1924 United States Senate elections

U.S. Senate elections, 1924 and 1925
32 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate; (as well as special elections); 49 seats needed for a majority
	Results including special elections; Democratic gains Republican gains; Democratic holds Republican holds
Majority Leader before election; Henry Cabot Lodge; (Unofficial); Republican	Elected Majority Leader ; Charles Curtis; Republican

The United States Senate elections of 1924 and 1925^[1] were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the election of Republican President Calvin Coolidge to a full term. The strong economy and Coolidge's popularity helped Republican candidates increase their majority by four, although several interim appointments had worsened their numbers since the 1922 election; as a result, the party achieved a net gain of only one seat since the previous voting cycle.

Gains and losses

The Republicans gained from an open seat:

Oklahoma: William B. Pine (R) won when Robert L. Owen (D) retired.

Republicans also defeated Democratic incumbents:

Kentucky: Frederic M. Sackett (R) defeated Augustus O. Stanley (D).
Massachusetts: Frederick H. Gillett (R) defeated David I. Walsh (D).

A Republican defeated a Farmer–Labor incumbent:

Minnesota: Thomas D. Schall (R) defeated Magnus Johnson (FL).

A Democrat defeated a Republican incumbent:

New Mexico: Sam G. Bratton (D) defeated Holm O. Bursum (R).

Holds

The Republicans held two open seats:

Rhode Island: Jesse H. Metcalf (R) won after LeBaron B. Colt (R) died. Metcalf was also elected to finish Colt's term which ended in March 1925.
West Virginia: Guy D. Goff (R) won after Davis Elkins (R) retired.

The Republicans held three seats in primary contests:

Delaware: T. Coleman du Pont (R) defeated L. Heisler Ball (R) in the primary and then won the general.
Illinois: Charles S. Deneen (R) defeated Medill McCormick (R) in the primary and then won the general.
South Dakota: William H. McMaster (R) defeated Thomas Sterling (R) in the primary and then won the general.

The Democrats held two seats in primary contests:

South Carolina: Coleman L. Blease (D) defeated Nathaniel B. Dial (D) in the primary and was unopposed in the general.
Tennessee: Lawrence D. Tyson (D) defeated John K. Shields (D) in the primary and was unopposed in the general.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

At the beginning of 1924.

R₃₉ Ran	R₄₀ Ran	R₄₁ Ran	R₄₂ Ran	R₄₃ Ran	R₄₄ Ran	R₄₅ Ran	R₄₆ Ran	R₄₇ Ran	R₄₈ Ran
		D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈
D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁	D₁₀	D₉
D₁₉	D₂₀	D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈
D₃₈ Ran	D₃₇ Ran	D₃₆ Ran	D₃₅ Ran	D₃₄ Ran	D₃₃ Ran	D₃₂ Ran	D₃₁ Ran	D₃₀ Ran	D₂₉
D₃₉ Ran	D₄₀ Ran	D₄₁ Ran	D₄₂ Ran	D₄₃ Retired	FL₁	FL₂ Ran	R₅₁ Died	R₅₀ Retired	R₄₉ Ran
Majority →									R₄₉ Ran
R₃₈ Ran	R₃₇ Ran	R₃₆ Ran	R₃₅ Ran	R₃₄	R₃₃	R₃₂	R₃₁	R₃₀	R₂₉
R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇	R₂₈
R₁₈	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉
		R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈

After the general elections

R₃₉ Ran	R₄₀ Ran	R₄₁ Ran	R₄₂ Ran	R₄₃ Ran	R₄₄ Ran	R₄₅ Ran	R₄₆ Hold	R₄₇ Hold	R₄₈ Hold
		D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈
D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁	D₁₀	D₉
D₁₉	D₂₀	D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈
D₃₈ Re-elected	D₃₇ Re-elected	D₃₆ Re-elected	D₃₅ Re-elected	D₃₄ Re-elected	D₃₃ Re-elected	D₃₂ Re-elected	D₃₁ Re-elected	D₃₀ Re-elected	D₂₉
D₃₉ Hold	D₄₀ Hold	D₄₁ Gain	FL₁	R₅₄ Gain	R₅₃ Gain	R₅₂ Gain	R₅₁ Gain	R₅₀ Hold	R₄₉ Hold
Majority →									R₄₉ Hold
R₃₈ Ran	R₃₇ Ran	R₃₆ Ran	R₃₅ Ran	R₃₄	R₃₃	R₃₂	R₃₁	R₃₀	R₂₉
R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇	R₂₈
R₁₈	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉
		R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈

