The 1940 United States Senate elections coincided with the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

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 ...

to his third term as president. Although Roosevelt was re-elected, support for his administration had dropped somewhat after eight years, and the

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 ...

opposition gained three seats from the Democrats. However, the New Deal Democrats regained firm control of both the House and Senate because Progressives dominated the election. The

Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party (FL) was a left-wing American political party in Minnesota between 1918 and 1944. Largely dominating Minnesota politics during the Great Depression, it was one of the most successful statewide third party movem ...

also disappeared from the Senate, as

Henrik Shipstead Henrik Shipstead (January 8, 1881June 26, 1960) was an American politician. He served in the United States Senate from 1923 to 1947, from the state of Minnesota. He served first as a member of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party from 1923 to 1941 an ...

joined the Republican party and

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 ...

had died during the preceding term. Senator

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 ...

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 ...

was elected to his final term in the Senate in 1940. Truman resigned in 1945 to serve as President Roosevelt's third

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Gains and losses

Republicans had a net gain of three seats in the regular elections, plus one more in a November special election. Four Republican gains came from wins over Democrats: #

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 ...

: First-term Democrat

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 ...

narrowly lost to Republican Raymond E. Willis. #

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 sout ...

: First-term Democrat

Edward R. Burke Edward Raymond Burke (November 28, 1880November 4, 1968) was an American Democratic Party politician. Burke moved to Sparta, Wisconsin with his parents and then Beloit, Wisconsin, where he went to Beloit College. Burke graduated in 1906, mov ...

lost renomination to

Robert LeRoy Cochran Robert Leroy "Roy" Cochran (January 28, 1886 – February 23, 1963) was an American Democratic politician and the 24th Governor of Nebraska. Cochran was born in Avoca, Nebraska, and began his education in a sod school house. After graduating ...

, who then lost the regular election to Republican Hugh Butler. #

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 ...

: First-term Democrat A. Victor Donahey retired and was replaced by Republican Harold H. Burton. # Illinois (Special): Democratic interim appointee

James M. Slattery James Michael Slattery (July 29, 1878 – August 28, 1948) was a United States senator from Illinois. Born in Chicago, he attended parochial schools and St. Ignatius College (now known as Loyola University Chicago). He was employed as a sec ...

lost to Republican C. Wayland Brooks. Republicans gained a seat from Farmer–Labor when an incumbent changed party: #

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

: Three-term Farmer–Laborite

was re-elected, but changed party to Republican. Democrats did win one seat from a Republican: #

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 ...

: Two-term Republican John G. Townsend Jr. lost to Democrat James M. Tunnell.

Change in composition

Before the elections

Election results

Race summaries

Special elections during the 76th Congress

In these special elections, the winner elected during 1940 and seated once qualified; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the 77th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1941; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Arizona

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Idaho (Special)

Illinois (Special)

Indiana

Kentucky (Special)

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

One-term Democrat

was narrowly re-elected. He would only serve until resigning January 17, 1945, to become U.S. Vice President.

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

The whole ticket nominated by Democrats and American Laborites was elected.

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Kenneth McKellar LCCN2014716761 (cropped)

Texas

Utah

Vermont

There were 2 elections due to the June 20, 1940, death of two-term Republican Ernest Willard Gibson.

Vermont (Regular)

Two-term Republican Warren Austin was easily re-elected. He faced no opponents in the primary. Austin served only until his August 2, 1946, resignation to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Vermont (Special)

Gibson's son, Republican Ernest W. Gibson Jr. was appointed June 24, 1940, to continue his father's term, pending a special election, in which he was not a candidate. Aiken did not take the seat until January 10, 1941, as he wanted to remain

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. He would be repeatedly re-elected and serve until his 1975 retirement.

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Notes

References

{{1940 United States elections