1960 United States Senate elections
Appearance
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35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Republican hold Republican gain Democratic hold Democratic gain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The U.S. Senate elections of 1960 coincided with the election of John F. Kennedy as president. The Republicans gained one seat at the expense of the Democrats. The Democrats nonetheless retained a commanding lead in the Senate with 64 seats to 36. As Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson was elected Vice President, Mike Mansfield became the new Majority Leader.
Change in Senate composition
Senate composition before the elections
D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 |
D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 |
D30 | D29 | D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 |
D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38 | D39 | D40 |
D50 | D49 | D48 | D47 | D46 | D45 | D44 | D43 | D42 | D41 |
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D51 | ← Majority | ||||||||
D52 | D53 | D54 | D55 | D56 | D57 | D58 | D59 | D60 | |
R31 | R32 | R33 | R34 | R35 | D65 | D64 | D63 | D62 | D61 |
R30 | R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 | R25 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 |
R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 |
R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
Senate composition as a result of the elections
D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 |
D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 |
D30 | D29 | D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 |
D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38 | D39 | D40 |
D50√ | D49√ | D48√ | D47√ | D46√ | D45√ | D44√ | D43√ | D42 | D41 |
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D51√ | ← Majority | ||||||||
D52√ | D53√ | D54√ | D55√ | D56√ | D57√ | D58√ | D59√ | D60√ | |
R31√ | R32√ | R33√ | R34O | R35+ | R36+ | D64+ | D63O | D62O | D61O |
R30√ | R29√ | R28√ | R27√ | R26√ | R25√ | R24√ | R23 | R22 | R21 |
R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 |
R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
Senate composition at the beginning of the next Congress
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Retirements
Democratic seats held by Democrats
- Montana: James E. Murray (D) was replaced by Lee Metcalf (D)
- Oregon: Hall S. Lusk (D) was replaced by Maurine B. Neuberger (D)
- Rhode Island: Theodore F. Green (D) was replaced by Claiborne Pell (D)
Democrats replaced by Republicans
- Wyoming: Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D) was replaced by Edwin Keith Thomson (R). But Thomson died before the Congress began and was then replaced by a Democratic appointee.
Republican seats held by Republicans
- Iowa: Thomas E. Martin (R) was replaced by Jack Miller (R)
Republicans replaced by Democrats
- North Dakota (Class 1): Clarence N. Brunsdale (R) was replaced by Quentin N. Burdick (D)
Losing incumbents
Democrats lost to Republicans
- Delaware: J. Allen Frear, Jr. (D) lost to J. Caleb Boggs (R)
Other changes
The Republicans' net gain of one seat was eliminated after the election.
- Wyoming: Senator-elect Keith Thomson (R) died December 9, 1960, and was replaced by appointee John J. Hickey (D) at the beginning of the Congress.
Subsequent changes
The Republicans gained one seat during the next Congress.
- Texas: Two-term Incumbent Lyndon Johnson (D) had been re-elected, but he resigned January 3, 1961 at the beginning of the term to become U.S. Vice President.
- William A. Blakley (D) was appointed January 3, 1961 to begin and to continue the term.
- John Tower (R) was elected June 14, 1961 to finish the term.
