1950 United States Senate elections

United States Senate elections, 1950

November 7, 1950
36 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Ernest McFarland Ken Wherry Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Arizona Nebraska Last election 54 seats 42 seats Seats won 49 47 Seat change 5 5 Popular vote 15,297,854 16,166,439 Percentage 47.2% 49.9% Swing 9.0% 7.3%
Republican holds   Republican gains   Democratic holds   Democratic gains
Majority Leader before election Scott Lucas Democratic Elected Majority Leader Ernest McFarland Democratic

The United States Senate election of 1950 occurred in the middle of Harry Truman's second term as President. As with most 20th-century second-term mid-terms, the party out of the Presidency made significant gains. The Republican opposition made a net gain of five seats, taking advantage of the Democratic administration's declining popularity during the Cold War and the aftermath of the Recession of 1949. The Democrats held a narrow 49 to 47 seat majority after the election. This became the first time since 1932 that the Senate Majority Leader lost his seat.

Change in Senate composition

Senate composition before the elections

D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D9	D10	D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18
D28	D27	D26	D25	D24	D23	D22	D21	D20	D19
D29	D30	D31	D32	D33	D34	D35	D36	D37	D38
D48	D47	D46	D45	D44	D43	D42	D41	D40	D39
D49	← Majority
	D50	D51	D52	D53	D54	R42	R41	R40	R39
R29	R30	R31	R32	R33	R34	R35	R36	R37	R38
R28	R27	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21	R20	R19
R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18
R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

Senate composition as a result of the elections

D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D9	D10	D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18
D28	D27	D26	D25	D24	D23	D22	D21	D20	D19
D29	D30	D31	D32√	D33√	D34√	D35√	D36√	D37√	D38√
D48O	D47O	D46O	D45O	D44O	D43√	D42√	D41√	D40√	D39√
D49+	← Majority
	R47+	R46+	R45+	R44+	R43+	R42+	R41O	R40O	R39√
R29	R30√	R31√	R32√	R33√	R34√	R35√	R36√	R37√	R38√
R28	R27	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21	R20	R19
R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18
R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

Key:	D Democratic R Republican		√ Incumbent re-elected or appointee elected to finish term O Party hold: New senator elected from same party + Party gain: New senator elected from different party

Gains and losses

The Republicans defeated four incumbent Democrats:

1. Illinois: Democrat Scott W. Lucas (the incumbent Majority Leader), lost to Everett Dirksen (R).
2. Maryland: Millard Tydings (D) lost to John M. Butler (R).
3. Pennsylvania: Francis J. Myers (D) lost to James H. Duff (R).
4. Utah: Elbert B. Thomas (D) lost to Wallace F. Bennett (R).

Ticket to a victory dinner for Richard Nixon at the Wm. Penn Hotel.

Republicans also won two open seats:

1. Idaho: Glen H. Taylor (D) lost renomination to David Worth Clark, who ended up losing the general election to Herman Welker (R).
2. California: Sheridan Downey (D) retired, citing ill health and facing a tough renomination fight against Helen Gahagan Douglas, who ended up losing the general election to Richard Nixon (R).

Democrats defeated one incumbent Republican:

1. Missouri: Forrest C. Donnell (R) lost to Thomas C. Hennings, Jr. (D)

Subsequent changes

During the next Congress, three states would have party changes to deaths and appointments.

1. Kentucky: Virgil Chapman (D) died March 8, 1951.
   • Thomas R. Underwood (D) was appointed March 19, 1951 to continue his term.
   • John S. Cooper (R), then won a special election November 4, 1952 to finish the term. Republican gain.
2. Michigan: Arthur H. Vandenberg (R) died April 18, 1951.
   • Blair Moody (D) was appointed April 23, 1951 to continue his term.
   • Charles E. Potter (R) then won a special election November 4, 1952 to finish the term. Democratic gain, then Republican gain: overall Republican hold.
3. Connecticut: Brien McMahon (D) died July 28, 1952.
   • William A. Purtell (R) was appointed August 29, 1952 to continue his term.
   • Prescott Bush (R), who had lost in this (1950) special election, then won a special election November 4, 1952 to finish the term. Republican gain.

