1944 United States Senate elections
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32 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Results including special elections Democratic gain Republican gain Democratic hold Republican hold | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1944 coincided with the re-election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to his fourth term as President. The Democrats' large majority remained the same, but they lost one seat to the Republicans in a special election.
Incumbents defeated
Democrats defeated three Republican incumbents:
Republicans defeated one Democratic incumbent:
Retirements
Republicans took three open seats:
- Indiana
- Missouri
- New Jersey (where a Democrat had been appointed to a Republican vacancy).
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
At the beginning of 1944.
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 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D39 Ran |
D40 Ran |
D41 Ran |
D42 Ran |
D43 Ran |
D44 Ran |
D45 Ran |
D46 Ran |
D47 Ran |
D48 Ran |
Majority → | D49 Ran | ||||||||
D58 Retired |
D57 Retired |
D56 Retired |
D55 Ran |
D54 Ran |
D53 Ran |
D52 Ran |
D51 Ran |
D50 Ran | |
P1 | R37 Ran |
R36 Ran |
R35 Ran |
R34 Ran |
R33 Ran |
R32 Ran |
R31 Ran |
R30 Ran |
R29 Ran |
R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 Ran |
R28 Ran |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
Result of the general 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 Re-elected |
D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D39 Re-elected |
D40 Re-elected |
D41 Re-elected |
D42 Re-elected |
D43 Re-elected |
D44 Re-elected |
D45 Re-elected |
D46 Re-elected |
D47 Re-elected |
D48 Re-elected |
Majority → | D49 Re-elected | ||||||||
D58 Gain |
D57 Gain |
D56 Gain |
D55 Hold |
D54 Hold |
D53 Hold |
D52 Hold |
D51 Hold |
D50 Re-elected | |
P1 | R37 Gain |
R36 Gain |
R35 Gain |
R34 Hold |
R33 Re-elected |
R32 Re-elected |
R31 Re-elected |
R30 Re-elected |
R29 Re-elected |
R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 Re-elected |
R28 Re-elected |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
Result of 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 | D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 | D47 | D48 |
Majority → | D49 | ||||||||
P1 | D57 | D56 | D55 | D54 | D53 | D52 | D51 | D50 | |
R38 Gain |
R37 Gain, same as general |
R36 Hold |
R35 Appointee elected |
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: |
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Race summaries
Special elections during the 78th Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1944 or before January 3, 1945; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Indiana Class 3 |
Samuel D. Jackson | Democratic | 1944 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 7, 1944. Republican gain. Winner did not run for the next term, see below. |
√ William E. Jenner (Republican) 52.1% Henry F. Schricker (Democratic) [?] |
Massachusetts Class 2 |
Sinclair Weeks | Republican | 1944 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 7, 1944. Republican hold. |
√ Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 64.3% John H. Corcoran (Democratic) 34.9% |
New Jersey Class 1 |
Arthur Walsh | Democratic | 1943 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 7, 1944. Republican gain. |
√ H. Alexander Smith (Republican) 50.4% Elmer H. Wene (Democratic) 48.8% |
Oregon Class 2 |
Guy Cordon | Republican | 1944 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected November 7, 1944. | √ Guy Cordon (Republican) 57.5% Willis Mahoney (Democratic) 42.5% |
Races leading to the 79th Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1945; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Alabama | Lister Hill | Democratic | 1938 (Appointed) 1938 (Special) 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Lister Hill (Democratic) 81.8% John A. Posey (Republican) 17.0% |
Arizona | Carl Hayden | Democratic | 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Carl Hayden (Democratic) 69.4% Fred W. Fickett (Republican) 30.6% |
Arkansas | Hattie W. Caraway | Democratic | 1931 (Appointed) 1932 (Special) 1932 1938 |
Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
√ J. William Fulbright (Democratic) 85.1% Victor M. Wade (Republican) 14.9% |
California | Sheridan Downey | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Sheridan Downey (Democratic) 52.3% Frederick F. Houser (Republican) 47.7% |
Colorado | Eugene D. Millikin | Republican | 1941 (Appointed) 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Eugene D. Millikin (Republican) 56.1% Barney L. Whatley (Democratic) 43.0% |
Connecticut | John A. Danaher | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Brien McMahon (Democratic) 51.7% John A. Danaher (Republican) 47.3% |
