1942 United States Senate elections
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The 1942 United States Senate elections were held November 3, 1942, midway through
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 third term as
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
.


Background

Although this election took place during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the opposition
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 ...
party made major gains, taking eight seats from the Democrats and one from an independent. The Democrats nonetheless retained a significant majority, though the smallest since Roosevelt was first elected in 1932. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' ascribed the results to "voters' dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war, both at home and abroad" but not evidence of a lack of enthusiasm for the war effort. It found that a candidate's stance as isolationist or interventionist before Pearl Harbor had little impact on his success at the polls. The paper's editorial board welcomed a return to normal political alignments after the unbalanced majorities of the previous decade. The election not only changed the numbers of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, but also accomplished an ideological shift, as several longtime enthusiastic supporters of the New Deal were replaced by Republicans of the most conservative sort. The Republicans gained enough seats to end the Democrat's supermajority control.


Results summary

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


Gains and losses

Republicans had a net gain of nine seats. Nine came from wins over Democrats: #
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
: First-term Democrat
James H. Hughes James Hurd Hughes (January 14, 1867 – August 29, 1953) was an American lawyer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware. Early life and family Hu ...
lost renomination to E. Ennalls Berl, who then lost the general election to Republican C. Douglass Buck. #
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
: First-term Democrat
Clyde L. Herring Clyde LaVerne Herring (May 3, 1879September 15, 1945), an American Democratic politician who served as the 26th governor of Iowa, and then one of its U.S. senators, during the last part of the Great Depression and the first part of World Wa ...
lost re-election to Republican
George A. Wilson George Allison Wilson (April 1, 1884 – September 8, 1953) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a United States Senate, United States Senator and List of Governors of Iowa, 28th Governor of Iowa. Personal background Born on a farm near ...
. #
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
: First-term Democrat
Prentiss M. Brown Prentiss Marsh Brown (June 18, 1889December 19, 1973) was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Brown was born in St. Ignace, Michigan and attended the public schools there. He attended the Uni ...
narrowly lost re-election to Republican Homer Ferguson. #
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 ...
: First-term Democrat
William H. Smathers William Howell Smathers (January 7, 1891September 24, 1955) was a Democratic United States Senator from New Jersey, serving from 1937 to 1943. Biography Smathers was born on January 7, 1891, on a plantation near Waynesville, North Carolina. He ...
lost re-election to Republican
Albert W. Hawkes Albert Wahl Hawkes (November 20, 1878May 9, 1971) was a United States senator from New Jersey. Studies He was born in Chicago on November 20, 1878. He attended the public schools and graduated from Chicago College of Law in 1900, gaining admissio ...
. #
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
: First-term Democrat
Joshua B. Lee Joshua Bryan Lee (January 23, 1892August 10, 1967) was a United States representative and Senator from Oklahoma. Early life Lee was born in Childersburg, Alabama on January 23, 1892. He moved to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma (then Indian Territory) ...
lost re-election to Republican
Edward H. Moore Edward Hall Moore (November 19, 1871September 2, 1950) was a United States senator from Oklahoma from 1943 to 1949. Early years Born on a farm near Maryville, Missouri, Moore attended the public schools and Chillicothe, Missouri, Chillicothe No ...
. #
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
: Second-term Democrat
William J. Bulow William John Bulow (January 13, 1869February 26, 1960) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the first Democratic Governor of South Dakota, serving from 1927 to 1931. He received the highest number of votes of any Democratic candidate f ...
lost renomination to
Tom Berry Thomas Berry (1914–2009) was a Catholic priest of the Passionist order, cultural historian and ecotheologian. Thomas Berry may also refer to: * Tom Berry (baseball) (1842–1915), baseball player of the 1870s for the Philadelphia Athletics * Tom ...
, who then lost the general election to Republican Harlan J. Bushfield. #
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 ...
: First-term Democratic appointee
Joseph Rosier Joseph Rosier (January 24, 1870October 7, 1951) was a United States senator from West Virginia. Born in Wilsonburg, West Virginia, he attended the public schools and graduated from Salem, West Virginia, Salem College in 1895. In 1890, Rosier was ...
retired and Republican
Edward H. Moore Edward Hall Moore (November 19, 1871September 2, 1950) was a United States senator from Oklahoma from 1943 to 1949. Early years Born on a farm near Maryville, Missouri, Moore attended the public schools and Chillicothe, Missouri, Chillicothe No ...
easily beat Democratic former three-term senator Matthew M. Neely. #
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
: First-term Democrat
Henry H. Schwartz Henry Herman "Harry" Schwartz (May 18, 1869April 24, 1955) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming. Schwartz was born on a farm near Fort Recovery, Ohio, and was educated in the public schools of Mercer County and C ...
lost re-election to Republican
Edward V. Robertson Edward Vivian Robertson (May 27, 1881April 15, 1963) was a Welsh-born American politician who served as a member of the United States Senate for Wyoming from 1943 to 1949. Early life Born in Cardiff, Wales, he served in the Third Battalion of ...
. Republicans picked up an Independent seat: #
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
: Five-term Independent
George W. Norris George William Norris (July 11, 1861September 2, 1944) was an American politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. He served five terms in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican, from 1903 until 1913 ...
lost re-election to Republican
Kenneth S. Wherry Kenneth Spicer Wherry (February 28, 1892November 29, 1951) was an American businessman, attorney, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska from 1943 until his death in 1951; he was the minorit ...
, as Democrat
Foster May Foster may refer to: People * Foster (surname) * Foster Brooks (1912–2001), American actor * Foster Moreau (born 1997), American football player * Foster Sarell (born 1998), American football player * John Foster Dulles (1888–1959), American ...
split the vote. Also, in a special election, Republicans gained a seat from the Democrats, which would later be held by a different Republican from the regular election, see above: #
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 ...
: First-term Democratic appointee
Joseph Rosier Joseph Rosier (January 24, 1870October 7, 1951) was a United States senator from West Virginia. Born in Wilsonburg, West Virginia, he attended the public schools and graduated from Salem, West Virginia, Salem College in 1895. In 1890, Rosier was ...
lost election to finish the term to Republican
Hugh Shott Hugh Ike Shott (September 3, 1866October 12, 1953) was an American newspaper editor, pioneer broadcaster, and Republican politician in the U.S. State of West Virginia. Career Shott apprenticed as a printer. He moved to the then-booming new cit ...
, who did not run for the next term.


