The 1936 United States Senate elections coincided with the reelection of President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

. The 32 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

continued and voters backed progressive candidates favoring Roosevelt's

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

in races across the country. The Democrats gained 5 net seats during the election, and in combination with Democratic and Farmer–Labor interim appointments and the defection of George W. Norris from the Republican Party to become

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, the Republicans were reduced to 16 seats. Democrats gained a further two seats due to mid-term vacancies. The Democrats' 77 seats and their 62-seat majority remain their largest in history. This was the last of four consecutive election cycles where Republicans suffered losses due to the ongoing effects of the Great Depression. This was also the last Senate election cycle until

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in which a Democratic candidate who won two terms also made net gains in the Senate on both occasions (although Roosevelt won a third term and fourth term, he lost Senate seats on both occasions). Additionally, this is the last time any party held three-fourths of all Senate seats.

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

One Republican, one Farmer-Labor, and five Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

Defeats

Six Republicans and one Democrat sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

Death

One Democrat died on July 16, 1936, and his seat remained vacant until the election.

Independent gain

One Republican won re-election as an Independent.

Post-election changes

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the April 1936 special election.

Result of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress

Race summaries

Elections during the 74th Congress

In these special elections the winners were seated once they qualified; ordered by election date.

Elections leading to the 75th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1937; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

Closest races

Eleven races had a margin of victory under 10%: There is no tipping point state.

Alabama

Arkansas

Colorado

Delaware

Florida (special)

There were two special elections in Florida, due to the May 8, 1936, death of four-term Democrat

Park Trammell Park Monroe Trammell (April 9, 1876 – May 8, 1936) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Florida. Trammell represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1917 until his death in 1936. As chair of the Senate Naval Aff ...

and the June 17, 1936, death of five-term Democrat Duncan U. Fletcher.

Florida (special, class 1)

Democrat Scott Loftin was appointed May 26, 1936, to continue the term, pending a special election. Primaries were held August 11, 1936. Andrews would be re-elected once and serve until his own death on September 18, 1946.

Florida (special, class 3)

Democrat William Luther Hill was appointed July 1, 1936, to continue the term, pending a special election. Democrat

Claude Pepper Claude Denson Pepper (September 8, 1900 – May 30, 1989) was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1936 to 1951, and the Miami area in the United States House of Representatives ...

, who had lost to Trammell in 1934, won this election. Pepper would be re-elected

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and serve until he lost renomination in 1950. He would later be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served there for 26 years.

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Iowa (regular)

Iowa (special)

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Louisiana (regular)

Louisiana (special)

Democrat Rose McConnell Long was elected April 21, 1936, to finish the term to which she was appointed on January 31, 1936. She was not a candidate, however, to the next term on November 3, 1936, see above.

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

There were 2 elections to the same seat on the same day due to the December 22, 1935, death of two-term Republican Thomas D. Schall.

Minnesota (special)

The election was held to fill the vacancy in the seat formerly held by Thomas D. Schall for the final two months of Schall's unexpired term.

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Floyd B. Olson had appointed

Elmer Benson Elmer Austin Benson (September 22, 1895 March 13, 1985) was an American lawyer and politician from Minnesota. In 1935, Benson was appointed to the U.S. Senate following the death of Thomas Schall. He served as the 24th governor of Minnesota, de ...

to fill the seat in 1935, but this appointment was temporary and subject to a special election held in the next general election year thereafter—1936. Benson opted to run for governor instead of running for election to continue for the remainder of the term. No special primaries were held for the special election, and, among Minnesota's three major parties, only the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party in Minnesota and the oldest active political party in the state. Founded in 1855, the party is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, E ...

officially fielded a candidate— Guy V. Howard. Regardless of the absence of Farmer-Labor and Democratic nominees, Howard nevertheless faced a great degree of competition from

candidates Nathaniel J. Holmberg, Andrew Olaf Devold, and John G. Alexander. The candidates were: * John G. Alexander (I), Attorney and real estate manager * Andrew Olaf Devold (I), Attorney,

State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

since 1919, former

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(1915–1919); a member of the Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota and formerly a member of the Socialist Party of Minnesota * N. J. Holmberg (I), Former

(1915–1919) and

(1907–1915); a member of the

* Guy V. Howard (R), Businessman and Republican elector in the 1916 presidential election Howard was not a candidate for the next term, and served only until January 1937.

Minnesota (regular)

The election to the next term was won by Farmer–Labor congressman Ernest Lundeen.

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

There were 2 elections, due to the May 6, 1935, death of two-term Republican Bronson M. Cutting.

New Mexico (special)

Democratic former-Congressman Dennis Chavez had been Cutting's opponent in 1934. On May 11, 1935, after Cutting's death, Chavez was then appointed to continue Cutting's term, pending a special election which he then won. Chavez would be re-elected four more times and serve until his death in 1962.

New Mexico (regular)

First-term Democrat Carl Hatch was easily re-elected. Hatch would be re-elected once and serve until his 1948 retirement.

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Oregon

Rhode Island

South Carolina

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