Florida | Claude Pepper | Democratic | 1936 (Special) 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Claude Pepper (Democratic) 71.3% Miles H. Draper (Republican) 28.7% |
Georgia | Walter F. George | Democratic | 1922 (Special) 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Walter F. George (Democratic) Unopposed |
Idaho | D. Worth Clark | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
√ Glen H. Taylor (Democratic) 51.1% C. A. Bottolfsen (Republican) 48.9% |
Illinois | Scott W. Lucas | Democratic | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Scott W. Lucas (Democratic) 52.6% Richard J. Lyons (Republican) 47.1% |
Indiana | Samuel D. Jackson | Democratic | 1944 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected. Republican gain. Winner did not run to finish the term, see above. |
√ Homer E. Capehart (Republican) 50.2% Henry F. Schricker (Democratic) 48.9% |
Iowa | Guy M. Gillette | Democratic | 1936 (Special) 1938 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. |
√ Bourke B. Hickenlooper (Republican) 51.3% Guy M. Gillette (Democratic) 48.4% |
Kansas | Clyde M. Reed | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Clyde M. Reed (Republican) 57.8% Thurman Hill (Democratic) 40.7% |
Kentucky | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic | 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Alben W. Barkley (Democratic) 54.8% James Park (Republican) 44.9% |
Louisiana | John H. Overton | Democratic | 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ John H. Overton (Democratic) Unopposed |
Maryland | Millard E. Tydings | Democratic | 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Millard E. Tydings (Democratic) 61.7% Blanchard Randall, Jr. (Republican) 38.3% |
Missouri | Bennett Champ Clark | Democratic | 1932 1933 (Appointed) 1938 |
Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican gain. |
√ Forrest C. Donnell (Republican) 50.0% Roy McKittrick (Democratic) 49.9% |
Nevada | Patrick A. McCarran | Democratic | 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Patrick A. McCarran (Democratic) 58.4% George W. Malone (Republican) 41.6% |
New Hampshire | Charles W. Tobey | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Charles W. Tobey (Republican) 50.9% Joseph J. Betley (Democratic) 49.1% |
New York | Robert F. Wagner | Democratic | 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Robert F. Wagner (Democratic) 53.1% Thomas J. Curran (Republican) 46.7% |
North Carolina | Robert R. Reynolds | Democratic | 1932 1932 (Special) 1938 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
√ Clyde R. Hoey (Democratic) 70.3% A. I. Ferree (Republican) 29.8% |
North Dakota | Gerald P. Nye | Republican | 1925 (Appointed) 1926 (Special) 1932 1938 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ John Moses (Democratic) 45.2% Gerald P. Nye (Republican) 33.0% Lynn U. Stambaugh (Independent) 21.2% |
Ohio | Robert A. Taft | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Robert A. Taft (Republican) 50.3% William G. Pickrel (Democratic) 49.7% |
Oklahoma | Elmer Thomas | Democratic | 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Elmer Thomas (Democratic) 55.7% William J. Otjen (Republican) 44.0% |
Oregon | Rufus C. Holman | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican hold. |
√ Wayne Morse (Republican) 60.7% Edgar W. Smith (Democratic) 39.3% |
Pennsylvania | James J. Davis | Republican | 1930 (Special) 1932 1938 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Francis J. Myers (Democratic) 50.0% James J. Davis (Republican) 49.4% |
South Carolina | Ellison D. Smith | Democratic | 1909 1914 1920 1926 1932 1938 |
Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. Incumbent died November 17, 1944. Different senator appointed just to finish the term. |
√ Olin D. Johnston (Democratic) 93.0% James B. Gaston (Republican) 3.7% Osceola E. McKaine (Progressive Democratic) 3.2% |
South Dakota | Chandler Gurney | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Chandler Gurney (Republican) 63.9% George M. Bradshaw (Democratic) 36.1% |
Utah | Elbert D. Thomas | Democratic | 1932 1938 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Elbert D. Thomas (Democratic) 59.9% Adam S. Bennion (Republican) 40.1% |
Vermont | George D. Aiken | Republican | 1940 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ George D. Aiken (Republican) 65.8% Harry W. Witters (Democratic) 34.2% |
Washington | Homer Bone | Democratic | 1932 1938 |
Incumbent retired to become Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. New senator elected. Democratic hold. Incumbent resigned November 13, 1944 and winner was appointed December 14, 1944 to the finish term. |