Complete list of races

State	Incumbent	Party	Result	Candidates
Alabama	Lister Hill	Democratic	Re-elected	Lister Hill (Democratic) 76.5% John G. Crommelin, Jr. (Independent) 23.5%
Arizona	Carl Hayden	Democratic	Re-elected	Carl Hayden (Democratic) 62.8% Bruce Brockett (Republican) 37.2%
Arkansas	J. William Fulbright	Democratic	Re-elected	J. William Fulbright Unopposed
California	Sheridan Downey	Democratic	Retired Republican gain	Richard M. Nixon (Republican) 59.2% Helen Gahagan Douglas (Democratic) 40.8%
Colorado	Eugene D. Millikin	Republican	Re-elected	Eugene D. Millikin (Republican) 53.3% John A. Carroll (Democratic) 46.8%
Connecticut	Brien McMahon	Democratic	Re-elected	Brien McMahon (Democratic) 51.7% Joseph E. Talbot (Republican) 46.6%
Connecticut Special (Class 1)	William Benton	Democratic	Appointee elected to finish term Ending January 3rd 1953	William Benton (Democratic) 49.2% Prescott S. Bush (Republican) 49.1%
Florida	Claude Pepper	Democratic	Lost renomination Democratic hold	George A. Smathers (Democratic) 76.2% John P. Booth (Republican) 23.7%
Georgia	Walter F. George	Democratic	Re-elected	Walter F. George Unopposed
Idaho	Glen H. Taylor	Democratic	Lost renomination Republican gain	Herman Welker (Republican) 61.7% D. Worth Clark (Democratic) 38.3%
Idaho Special (Class 2)	Henry C. Dworshak	Republican	Appointee elected to finish termEnding January 3rd 1955	Henry C. Dworshak (Republican) 51.9% Claude J. Burtenshaw (Democratic) 48.1%
Illinois	Scott W. Lucas	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	Everett M. Dirksen (Republican) 53.9% Scott W. Lucas (Democratic) 45.8%
Indiana	Homer E. Capehart	Republican	Re-elected	Homer E. Capehart (Republican) 52.8% Alex M. Campbell (Democratic) 46.4%
Iowa	Bourke B. Hickenlooper	Republican	Re-elected	Bourke B. Hickenlooper (Republican) 54.8% Albert J. Loveland (Democratic) 44.7%
Kansas	Frank Carlson	Republican	Re-elected	Frank Carlson (Republican) 54.3% Paul Aiken (Democratic) 43.8%
Kentucky	Earle C. Clements	Democratic	Re-elected	Earle C. Clements (Democratic) 54.2% Charles I. Dawson (Republican) 45.1%
Louisiana	Russell B. Long	Democratic	Re-elected	Russell B. Long (Democratic) 87.7% Charles S. Gerth (Republican) 12.3%
Maryland	Millard E. Tydings	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	John M. Butler (Republican) 53.0% Millard E. Tydings (Democratic) 46.0%
Missouri	Forrest C. Donnell	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic gain	Thomas C. Hennings, Jr. (Democratic) 53.6% Forrest C. Donnell (Republican) 46.4%
Nevada	Patrick A. McCarran	Democratic	Re-elected	Patrick A. McCarran (Democratic) 58.0% George E. Marshall (Republican) 42.0%
New Hampshire	Charles W. Tobey	Republican	Re-elected	Charles W. Tobey (Republican) 55.7% Emmet J. Kelley (Democratic) 38.0% Wesley Powell (Independent) 6.3%
New York	Herbert H. Lehman	Democratic	Re-elected	Herbert H. Lehman (Democratic) 50.3% Joe R. Hanley (Republican) 45.3%
North Carolina	Clyde R. Hoey	Democratic	Re-elected	Clyde R. Hoey (Democratic) 68.7% Halsey B. Leavitt (Republican) 31.3%
North Carolina Special (Class 2)	Frank Porter Graham	Democratic	Appointee lost nomination to finish term Democratic hold	Willis Smith (Democratic) 67.0% E. L. Gavin (Republican) 32.6%
North Dakota	Milton R. Young	Republican	Re-elected	Milton R. Young (Republican) 67.6% Harry O'Brien (Democratic) 32.4%
Ohio	Robert A. Taft	Republican	Re-elected	Robert A. Taft (Republican) 57.5% Joseph T. Ferguson (Democratic) 42.5%
Oklahoma	Elmer Thomas	Democratic	Lost renomination Democratic hold	A. S. Mike Monroney (Democratic) 54.8% W. H. Bill Alexander (Republican) 45.2%
Oregon	Wayne Morse	Republican	Re-elected	Wayne Morse (Republican) 74.8% Howard Latourette (Democratic) 23.2%
Pennsylvania	Francis J. Myers	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	James H. Duff (Republican) 51.3% Francis J. Myers (Democratic) 47.7%
Rhode Island Special (Class 1)	Edward L. Leahy	Democratic	Appointee retired Winner Elected To Finish Term Ending January 3rd 1953 Democratic hold	John O. Pastore (Democratic) 61.6% Austin T. Levy (Republican) 38.4%
South Carolina	Olin B. Johnston	Democratic	Re-elected	Olin B. Johnston Unopposed
South Dakota	Chandler Gurney	Republican	Lost renomination Republican hold	Francis Case (Republican) 63.9% John A. Engel (Democratic) 36.1%
Utah	Elbert D. Thomas	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	Wallace F. Bennett (Republican) 53.9% Elbert D. Thomas (Democratic) 45.8%
Vermont	George D. Aiken	Republican	Re-elected	George D. Aiken (Republican) 78.0% James E. Bigelow (Democratic) 22.0%
Washington	Warren G. Magnuson	Democratic	Re-elected	Warren G. Magnuson (Democratic) 53.4% Walter Williams (Republican) 46.0%
Wisconsin	Alexander Wiley	Republican	Re-elected	Alexander Wiley (Republican) 53.3% Thomas E. Fairchild (Democratic) 46.2% Edwin Knappe (Socialist) 0.4%

Senate races in 1950

Florida

Democratic incumbent Senator Claude Pepper lost renomination May 2, 1950 to George A. Smathers, who easily won the general election.

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections, 1950