Change in composition


Before the elections

At the beginning of 1942.


Election results


Race summaries


Special elections during the 77th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1942 or before January 3, 1943; ordered by election date.


Races leading to the 78th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1943; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.


Alabama


Arkansas


Colorado

There were 2 elections in Colorado.


Colorado (Regular)


Colorado (Special)


Delaware


Georgia


Idaho


Illinois


Iowa


Kansas


Kentucky


Louisiana


Maine


Massachusetts


Michigan


Minnesota

There were two elections to the same seat due to the August 31, 1940 death of Farmer–Laborite
Ernest Lundeen Ernest Lundeen (August 4, 1878August 31, 1940) was an American lawyer and politician. Family and education Lundeen was born and raised on his father's homestead in Brooklyn Township of Lincoln County near Beresford in the Dakota Territory. H ...
. Republican
Joseph H. Ball Joseph Hurst Ball (November 3, 1905December 18, 1993) was an American journalist, politician and businessman. Ball served as a Republican senator from Minnesota from 1940 to 1949. He was a conservative in domestic policy and a leading foe of l ...
was appointed October 14, 1940 to continue the term, pending the special election. Ball was elected to the next term in the regular election, but not to finish the current term in the special election.


Minnesota (Special)


Minnesota (Regular)


Mississippi


Montana


Nebraska


Nevada (Special)


New Hampshire


New Jersey


New Mexico


North Carolina


Oklahoma


Oregon


Rhode Island


South Carolina


South Dakota


Tennessee


Texas


Virginia


West Virginia

There were 2 elections to the same seat due to the January 12, 1941 resignation of Democrat Matthew M. Neely who was elected
Governor of West Virginia A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
. Democrat
Joseph Rosier Joseph Rosier (January 24, 1870October 7, 1951) was a United States senator from West Virginia. Born in Wilsonburg, West Virginia, he attended the public schools and graduated from Salem, West Virginia, Salem College in 1895. In 1890, Rosier was ...
was appointed January 13, 1941 to continue the term, pending the special election. Primaries for both races were held August 4, 1942.


West Virginia (Special)

Interim Democrat
Joseph Rosier Joseph Rosier (January 24, 1870October 7, 1951) was a United States senator from West Virginia. Born in Wilsonburg, West Virginia, he attended the public schools and graduated from Salem, West Virginia, Salem College in 1895. In 1890, Rosier was ...
easily won the primary, but lost the special election to finish the term that would end in January 1943 to former congressman and 1936 senate nominee Hugh Ike Shott.


West Virginia (Regular)

Neither Shott nor Rosier were candidates in the regular election. Instead, governor (and former senator) Neely ran to reclaim his seat, having regretted leaving the Senate. Neely won the Democratic primary but lost the regular election. At the end of the term, Revercomb would lose re-election to Neely in 1948. He then won a special election to the other seat in 1956.


Wyoming


See also

* 1942 United States elections ** 1942 United States gubernatorial elections ** 1942 United States House of Representatives elections *
77th United States Congress The 77th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1941, ...
*
78th United States Congress The 78th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1943, ...


Notes


References

{{1942 United States elections United States home front during World War II