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1956 United States Senate elections

1956 United States Senate elections

← 1954 November 6, 1956 1958 →
1957 (TX, WI) →
35 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Lyndon Johnson William Knowland Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 1953 August 4, 1953 Leader's seat Texas California Seats before 49 47 Seats after 49 47 Seat change Popular vote 23,291,351[1][a] 22,219,450[1] Percentage 50.7% 48.4% Seats up 18 17 Races won 18 17
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      No election Rectangular inset (Ky. & S. C.): both seats up for election
Majority Leader before election Lyndon Johnson Democratic Elected Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson Democratic

The 1956 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate that coincided with the re-electionofPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 32 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections, and three special elections were held to fill vacancies. Although Democrats gained two seats in regular elections, the Republicans gained two seats in special elections, leaving the party balance of the chamber unchanged.

Democrats defeated incumbents Herman Welker (R-Idaho), George H. Bender (R-Ohio), and James H. Duff (R-Pennsylvania), as well as winning a Republican-held seat in Colorado. Republicans defeated incumbent Earle C. Clements (D-Kentucky) as well as winning Democratic-held seats in Kentucky, New York, and West Virginia. Thus, this election caused Kentucky's Senate delegation to flip from two Democrats to two Republicans.

During the next Congress, Republican John D. Hoblitzell Jr. was appointed to the seat of deceased Senator Matthew M. Neely (D-WV), while Democrat William Proxmire won a special election for the seat of deceased Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin). Also, Democrat Ralph Yarborough won a special election for the seat of Price Daniel (D-Texas), who had resigned from the Senate after being elected Governor of Texas. The net result was to leave the party balance unchanged.

Results summary[edit]

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.

Parties					Total
		Democratic	Republican	Other
Before these elections		49	47	0	96
Not up		31	30	—	61
	Class 1 (1952)	11	20	—	31
	Class 2 (1954)	20	10	—	30
Up		18	17	—	35
	Class 3 (1950→1956)	15	17	—	32
	Special: Class 1	1	0	—	1
	Special: Class 2	2	0	—	2
Incumbent retired		5	1	—	6
	Held by same party	2	0	—	2
	Replaced by other party	1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat 3 Democrats replaced by 3 Republicans		—	4
	Result	3	3	0	6
Incumbent ran		13	16	—	29
	Won re-election	12	13	—	25
	Lost re-election	3 Republicans replaced by 3 Democrats 1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican		—	4
	Lost renomination but held by same party	0	0	—	0
	Result	15	14	0	29
Total elected		18	17	0	35
Net change					0
Nationwide vote		23,291,351[a]	22,219,450	406,207	45,917,008
	Share	50.72%	48.39%	0.88%	100%
Result		49	47	0	96

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives^[1]

Gains, losses, and holds[edit]

Retirements[edit]

One Republican and five Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

Defeats[edit]

Three Republicans and one Democrat sought re-election but lost in the general election.

Post-election changes[edit]

One Republican was appointed to the seat of a deceased Democrat. Two Democrats won special elections, one seat was previously held by a Democrat and another by a Republican. One Democrat was appointed to replace another Democrat.

Change in composition[edit]

Before the elections[edit]

Elections results[edit]

Race summaries[edit]

Special elections during the 84th Congress[edit]

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1956 or in 1957 before January 3; ordered by election date, then state.

Races leading to the 85th Congress[edit]

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1957; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

Closest races[edit]

Fifteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Alabama[edit]

Arizona[edit]

Arizona election

← 1950 1962 →

Nominee Carl Hayden Ross F. Jones Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 170,816 107,447 Percentage 61.4% 38.6%

County results Hayden:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election Carl Hayden Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Carl Hayden Democratic

Arkansas[edit]

1956 U.S. Senate election in Arkansas

← 1950 November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee J. William Fulbright Ben C. Henley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 331,679 98,013 Percentage 82.98% 17.02%

County results Fulbright:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Henley:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election J. William Fulbright Democratic Elected U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright Democratic

California[edit]

1956 United States Senate election in California

← 1954 (special) November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee Thomas Kuchel Richard Richards Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,892,918 2,445,816 Percentage 53.96% 45.62%

County results Kuchel:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Richards:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Thomas Kuchel Republican Elected U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel Republican

Colorado[edit]

1956 United States Senate election in Colorado

← 1950 November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee John A. Carroll Daniel I. J. Thornton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 319,872 317,102 Percentage 50.22% 49.78%

Results by county Carroll:      50–60%      60–70% Thornton:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Eugene Millikin Republican Elected U.S. Senator John A. Carroll Democratic

Connecticut[edit]

1956 United States Senate election in Connecticut

← 1952 (special) November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee Prescott Bush Thomas J. Dodd Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 610,829 479,460 Percentage 54.84% 43.05%

County results Bush:      50-60%     60-70% Dodd:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Prescott Bush Republican Elected U.S. Senator Prescott Bush Republican

Florida[edit]

1956 United States Senate election in Florida

← 1950 May 8, 1956 1962 →

Nominee George Smathers Party Democratic Popular vote 655,418 Percentage 100.0%

County results Smathers:      90-100%

U.S. senator before election George Smathers Democratic Elected U.S. Senator George Smathers Democratic

Georgia[edit]

Idaho[edit]

1956 United States Senate election in Idaho

← 1950 November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee Frank Church Herman Welker Glen H. Taylor (Write-in) Party Democratic Republican Independent Popular vote 149,096 102,781 13,415 Percentage 56.20% 38.74% 5.06%

County results Church:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Welker:      40–50%      50-60%

U.S. senator before election Herman Welker Republican Elected U.S. Senator Frank Church Democratic

Illinois[edit]

Illinois election

← 1950 1962 →
Turnout	81.74%
Nominee Everett M. Dirksen Richard Stengel Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,307,552 1,949,883 Percentage 54.11% 45.72%
County results Dirksen:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Stengel:      50–60%
Senator before election Everett M. Dirksen Republican Elected Senator Everett M. Dirksen Republican

Indiana[edit]

1956 United States Senate election in Indiana

← 1950 November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee Homer Capehart Claude Wickard Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,084,262 871,781 Percentage 55.21% 44.39%

County results Capehart:      50–60%      60-70%      70-80% Wickard:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Homer Capehart Republican Elected U.S. Senator Homer Capehart Republican