1914 United States Senate elections

November 3, 1914
32 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader John W. Kern[lower-alpha 1] Jacob H. Gallinger[lower-alpha 2] Party Democratic Republican Leader since March 4, 1911 March 4, 1911 Leader's seat Indiana New Hampshire Seats before 53 42 Seats after 56 39 Seat change 3 3 Seats up 17 16 Races won 20 13   Third party   Party Progressive Seats before 1 Seats after 1 Seat change Seats up 0 Races won 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold      No election
Majority conference chairman before election John W. Kern Democratic Elected Majority conference chairman John W. Kern Democratic

The 1914 United States Senate elections, with the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, was the first time that all seats up for election were popularly elected instead of chosen by their state legislatures. And thus it became the first time that they were generally scheduled on Election Day to coincide with the U.S. House elections. The 32 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections in 1914. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. These elections occurred in the middle of Democratic President Woodrow Wilson's first term.

After a series of special elections, Democrats entered the election with a 53–42 majority, which they expanded to 56–39 after the elections.

This was also the first time since the passage of the 17th amendment that the president's party gained Senate seats and lost House seats, something that would be repeated by Democrats in 1962 and 2022, and by Republicans in 1970 and 2018. This was the last time until 2022 that no incumbent senator lost reelection in a general election, with every single incumbent who sought reelection winning in the general, although two would lose their primaries. This was also the first of three times in American history that the opposition party failed to flip any Senate seats, alongside 1934 and 2022.^[1]

Gains, losses, and holds

Change in composition

Summary of races

Closest races

Nineteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Alabama

Democrat Joseph F. Johnston died August 8, 1913. Democrat Henry D. Clayton was appointed August 12, 1913, but his appointment was challenged and withdrawn. Democrat Franklin P. Glass was appointed November 17, 1913, but the Senate refused to seat him.^[36]

Alabama (special)

Alabama special election

May 11, 1914

Nominee Francis S. White Party Democratic Popular vote 102,326 Percentage 99.94%

U.S. senator before election Joseph F. Johnston Democratic Elected U.S. senator Francis S. White Democratic

Democrat Francis S. White was elected May 11, 1914, to finish the current term that would end in 1915.

Alabama special election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Francis S. White	102,326	99.94
		Others	58	0.06
Majority			102,268	99.89
Total votes			102,384	100.00
	Democratic hold

Alabama (regular)

Alabama election

Nominee Oscar Underwood Alex C. Birch Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 163,338 12,320 Percentage 90.20% 6.80%

County results Underwood:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Birch:      40–50%      60–70% Longshore:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Francis S. White Democratic Elected U.S. senator Oscar Underwood Democratic

After White retired, House Majority Leader Oscar Underwood was elected to a new term.

Alabama election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Oscar Underwood	163,338	90.20
	Republican	Alex C. Birch	12,320	6.80
	Progressive	Adolphus P. Longshore	4,263	2.35
	Socialist	S. F. Hinton	1,159	0.64
Majority			151,018	83.40
Total votes			181,080	100.00
	Democratic hold

Arizona

Arizona election

Nominee Marcus A. Smith Don Lorenzo Hubbell Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 25,800 9,183 Percentage 53.23% 18.95%   Nominee Eugene W. Chafin Bert Davis Party Prohibition Socialist Popular vote 7,293 3,582 Percentage 15.05% 7.39%   Nominee J. Bernard Nelson Party Progressive Popular vote 2,608 Percentage 5.38%

County results Smith:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Marcus A. Smith Democratic Elected U.S. senator Marcus A. Smith Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Marcus A. Smith was elected in 1912 with 50% of the vote and sought re-election. Although he easily defeated his primary challenger, he faced a large field of candidates in the general election. State Senator and trader Don Lorenzo Hubbell was the Republican nominee. Third-party candidates included Eugene W. Chafin of the Prohibition Party, who ran for president under the party's nomination, as well as Socialist Bert Davis and Progressive J. Bernard Nelson.

Smith received over half of the vote, defeating each candidate by a wide margin. He was elected to his second term.

Arkansas

Arkansas election

Nominee James P. Clarke Harry H. Myers Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 33,449 11,222 Percentage 74.88% 25.12%

U.S. senator before election James P. Clarke Democratic Elected U.S. senator James P. Clarke Democratic

California

California election

Nominee James Duval Phelan Francis J. Heney Party Democratic Progressive Popular vote 279,896 255,232 Percentage 31.59% 28.81%   Nominee Joseph R. Knowland Ernest Untermann Party Republican Socialist Popular vote 254,159 56,805 Percentage 28.69% 6.41%

County results Phelan:      <40%      40-50%      50-60% Heney:      <40% Knowland:      <40%      40-50%

U.S. senator before election George Clement Perkins Republican Elected U.S. senator James Duval Phelan Democratic

Incumbent Republican George Clement Perkins was first elected in an 1895 special election and was re-elected for three more terms. He did not seek re-election.