After the special elections

		D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈
D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁	D₁₀	D₉
D₁₉	D₂₀	D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈
D₃₈	D₃₇	D₃₆	D₃₅	D₃₄	D₃₃	D₃₂	D₃₁	D₃₀	D₂₉
D₃₉	D₄₀	FL₁	R₅₅ Gain	R₅₄ Appointee elected	R₅₃ Hold	R₅₂ Hold	R₅₁	R₅₀	R₄₉
Majority →									R₄₉
R₃₉	R₄₀	R₄₁	R₄₂	R₄₃	R₄₄	R₄₅	R₄₆	R₄₇	R₄₈
R₃₈	R₃₇	R₃₆	R₃₅	R₃₄	R₃₃	R₃₂	R₃₁	R₃₀	R₂₉
R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇	R₂₈
R₁₈	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉
		R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈

Key:

D_#	Democratic
FL_#	Farmer–Labor
R_#	Republican

Race summaries

Special elections during the 68th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1924 or before March 4, 1925; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Colorado (Class 3)	Alva B. Adams	Democratic	1923 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired to run for the Class 2 seat, see below. New senator elected November 4, 1924. Republican gain.	√ Rice W. Means (Republican) 50.2% Morrison Shafroth (Democratic) 43.7% Charles T. Phelps (Independent) 5.5%
Michigan (Class 2)	James J. Couzens	Republican	1922 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 4, 1924.	√ James J. Couzens (Republican) [data missing]
Rhode Island (Class 2)	LeBaron B. Colt	Republican	1913 1918	Incumbent died August 18, 1924. New senator elected November 4, 1924. Republican hold. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.	√ Jesse H. Metcalf (Republican) 56.4% William S. Flynn (Democratic) 42.6%
Connecticut (Class 3)	Frank B. Brandegee	Republican	1905 (Special) 1909 1914 1920	Incumbent died October 14, 1924. New senator elected December 16, 1924. Republican hold.	√ Hiram Bingham III (Republican) 60.4% Hamilton Holt (Democratic) 38.6%

