1962 United States Senate elections
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39 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 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, 1962 was an election for the United States Senate which was held in the middle of President John F. Kennedy's term. His Democratic Party made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans, increasing their control of the Senate.
Both Republican-held senate seats in New Hampshire were up on election day due to a special election. The appointee lost election to a full term to the Democratic challenger while the incumbent Republican was reelected. As such, this is the last time that one of a state's two senate seats, both up on election day, that were held by the same party changed parties.
Retirements
Through open seats due to retirements, Democrats gained two seats.
Democratic seats held by Democrats
- Hawaii: Oren E. Long (D) was replaced by Daniel Inouye (D).
- Massachusetts (Class 1): Appointee Benjamin A. Smith (D) was replaced by Ted Kennedy (D) for the last two years of the term President Kennedy was elected to in 1958
Republicans replaced by Democrats
- Connecticut: Prescott Bush (R) was replaced by Abraham Ribicoff (D)
- Maryland: John M. Butler (R) was replaced by Daniel B. Brewster (D)
Losing incumbents
Democrats had a net gain of two seats in election upsets.
Democrats lost to Republicans
- Colorado : John A. Carroll (D) lost to Peter H. Dominick (R)
- Wyoming (Class 2): Appointee John J. Hickey (D) lost to Milward Simpson (R)
Republicans lost to Democrats
- Indiana: Homer E. Capehart (R) lost to Birch Bayh (D)
- New Hampshire (Class 2): Appointee Maurice J. Murphy, Jr. (R) lost renomination to Perkins Bass (R). Bass lost the general election to Thomas J. McIntyre (D).
- South Dakota: Appointee Joseph H. Bottum (R) lost to George S. McGovern (D)
- Wisconsin: Alexander Wiley (R) lost to Gaylord Nelson (D)
Other changes
The Democrats' four-seat net gain was reduced by one seat between the election and the next Congress.
- New Mexico: On November 18, 1962, Democrat Dennis Chavez, who was not up for election that year, died. He was replaced on November 30, 1962 by Republican appointee Edwin L. Mechem.
Subsequent changes
- September 16, 1964: South Carolina — Strom Thurmond switched parties from Democratic to Republican.
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 |
D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 | D30 |
D40 | D39 | D38 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 |
D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 Ran |
D47 Ran |
D48 Ran |
D49 Ran |
D50 Ran |
Majority → | D51 Ran | ||||||||
D60 Ran |
D59 Ran |
D58 Ran |
D57 Ran |
D56 Ran |
D55 Ran |
D54 Ran |
D53 Ran |
D52 Ran | |
D61 Ran |
D62 Ran |
D63 Ran |
D64 Retired |
R36 Retired |
R35 Retired |
R34 Ran |
R33 Ran |
R32 Ran |
R31 Ran |
R21 | R22 Ran |
R23 Ran |
R24 Ran |
R25 Ran |
R26 Ran |
R27 Ran |
R28 Ran |
R29 Ran |
R30 Ran |
R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
After the general elections
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 |
D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 | D30 |
D40 | D39 | D38 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 |
D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 Re-elected |
D47 Re-elected |
D48 Re-elected |
D49 Re-elected |
D50 Re-elected |
Majority → | D51 Re-elected | ||||||||
D60 Re-elected |
D59 Re-elected |
D58 Re-elected |
D57 Re-elected |
D56 Re-elected |
D55 Re-elected |
D54 Re-elected |
D53 Re-elected |
D52 Re-elected | |
D61 Re-elected |
D62 Re-elected |
D63 Hold |
D64 Gain |
D65 Gain |
D66 Gain |
D67 Gain |
D68 Gain |
R32 Gain |
R31 Re-elected |
R21 | R22 Re-elected |
R23 Re-elected |
R24 Re-elected |
R25 Re-elected |
R26 Re-elected |
R27 Re-elected |
R28 Re-elected |
R29 Re-elected |
R30 Re-elected |
R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
After the special elections
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 |
D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 | D30 |
D40 | D39 | D38 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 |
D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 | D47 | D48 | D49 | D50 |
Majority → | D51 | ||||||||
D60 | D59 | D58 | D57 | D56 | D55 | D54 | D53 | D52 | |
D61 | D62 | D63 | D64 | D65 | D66 | D67 Hold |
D68 Gain |
R32 Gain |
R31 Appointee elected |
R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 | R29 | R30 Appointee elected |
R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
Beginning of the next Congress
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 |
D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 | D30 |
D40 | D39 | D38 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 |
D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 | D47 | D48 | D49 | D50 |
Majority → | D51 | ||||||||
D60 | D59 | D58 | D57 | D56 | D55 | D54 | D53 | D52 | |
D61 | D62 | D63 | D64 | D65 | V1 D delayed |
V2 D died |
R33 Gain |
R32 | R31 |
R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 | R29 | R30 |
R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
Key: |
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Race summaries
Special elections during the 87th Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1962 or before January 3, 1963; ordered by election date, then state.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Idaho (Class 2) |
Len Jordan | Republican | 1962 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected November 6, 1962. | √ Len Jordan (Republican) 51.0% Gracie Pfost (Democratic) 49.0% |
Kansas (Class 2) |