U.S. Representative Joseph R. Knowland was the Republican nominee for this seat in 1914. He was challenged by the Democratic nominee, former mayor of San Francisco James Duval Phelan, and the Progressive nominee Francis J. Heney, the former attorney general of the Arizona Territory.

Phelan defeated Heney and Knowland by slim margins and less than a third of the vote.

Colorado

Colorado election

Nominee Charles S. Thomas Hubert Work Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 102,037 98,728 Percentage 40.30% 38.99%   Nominee Benjamin Griffith James C. Griffiths Party Progressive Socialist Popular vote 27,072 13,943 Percentage 10.69% 5.51%

County results Thomas:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Work:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Charles S. Thomas Democratic Elected U.S. senator Charles S. Thomas Democratic

Connecticut

Connecticut election

Nominee Frank B. Brandegee Simeon Eben Baldwin Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 89,983 76,081 Percentage 49.77% 42.08%

County results Brandegree:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Frank B. Brandegee Republican Elected U.S. senator Frank B. Brandegee Republican

Florida

Florida election

Nominee Duncan U. Fletcher Party Democratic Popular vote 22,761 Percentage 100.00%

U.S. senator before election Duncan U. Fletcher Democratic Elected U.S. senator Duncan U. Fletcher Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Duncan Fletcher was elected in a special election after being appointed when William Hall Milton retired after a year in office. He sought re-election to a full term, facing competition only in the primary.

Georgia

There were two elections due to the February 14, 1914, death of Democrat Augustus Octavius Bacon. It was the first time that both of Georgia's Senate seats have been up for election at the same time.

Georgia (special)

Georgia special election

Nominee Thomas W. Hardwick Rufe G. Hutchens Party Democratic Progressive Popular vote 62,589 28,169 Percentage 68.96% 31.04%

County results Hardwick:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Hutchens:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% No Vote:

U.S. senator before election William S. West Democratic Elected U.S. senator Thomas W. Hardwick Democratic

Democrat William West was appointed to continue the term pending a special election, in which he was not a candidate.

Democrat Thomas W. Hardwick was elected November 3, 1914, to finish the term that would end in 1919 and served until losing renomination in 1918.

Georgia election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Thomas W. Hardwick	62,589	68.96
	Progressive	Rufe G. Hutchens	28,169	31.04
Majority			34,420	37.93
Total votes			90,758	100.00
	Democratic hold

Georgia (regular)

Georgia election

Nominee M. Hoke Smith C. W. McClure Party Democratic Progressive Popular vote 61,789 28,441 Percentage 68.48% 31.52%

County results Smith:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% McClure:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% No Vote:

U.S. senator before election M. Hoke Smith Democratic Elected U.S. senator M. Hoke Smith Democratic

Democrat M. Hoke Smith, who had first won in a 1911 special election, was re-elected and would serve until his 1920 renomination loss.

Georgia election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	M. Hoke Smith (incumbent)	61,789	68.48
	Progressive	C. W. McClure	28,441	31.52
Majority			33,348	36.96
Total votes			90,230	100.00
	Democratic hold

Idaho

Idaho election

Nominee James H. Brady James H. Hawley Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 47,486 41,266 Percentage 43.89% 38.14%   Nominee Paul Clagstone Calistus Cooper Party Progressive Socialist Popular vote 10,321 7,888 Percentage 9.54% 7.29%

County results Brady:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Hawley:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election James H. Brady Republican Elected U.S. senator James H. Brady Republican

Illinois

Illinois election

Nominee Lawrence Y. Sherman Roger C. Sullivan Raymond Robins Party Republican Democratic Progressive Popular vote 390,661 373,403 203,027 Percentage 38.46% 36.76% 19.99%

Results by county Sherman:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Sullivan:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Robins:      30–40%      40–50% Tie:      40-50%

U.S. senator before election Lawrence Y. Sherman Republican Elected U.S. senator Lawrence Y. Sherman Republican

Indiana

Indiana election

Nominee Benjamin F. Shively Hugh Thomas Miller Albert J. Beveridge Party Democratic Republican Progressive Popular vote 272,249 226,766 108,581 Percentage 42.14% 35.10% 16.81%

County results Shively:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Miller:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Beveridge:      30-40%

U.S. senator before election Benjamin F. Shively Democratic Elected U.S. senator Benjamin F. Shively Democratic

Iowa

Iowa election

Nominee Albert B. Cummins Maurice Connolly Otis Spurgeon Party Republican Democratic Independent Popular vote 205,832 167,251 24,490 Percentage 48.19% 39.16% 5.73%

Results by county Cummins:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Connolly:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Albert B. Cummins Republican Elected U.S. senator Albert B. Cummins Republican

Kansas

Kansas election

Nominee Charles Curtis George A. Neeley Victor Murdock Party Republican Democratic Progressive Popular vote 180,823 176,929 116,755 Percentage 35.53% 34.77% 22.94%

Results by county Curtis:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Neeley:      30–40%      40–50% Murdock:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Joseph Little Bristow Republican Elected U.S. senator Charles Curtis Republican

Kentucky

There were 2 elections to the same seat due to the May 23, 1914, death of one-term Republican William O. Bradley.