Elections leading to the 69th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1925; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	J. Tom Heflin	Democratic	1920 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected.	√ J. Tom Heflin (Democratic) 75.2% F. H. Lathrop (Republican) 24.8%
Arkansas	Joseph T. Robinson	Democratic	1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Joseph T. Robinson (Democratic) 73.5% Charles F. Cole (Republican) 26.5%
Colorado	Lawrence C. Phipps	Republican	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Lawrence C. Phipps (Republican) 50.2% Alva B. Adams (Democratic) 43.9% Morton Alexander (Independent) 5.0%
Delaware	L. Heisler Ball	Republican	1903 (Special) 1906 (Lost) 1918	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ T. Coleman du Pont (Republican) 59.4% James M. Tunnell (Democratic) 40.6%
Georgia	William J. Harris	Democratic	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ William J. Harris (Democratic) Unopposed
Idaho	William E. Borah	Republican	1907 1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ William E. Borah (Republican) 79.5% Frank Martin (Democratic) 20.1%
Illinois	Medill McCormick	Republican	1918	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican hold. Incumbent then died and winner was appointed to finish the current term.	√ Charles S. Deneen (Republican) 63.5% Albert A. Sprague (Democratic) 35.4%
Iowa	Smith W. Brookhart	Republican	1918	Incumbent re-elected. Election was later successfully challenged after the new senator had been seated.^[2]	√ Smith W. Brookhart (Republican) 50.0% Daniel F. Steck (Democratic) 49.9%
Kansas	Arthur Capper	Republican	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Arthur Capper (Republican) 70.1% James Malone (Democratic) 25.2%
Kentucky	Augustus O. Stanley	Democratic	1918	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ Frederic M. Sackett (Republican) 48.4% Augustus O. Stanley (Democratic) 51.6%
Louisiana	Joseph E. Ransdell	Democratic	1912 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Joseph E. Ransdell (Democratic) Unopposed
Maine	Bert M. Fernald	Republican	1916 (Special) 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Bert M. Fernald (Republican) 60.4% Fulton J. Redman (Democratic) 28.2%
Massachusetts	David I. Walsh	Democratic	1918	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ Frederick H. Gillett (Republican) 50.3% David I. Walsh (Democratic) 48.6%
Michigan	James Couzens	Republican	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ James Couzens (Republican) 74.3% Mortimer E. Cooley (Democratic) 24.6%
Minnesota	Magnus Johnson	Farmer–Labor	1923 (Special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ Thomas D. Schall (Republican) 46.5% Magnus Johnson (Farmer–Labor) 45.5% John J. Farrell (Democratic) 6.4%
Mississippi	Pat Harrison	Democratic	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Pat Harrison (Democratic) Unopposed
Montana	Thomas J. Walsh	Democratic	1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Thomas J. Walsh (Democratic) 52.8% Frank B. Linderman (Republican) 42.4%
Nebraska	George W. Norris	Republican	1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ George W. Norris (Republican) 62.4% J. J. Thomas (Democratic) 37.6%
New Hampshire	Henry W. Keyes	Republican	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Henry W. Keyes (Republican) 59.8% George E. Farrand (Democratic) 40.2%
New Jersey	Walter E. Edge	Republican	1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Walter E. Edge (Republican) 61.8% Frederick W. Donnelly (Democratic) 33.7%
New Mexico	Holm O. Bursum	Republican	1921 (Appointed) 1921 (Special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	√ Sam G. Bratton (Democratic) 49.9% Holm O. Bursum (Republican) 47.4%
North Carolina	Furnifold M. Simmons	Democratic	1901 1907 1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Furnifold M. Simmons (Democratic) 61.6% A. A. Whitener (Republican) 38.5%
Oklahoma	Robert L. Owen	Democratic	1907 1913 1918	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ William B. Pine (Republican) 61.6% John C. Walton (Democratic) 35.4%
Oregon	Charles L. McNary	Republican	1917 (Appointed) 1918 (Not elected) 1918 (Appointed) 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Charles L. McNary (Republican) 66.0% Milton A. Miller (Democratic) 24.7% F. E. Coulter (Progressive) 7.7%
Rhode Island	LeBaron B. Colt	Republican	1913 1918	Incumbent died August 18, 1924. New senator elected. Republican hold. Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above.	√ Jesse H. Metcalf (Republican) 57.6% William S. Flynn (Democratic) 41.8%
South Carolina	Nathaniel B. Dial	Democratic	1918	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Coleman L. Blease (Democratic) Unopposed
South Dakota	Thomas Sterling	Republican	1913 1918	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ William H. McMaster (Republican) 45.4% U. S. G. Cherry (Democratic) 33.1% Tom Ayres (Farmer–Labor) 12.1% George Egan (Independent) 7.2%
Tennessee	John K. Shields	Democratic	1913 1918	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Lawrence D. Tyson (Democratic) 57.3% H. B. Lindsay (Republican) 42.6%
Texas	Morris Sheppard	Democratic	1913 (Special) 1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Morris Sheppard (Democratic) 85.4% T. M. Kennerly (Republican) 14.6%
Virginia	Carter Glass	Democratic	1920 1920 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Carter Glass (Democratic) 73.1% W. N. Noak (Republican) 24.2%
West Virginia	Davis Elkins	Republican	1911 (Appointed) 1911 (Retired) 1918	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ Guy D. Goff (Republican) 50.9% William E. Chilton (Democratic) 47.7%
Wyoming	Francis E. Warren	Republican	1895 1901 1907 1913 1918	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Francis E. Warren (Republican) 55.2% Robert R. Rose (Democratic) 44.8%

Elections during the 69th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated after March 4, 1925.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Wisconsin (Class 3)	Robert M. La Follette Sr.	Republican	1905 1911 1916 1920	Incumbent died June 18, 1925. New senator elected September 29, 1925. Republican hold.	√ Robert M. La Follette Jr. (Republican) 67.6% Edward F. Dithmar (Republican) 26.0% John M. Work (Socialist) 3.2% William G. Bruce (Independent Democratic) 3.1%

References

^ ^a ^b There was a general election September 8, 1924 in Maine, as well as special elections in November 1924, December 1924 and September 1925.
^ This is the only time a Senate election has been overturned after one candidate had already been seated.^{[citation needed]}

[Dates-1] There was a general election September 8, 1924 in Maine, as well as special elections in November 1924, December 1924 and September 1925.

[2] This is the only time a Senate election has been overturned after one candidate had already been seated.^{[citation needed]}

[1]

[2]