James B. Pearson | Republican | 1962 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected November 6, 1962. | √ James B. Pearson (Republican) 56.2% Paul L. Aylward (Democratic) 42.5% |
Massachusetts (Class 1) |
Benjamin A. Smith | Democratic | 1960 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 6, 1962. Democratic hold |
√ Ted Kennedy (Democratic) 55.4% George C. Lodge (Republican) 41.9% |
New Hampshire (Class 2) |
Maurice J. Murphy Jr. | Republican | 1962 (Appointed) | Interim appointee lost nomination. New senator elected November 6, 1962. Democratic gain |
√ Thomas J. McIntyre (Democratic) 52.3% Perkins Bass (Republican) 47.7% |
Wyoming (Class 2) |
John J. Hickey | Democratic | 1961 (Appointed) | Interim appointee lost election. New senator elected November 6, 1962. Republican gain |
√ Milward L. Simpson (Republican) 57.8% John J. Hickey (Democratic) 42.2% |
Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1963; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
North Dakota
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Incumbent Republican Milton Young was re-elected to his fourth term, defeating North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate William Lanier[1] of Fargo.[2] Only Young filed as a Republican, and the endorsed Democratic candidate was Lanier, who had previously faced Young in a special election held in 1946 to fill the seat which was vacated by the late John Moses. Young and Lanier won the primary elections for their respective parties. No independents ran.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Milton R. Young | 135,705 | 60.65% | |
Democratic | William Lanier | 88,032 | 39.35% | |
Turnout | 223,737 |
Oregon
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![]() County Results | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic incumbent Wayne Morse was re-elected to a fourth term. He defeated Republican candidate Sig Unander in the general election.[3]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Wayne Morse (Incumbent) | 344,716 | 54.15% | |
Republican | Sig Unander | 291,587 | 45.81% | |
None | write-ins | 253 | 0.04% | |
Total votes | 636,556 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic hold |
South Carolina
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Olin_D._Johnston%2C_seated_portrait.jpg/220px-Olin_D._Johnston%2C_seated_portrait.jpg)
Incumbent Democratic Senator Olin D. Johnston defeated Governor Fritz Hollings in the Democratic primary and Republican W. D. Workman, Jr. in the general election. The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary on June 12, 1962. Olin D. Johnston, the incumbent Senator, faced stiff competition from Governor Fritz Hollings who argued that Johnston was too liberal and not representative of South Carolina interests. Johnston merely told the voters that he was doing what he thought was best for the agriculture and textile workers of the state. Hollings was decisively defeated by Johnston because Johnston used his position as Post Office and Civil Service Committee to build 40 new post offices in the state and thus demonstrate the pull he had in Washington to bring home the bacon.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Olin D. Johnston | 216,918 | 66.3 | |
Democratic | Fritz Hollings | 110,023 | 33.7 |
W. D. Workman, Jr., a correspondent for the News and Courier, faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.
Both Johnston and Workman supported segregation, so the campaign centered on the economic issues of the state. Workman tried to persuade the voters that Johnston's policies were socialist and that he was too closely aligned with the Kennedy administration. Johnston was a consistent supporter of socialized health care proposals and Workman was able to win considerable support from the medical establishment. However, the state's citizens were much poorer than that of the rest of the nation and Johnston's class based appeals made him a very popular figure for the downtrodden of both the white and black races. The competitive nature of this race foresaw the eventual rise of the Republican Party and that South Carolinians were growing increasingly suspicious of policies generated at the federal level.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Democratic | Olin D. Johnston | 178,712 | 57.2 | −25.0 | |
Republican | W. D. Workman, Jr. | 133,930 | 42.8 | +25.0 | |
No party | Write-Ins | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 44,782 | 14.4 | −50.0 | ||
Turnout | 312,647 | 46.9 | +8.8 | ||
Democratic hold | Swing |
Wisconsin
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Incumbent Republican Alexander Wiley lost to Democrat Gaylord A. Nelson.[4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Gaylord A. Nelson | 662,342 | 52.26% | |
Republican | Alexander Wiley (Incumbent) | 594,846 | 47.21% | |
Independent | William O. Hart | 1,428 | 0.11% | |
Socialist Labor | Georgia Cozzini | 1,096 | 0.09% | |
Socialist Workers | Wayne Leverenz | 368 | 0.03% | |
Democratic gain from Republican |
See also
Notes
- ^ Lanier is not to be confused with former North Dakota Governor William Langer.
- ^ http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1962election.pdf
- ^ a b http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=40155
- ^ a b "WI US Senate Race - Nov 06, 1962". Our Campaigns.
References
- "Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of South Carolina to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume II. Columbia, SC: 1963, p. 6.
- Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. p. 83.
- Kalk, Bruce H. (2001). The Origins of the Southern Strategy: Two-Party Competition in South. Lexington Books. pp. 56–61.
- "Veteran's Viciory". Time. June 22, 1962. Retrieved February 9, 2008.