√ Warren G. Magnuson (Democratic) 55.1% Harry P. Cain (Republican) 44.4% Ray C. Roberts (Socialist) 0.2% Josephine B. Sulston (Prohibition) 0.2% |
Wisconsin | Alexander Wiley | Republican | 1938 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Alexander Wiley (Republican) 50.5% Howard J. McMurray (Democratic) 42.8% Harry Sauthoff (Progressive) 5.8% |
Arizona
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl T. Hayden | 90,335 | 69.37% | ||
Republican | Fred Wildon Fickett, Jr. | 39,891 | 30.63% | ||
Majority | 50,444 | 38.74% | |||
Turnout | 130,226 | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican | Swing |
Massachusetts
Incumbent U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. resigned February 3, 1944 to return to active duty in the U.S. Army during World War II. Republican Sinclair Weeks was appointed February 8, 1944 to continue the term until an election was held. A special election was held on November 7, 1944 with Republican Massachusetts Governor Leverett Saltonstall defeating his challengers. He didn't take office until January 4, 1945, when his term as Governor ended.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Leverett Saltonstall | 1,228,754 | 64.29% | +11.85% | |
Democratic | John H. Corcoran | 667,086 | 34.90% | −11.71% | |
Socialist Labor | Bernard G. Kelly | 12,296 | 0.64% | +0.29% | |
Prohibition | E. Tallmadge Root | 3,269 | 0.17% | −0.09% |
New York
The Socialist Labor state convention met on April 2 at the Cornish Arms Hotel, the corner of Eighth Avenue and Twenty-eighth Street, in New York City. They nominated Eric Hass for the U.S. Senate.[2] At that time, the party used the name "Industrial Government Party" on the ballot, but was also referred to as the "Industrial Labor Party".
The Liberal Party was organized by a state convention with about 1,100 delegates who met on May 19 and 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. They endorsed the incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert F. Wagner for re-election.[3] The party filed a petition to nominate candidates which was allowed by Secretary of State Curran on August 25.[4]
The Republican State Committee met on August 8 at Albany, New York. They nominated Secretary of State Thomas J. Curran for the U.S. Senate.[5]
The Democratic State Committee met on August 8 at the National Democratic Club at 233, Madison Avenue in New York City. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Robert F. Wagner.[6]
The American Labor state convention met on August 10. They endorsed the Democratic nominee Wagner.[7]
The Democratic/American Labor/Liberal ticket was elected and incumbent Wagner was re-elected.
Democratic | Robert F. Wagner | 2,485,735 |
Republican | Thomas J. Curran | 2,899,497 |
American Labor | Robert F. Wagner | 483,785 |
Liberal | Robert F. Wagner | 325,056 |
Industrial Government | Eric Hass | 15,244 |
Pennsylvania
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Francis J. Myers | 1,864,622 | 49.99% | ||
Republican | James J. Davis (incumbent) | 1,840,938 | 49.35% | ||
Socialist | J. Henry Stump | 14,129 | 0.38% | ||
Prohibition | Charles Palmer | 8,599 | 0.23% | ||
Socialist Labor | Frank Knotek | 1,989 | 0.05% |
South Carolina
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Olin D. Johnston | 94,556 | 93.0 | −5.9 | |
Republican | James B. Gaston | 3,807 | 3.7 | N/A | |
Progressive Democratic | Osceola E. McKaine | 3,214 | 3.2 | +3.2 | |
Republican (Tolbert) | B.L. Hendrix | 141 | 0.1 | N/A | |
No party | Write-Ins | 18 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 90,749 | 89.3 | −8.5 | ||
Turnout | 101,736 | ||||
Democratic hold |
Vermont
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Aiken (inc.) | 81,094 | 61.6% | ||
Democratic | Harry W. Witters | 42,136 | 34.2% | ||
Total votes | '123,230' | '100.0%' |
See also
References
- ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3299
- ^ "2 CANDIDATES NAMED BY SOCIALIST LABOR". The New York Times. April 3, 1944.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "LIBERAL PARTY WINS; Curran Overrules Objections by O'Connor to Petitions". The New York Times. August 26, 1944.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "CURRAN IS NAMED". The New York Times. August 9, 1944.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "DEMOCRATS NAME WAGNER AND DYE". The New York Times. August 9, 1944.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "ROOSEVELT NAMED AT ALP CONVENTION; Wagner, Also Renominated". The New York Times. August 11, 1944.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 7, 1944" (PDF). Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
- ^ "General Election Results - U.S. Senator - 1914-2014" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved June 17, 2015.