-election bid. (In addition, this was the second consecutive election in which a sitting Democratic Senate leader lost his seat.) This was the last time the Senate changed hands in a presidential election year until 1980 and the last time the Republicans won control of the Senate until 1980.

Results summary

''Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.''

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

Retirements

Democrat who was replaced by a Republican

# Maryland: Herbert O'Conor was replaced by James Glenn Beall.

Democratic hold

# Texas: Tom Connally was replaced by Price Daniel.

Republican holds

Both Republican holds were in special elections.
# Connecticut: Appointee William A. Purtell retired to run for the Class 1 seat and was replaced by Prescott Bush.
# Nebraska: Appointee Fred A. Seaton retired and was replaced by Dwight Griswold.

Incumbent losses

Renomination

Democratic hold

# Tennessee: Kenneth McKellar lost to Albert Gore Sr., who later won the general election.

Republican hold

# Maine: Owen Brewster lost to Frederick G. Payne, who later won the general election.

Re-election

Democrats who lost to Republicans

# Arizona: Ernest McFarland, the Majority Leader, lost to Barry Goldwater.
# Connecticut: William Benton lost to William A. Purtell.
# Kentucky: Appointee Thomas R. Underwood lost to John Sherman Cooper in a special election.
# Michigan and Michigan: Blair Moody lost to Charles E. Potter in a pair of special and general elections.
# Wyoming: Joseph C. O'Mahoney lost to Frank A. Barrett.

Republicans who lost to Democrats

# Massachusetts: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. lost to John F. Kennedy.
# Missouri: James P. Kem lost to Stuart Symington.
# Montana: Zales Ecton lost to Mike Mansfield.
# Washington: Harry P. Cain lost to Henry M. Jackson.

Change in composition

Before the elections

Going into the November elections.

Results of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress

Race summaries

Special elections during the 82nd Congress

In these special elections the winners were seated before January 3, 1953; ordered by election date, then state.

Races leading to the 83rd Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on January 3, 1953; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Arizona

California

Connecticut

There were two elections on the same day due to the July 28, 1952 death of two-term Democrat Brien McMahon.

Republican businessman William Purtell was appointed August 29, 1952 to continue the class 3 term, pending a special election in which he was not a candidate. Purtell was already the Republican nominee in the regular election for the class 1 seat, a race he then won.

Connecticut (Special)

Connecticut (Regular)

Delaware

Florida

Indiana

Kentucky (Special)

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

There were two elections to the same seat on the same day due to the April 18, 1951 death of five-term Republican Arthur Vandenberg. Democratic journalist Blair Moody was appointed April 23, 1951 to continue the term pending a special election. The primary elections were held August 5, 1952. Moody lost both the special and the regular elections to Republican congressman Charles E. Potter.

Michigan (Special)

Michigan (Regular)

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nebraska (Special)

Nebraska (Regular)

Nevada

New Jersey

As of 2020, this was the last time that Republicans have won the Class 1 U.S Senate seat from New Jersey.

New Mexico

New York

In New York, the Liberal State Committee met on August 28, and nominated Dr. George S. Counts, Professor of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, for the U.S. Senate. The Republican State Committee re-nominated the incumbent U.S. senator Irving M. Ives. The Democratic State Committee met on August 28, and nominated Brooklyn Borough President John Cashmore for the U.S. Senate.

The Republican incumbent Ives was re-elected with the then largest plurality in state history.

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Connally did not run for re-election to a fifth term.

Attorney General Price Daniel won the open race to succeed him, defeating U.S. Representative Lindley Beckworth in the Democratic primary on July 26. Daniel was unopposed in the general election, as the Texas Republican Party chose to endorse the Democratic ticket for all but one statewide offices to maximize votes for their presidential nominee Dwight Eisenhower.

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

See also

* 1952 United States elections
** 1952 United States presidential election
** 1952 United States House of Representatives elections
* 82nd United States Congress
* 83rd United States Congress

Notes

References

Sources

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{{1952 United States elections