The 1926 United States Senate elections were elections for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

that occurred in the middle of

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 ...

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 ...

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...

's second term. The Republican majority was reduced by seven seats.

Gains and losses

Six Republican incumbents lost re-election to Democrats: #

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

: Republican incumbent

Ralph H. Cameron Ralph Henry Cameron (October 21, 1863 – February 12, 1953) was an American businessman, prospector and politician who served as both Arizona Territory's Delegate to Congress and as an Arizona United States Senator. As a Territorial delegate, h ...

lost to Democrat

Carl Hayden Carl Trumbull Hayden (October 2, 1877 – January 25, 1972) was an American politician. Representing Arizona in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1969, he was the first U.S. Senator to serve seven terms. Serving as the state's first Represe ...

. #

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

: Republican incumbent Richard P. Ernst lost to Democrat

Alben W. Barkley Alben William Barkley (; November 24, 1877 – April 30, 1956) was an American lawyer and politician from Kentucky who served in both houses of Congress and as the 35th vice president of the United States from 1949 to 1953 under Presiden ...

. #

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 t ...

: Republican incumbent

Ovington E. Weller Ovington Eugene Weller (January 23, 1862 – January 5, 1947) was a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the United States Senate, representing the Maryland, State of Maryland from 1921 to 1927. Early life Weller was born in Rei ...

lost to Democrat Millard E. Tydings. #

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

: Republican interim appointee George H. Williams lost to Democrat

Harry B. Hawes Harry Bartow Hawes (November 15, 1869 – July 31, 1947) was an American lawyer, conservationist, and politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House and Senate from Missouri. He is best known for the Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act, ...

both to finish the term and to the next term. #

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

: Republican incumbent James W. Wadsworth, Jr. lost to Democrat

Robert F. Wagner Robert Ferdinand Wagner I (June 8, 1877May 4, 1953) was an American politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York from 1927 to 1949. Born in Prussia, Wagner migrated with his family to the United States in 1885. After graduating ...

. #

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

: Republican incumbent

John W. Harreld John William Harreld (January 24, 1872December 26, 1950) was a United States representative and Senator from Oklahoma. Harreld was the first Republican senator elected in Oklahoma and represented a shift in Oklahoma politics.Gaddie, Ronald Keit ...

lost to Democrat

Elmer Thomas John William Elmer Thomas (September 8, 1876 – September 19, 1965) was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the L ...

. An additional Democratic seat was gained in a special election: #

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

: Republican interim appointee

William M. Butler William Morgan Butler (January 29, 1861March 29, 1937) was a lawyer and legislator for the State of Massachusetts, and a United States Senator. Biography Butler was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he attended the public school and stud ...

lost to Democrat David I. Walsh. Five Republican incumbents lost renomination, but their seats were held by Republicans: #

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

: Republican incumbent

Rice W. Means Rice William Means (November 16, 1877January 30, 1949) was an American soldier and lawyer who became a Ku Klux Klan leader and a Republican United States Senator from Colorado. Early life, education, and military service Born in St. Joseph, ...

lost renomination to Republican challenger

Charles W. Waterman Charles Winfield Waterman (November 2, 1861August 27, 1932) was a Colorado attorney and politician. He is most notable for his service as a United States senator from Colorado. Born in Waitsfield, Vermont, Waterman graduated from the Univer ...

, who then won the general election. #

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

: Republican incumbent

William B. McKinley William Brown McKinley (September 5, 1856December 7, 1926) was a U.S. Representative (1905–1913, 1915–1921) and United States Senator (1921–1926) from the State of Illinois. A member of the Republican Party, he was born near Petersburg, Il ...

lost renomination to Republican challenger

Frank L. Smith Frank Leslie Smith (November 24, 1867 – August 30, 1950) was an Illinois politician. Biography Smith was born in Dwight, Illinois, in Livingston County He served as a United States Congressman from 1919 to 1921. Career Smith first ran ...

, who then won the general election. #

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

: Republican incumbent

Robert N. Stanfield Robert Nelson Stanfield Jr (July 9, 1877April 13, 1945) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican politician and rancher from the state of Oregon who served in the Oregon House of Representatives (1912–18) including as Spe ...

lost renomination to Republican challenger

Frederick Steiwer Frederick Steiwer (October 13, 1883February 3, 1939) was an American politician and lawyer in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he was county district attorney and member of the Oregon State Senate from eastern Oregon and a veteran of ...