Kentucky (special)

Kentucky special election

Nominee Johnson N. Camden Jr. William Marshall Bullitt Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 177,797 133,139 Percentage 53.99% 40.43%

County results Camden:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Bullitt:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election Johnson N. Camden Jr. Democratic Elected U.S. senator Johnson N. Camden Jr. Democratic

Democrat Johnson N. Camden was appointed June 16, 1914, to continue Bradley's term, pending a special election. He was challenged by U.S. Solicitor General William Marshall Bullitt.

Camden was elected in November to finish the term ending 1915.

Kentucky special election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Johnson N. Camden Jr. (incumbent)	177,797	53.99
	Republican	William Marshall Bullitt	133,139	40.43
	Progressive	George Nicholas	13,641	4.14
	Socialist	Frank E. Seeds	4,770	1.45
Majority			44,658	13.56
Total votes			329,347	100.00
	Democratic hold

Kentucky (regular)

Kentucky election

Nominee John C. W. Beckham Augustus E. Willson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 176,605 144,758 Percentage 51.89% 42.53%

County results Beckham:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Willson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election Johnson N. Camden Jr. Democratic Elected U.S. senator John C. W. Beckham Democratic

Democratic appointee Johnson N. Camden was not a candidate for the next term, instead returning to agricultural activities on a farm.

In this race, two former governors of Kentucky fought for the seat. The Democratic nominee was John C. W. Beckham, who was sworn in after the assassination of William Goebel in 1900. The Republican nominee was Augustus E. Willson, who flipped the seat in 1907 after Beckham's term ended.

Beckham won the election, and would continue to serve until his re-election loss.

Kentucky election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	J. C. W. Beckham	176,605	51.89
	Republican	Augustus E. Willson	144,758	42.53
	Progressive	Burton Vance	14,108	4.15
	Socialist	H. J. Robertson	4,890	1.44
Majority			31,847	9.36
Total votes			340,361	100.00
	Democratic hold

Louisiana

Louisiana election

Nominee Robert F. Broussard Party Democratic

U.S. senator before election John Thornton Democratic Elected U.S. senator Robert F. Broussard Democratic

Senator Robert F. Broussard had already been elected on May 21, 1912, indirectly by the state legislature.

Maryland

Maryland election

Nominee John Walter Smith Edward Carrington Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 110,204 94,864 Percentage 50.99% 43.89%

County results Carrington:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Smith:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election John Walter Smith Democratic Elected U.S. senator John Walter Smith Democratic

Missouri

Missouri election

Nominee William J. Stone Thomas Akins Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 311,616 257,054 Percentage 50.41% 41.58%

County results Stone:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Akins:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election William J. Stone Democratic Elected U.S. senator William J. Stone Democratic

Nevada

Nevada election

Nominee Francis G. Newlands Samuel Platt Ashley Miller Party Democratic Republican Socialist Popular vote 8,078 8,038 5,451 Percentage 37.46% 37.27% 25.28%

County results Newlands:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Platt:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Miller:      30–40%      40–50%

U.S. senator before election Francis G. Newlands Democratic Elected U.S. senator Francis G. Newlands Democratic

New Hampshire

New Hampshire election

Nominee Jacob H. Gallinger Raymond B. Stevens Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 42,113 36,382 Percentage 51.66% 44.63%

County results Gallinger:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Jacob H. Gallinger Republican Elected U.S. senator Jacob H. Gallinger Republican

New York

New York election

Nominee James W. Wadsworth James W. Gerard Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 639,112 571,419 Percentage 47.04% 42.06

County Results Wadsworth:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Gerard:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Elihu Root Republican Elected U.S. senator James W. Wadsworth Republican

North Carolina

North Carolina election

Nominee Lee S. Overman A. A. Whitener Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 121,342 87,101 Percentage 58.10% 41.70%

County Results: Overman:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%      >90% Whitener:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%

U.S. senator before election Lee S. Overman Democratic Elected U.S. senator Lee S. Overman Democratic

North Dakota

North Dakota election

Nominee Asle Gronna William E. Purcell W. H. Brown Party Republican Democratic Socialist Popular vote 48,732 29,640 6,231 Percentage 55.82% 33.95 7.14

County results Gronna:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Purcell:      50–60% No Vote:

U.S. senator before election Asle Gronna Republican Elected U.S. senator Asle Gronna Republican

Ohio

Ohio election

Nominee Warren G. Harding Timothy S. Hogan Arthur L. Garford Party Republican Democratic Progressive Popular vote 526,115 423,742 67,509 Percentage 49.16% 39.60% 6.31%

County results Harding:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Hogan:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Theodore E. Burton Republican Elected U.S. senator Warren G. Harding Republican