Complete list of races
State | Incumbent Senator | Incumbent party | Result | Candidates |
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Alabama | John Sparkman | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ John Sparkman (Democratic) 70.2% Julian Elgin (Republican) 29.8% |
Alaska | Bob Bartlett | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Bob Bartlett (Democratic) 63.4% Lee L. McKinley (Republican) 36.6% |
Arkansas | John L. McClellan | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ John L. McClellan (Democratic) Unopposed |
Colorado | Gordon Allott | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Gordon Allott (Republican) 53.5% Robert L. Knous (Democratic) 46.0% |
Delaware | J. Allen Frear, Jr. | Democratic | Lost re-election Republican gain. |
√ J. Caleb Boggs (Republican) 50.7% J. Allen Frear, Jr. (Democratic) 49.3% |
Georgia | Richard Russell, Jr. | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Richard Russell, Jr. (Democratic) Unopposed |
Idaho | Henry C. Dworshak | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Henry C. Dworshak (Republican) 52.3% R. F. Bob McLaughlin (Democratic) 47.7% |
Illinois | Paul Douglas | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Paul Douglas (Democratic) 54.6% Samuel W. Witwer (Republican) 45.2% |
Iowa | Thomas E. Martin | Republican | Retired Republican hold. |
√ Jack Miller (Republican) 51.9% Herschel C. Loveless (Democratic) 48.1% |
Kansas | Andrew F. Schoeppel | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Andrew F. Schoeppel (Republican) 54.6% Frank Theis (Democratic) 43.8% |
Kentucky | John S. Cooper | Republican | Re-elected. | √ John S. Cooper (Republican) 59.2% Keen Johnson (Democratic) 40.8% |
Louisiana | Allen J. Ellender | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Allen J. Ellender (Democratic) 79.8% George W. Reese, Jr. (Republican) 20.2% |
Maine | Margaret Chase Smith | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Margaret Chase Smith (Republican) 61.7% Lucia M. Cormier (Democratic) 38.4% |
Massachusetts | Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 56.2% Thomas J. O'Connor, Jr. (Democratic) 43.5% |
Michigan | Patrick V. McNamara | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Patrick V. McNamara (Democratic) 51.7% Alvin M. Bentley (Republican) 48.0% |
Minnesota | Hubert Humphrey | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Hubert Humphrey (Democratic) 57.5% P. Kenneth Peterson (Republican) 42.2% |
Mississippi | James O. Eastland | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ James O. Eastland (Democratic) 91.8% Joe A. Moore (Republican) 8.2% |
Missouri Special: Class 3 |
Edward V. Long | Democratic | Appointee elected to finish term ending January 3, 1963. | √ Edward V. Long (Democratic) 53.2% Lon Hocker (Republican) 46.8% |
Montana | James E. Murray | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold. |
√ Lee Metcalf (Democratic) 50.7% Orvin B. Fjare (Republican) 49.3% |
Nebraska | Carl T. Curtis | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Carl T. Curtis (Republican) 58.9% Robert B. Conrad (Democratic) 41.1% |
New Hampshire | Styles Bridges | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Styles Bridges (Republican) 60.4% Herbert W. Hill (Democratic) 39.7% |
New Jersey | Clifford P. Case | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Clifford P. Case (Republican) 55.7% Thorn Lord (Democratic) 43.2% |
New Mexico | Clinton P. Anderson | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Clinton P. Anderson (Democratic) 63.4% William Colwes (Republican) 36.6% |
North Carolina | B. Everett Jordan | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ B. Everett Jordan (Democratic) 61.4% Kyle Hayes (Republican) 38.6% |
North Dakota Special: Class 1 |
Clarence N. Brunsdale | Republican | Appointee retired Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1965 Democratic gain. |
√ Quentin N. Burdick (Democratic) 49.7% John E. Davis (Republican) 49.2% |
Oklahoma | Robert S. Kerr | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 54.8% B. Hayden Crawford (Republican) 44.6% |
Oregon | Hall S. Lusk | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold. |
√ Maurine B. Neuberger (Democratic) 54.6% Elmo Smith (Republican) 45.4% |
Rhode Island | Theodore F. Green | Democratic | Retired Democratic hold. |
√ Claiborne Pell (Democratic) 68.9% Raoul Archambault (Republican) 31.1% |
South Carolina | Strom Thurmond | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Strom Thurmond (Democratic) Unopposed |
South Dakota | Karl E. Mundt | Republican | Re-elected. | √ Karl E. Mundt (Republican) 52.4% George S. McGovern (Democratic) 47.6% |
Tennessee | Estes Kefauver | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Estes Kefauver (Democratic) 71.8% A. Bradley Frazier (Republican) 28.3% |
Texas | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) 58.0% John G. Tower (Republican) 41.1% Bard A. Logan (Constitution) 0.9% |
Virginia | A. Willis Robertson | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ A. Willis Robertson (Democratic) 81.3% Stuart D. Baker (Independent) 14.2% |
West Virginia | Jennings Randolph | Democratic | Re-elected. | √ Jennings Randolph (Democratic) 55.3% Cecil H. Underwood (Republican) 44.7% |
Wyoming | Joseph C. O'Mahoney | Democratic | Retired Republican gain. Winner then died before the Congress began and was replaced by a Democratic appointee. |
√ Edwin Keith Thomson (Republican) 56.4% Raymond B. Whitaker (Democratic) 43.6% |