, who then won the general election. #

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, ...

: Republican incumbent

George W. Pepper George Wharton Pepper (March 16, 1867May 24, 1961) was an American lawyer, law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Christian activist, and Republican politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in ...

lost renomination to Republican challenger

William S. Vare William Scott Vare (December 24, 1867August 7, 1934) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district from 1912 to 1927. He ...

, who then won the general election. #

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 ...

: Republican incumbent Irvine L. Lenroot lost renomination to Republican challenger

John J. Blaine John James Blaine (May 4, 1875April 16, 1934) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 24th Governor of Wisconsin and a United States senator. He also served as Attorney General of Wisconsin and a member of the Wisconsin State Senate ...

, who then won the general election. No Democratic incumbents lost re-election or renomination. The only change in a Democratic seat was in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

, where Democrat

Oscar Underwood Oscar Wilder Underwood (May 6, 1862 – January 25, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician from Alabama, and also a candidate for President of the United States in 1912 and 1924. He was the first formally designated floor leader in the Uni ...

retired and was replaced by Democrat

Hugo L. Black Hugo Lafayette Black (February 27, 1886 – September 25, 1971) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1927 to 1937 and as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1937 to 1971. ...

. No third-party candidates won these elections. The sole third party incumbent (from the Farmer–Labor Party) was not up for election this year.

Change in composition

Before the elections

At the beginning of 1926.

Elections results

At the beginning of the next Congress

Race summaries

Special elections during the 69th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1926 or before March 4, 1927; ordered by election date.

Elections leading to the 70th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1927; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

There were 2 elections in Indiana due to the October 14, 1925, death of Democrat Samuel M. Ralston.

Indiana (Special)

Republican

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 ...

was appointed to continue Ralston's term, pending the special election, which he then won.

Indiana (Regular)

Iowa

Iowa (Special)

Iowa (Regular)

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine (Special)

Maryland

Massachusetts (Special)

Missouri

There were 2 elections on the same day for the same seat, due to the May 16, 1925, death of Republican

Selden P. Spencer Selden Palmer Spencer (September 16, 1862May 16, 1925) was an American lawyer and politician. A Republican, he was a United States Senator from Missouri. Early life Selden Spencer was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, to Samuel Selden and Eliza Debo ...

. Republican George H. Williams was appointed May 25, 1925, to continue the term, epending a special election. Williams ran in both the special election to finish the term and the regular election to the next term, but lost both races to Democrat

Missouri (Special)

Missouri (Regular)

Nevada

New Hampshire

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

There were two elections due to the June 22, 1925, death of one-term Republican

Edwin F. Ladd Edwin Fremont Ladd (December 13, 1859June 22, 1925) was an American chemist, academic administrator, and politician. While serving in the United States Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Public Roads and Surveys during the sixty-eighth C ...

. Republican

Gerald Nye Gerald Prentice Nye (December 19, 1892 – July 17, 1971) was an American politician who represented North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1925 to 1945. He was a Republican and supporter of World War II-era isolationism, chairing the N ...

was appointed November 14, 1925, to continue the term, pending a special election. Nye later won the June 1926 special election to finish the term and the November 1926 general election to the next term.

North Dakota (Special)

Nye was elected on the

Nonpartisan League The Nonpartisan League (NPL) was a left-wing political party founded in 1915 in North Dakota by Arthur C. Townley, a former organizer for the Socialist Party of America. On behalf of small farmers and merchants, the Nonpartisan League advocat ...

Gains and losses

Change in composition

Before the elections

Elections results

At the beginning of the next Congress

Race summaries

Special elections during the 69th Congress

Elections leading to the 70th Congress

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Indiana (Special)

Indiana (Regular)

Iowa

Iowa (Special)

Iowa (Regular)

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine (Special)

Maryland

Massachusetts (Special)

Missouri

Missouri (Special)

Missouri (Regular)

Nevada

New Hampshire

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

North Dakota (Special)

North Dakota (Regular)

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Utah

Vermont

Washington

Wisconsin

See also

Notes

References