1954 United States Senate elections

September 13[lower-alpha 1] & November 2, 1954
38 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Lyndon Johnson William Knowland Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 1953 August 4, 1953 Leader's seat Texas California Seats before 46 49 Seats after 48 47 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 15,137,069[1] 12,585,368[1] Percentage 53.9% 44.8% Seats up 22 16 Races won 24 14   Third party   Party Independent Seats before 1 Seats after 1[lower-alpha 2] Seat change Seats up 0 Races won 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      No election Rectangular inset (Neb., N. H. & N. C.): both seats up for election
Majority Leader before election Bill Knowland Republican Elected Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson Democratic

The 1954 United States Senate elections was a midterm election in the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. The 32 Senate seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and six special elections were held to fill vacancies. Eisenhower's Republican party lost a net of two seats to the Democratic opposition. This small change was just enough to give Democrats control of the chamber with the support of an Independent (Wayne Morse of Oregon) who agreed to caucus with them, he later officially joined the party in April 1955.

The elections resulted in a divided government that continued to the end of Eisenhower's presidency and a Democratic majority that would last until 1981. As of 2022, this is the last Senate election cycle in which a state (both Nebraska and North Carolina) had to hold three simultaneous elections (two special elections and one regular election) due to the near-simultaneous deaths of both incumbent Senators. This is also the last time until 2024 where both Senate seats in Nebraska were concurrently up for election.

Results summary

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.

Parties						Total
		Democratic	Republican	Independent	Other
Last elections (1952)		47	49	0	0	96
Before these elections		46	49	1	0	96
Not up		24	33	0	1	58
Up		22	16	0	—	38
	Class 2 (1948→1954)	20	12	—	—	32
	Special: Class 1	0	1	—	—	1
	Special: Class 3	2	3	—	—	5
Incumbent retired		2	4	—	—	6
	Held by same party	1	3	—	—	4
	Replaced by other party	1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat 1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican		—	—	2
	Result	2	4	0	0	6
Incumbent ran		20	12	—	—	32
	Won re-election	17	7	—	—	24
	Lost re-election	4 Republicans replaced by 4 Democrats 2 Democrats replaced by 2 Republicans		—	—	6
	Lost renomination but held by same party	1	1	—	—	2
	Result	22	10	0	0	32
Total elected		24	14	0	0	38
Net change		2	2			2
Nationwide vote		15,137,069	12,585,368	35,661	323,147	28,081,245
	Share	53.90%	44.82%	0.13%	1.15%	100%
Result		48	47	1	0	96

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives^[1]

Gains, losses and holds

Change in composition

Race summaries

Closest races

Twelve races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Alabama

Alabama election

Nominee John Sparkman Junius Foy Guin Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 259,348 55,110 Percentage 82.48% 17.53%

County results Sparkman:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election John Sparkman Democratic Elected U.S. Senator John Sparkman Democratic

Arkansas

Senator John L. McClellan

California (special)

Following the resignation of Richard Nixon to assume the vice presidency, Governor Earl Warren appointed Thomas Kuchel to Nixon's seat; Kuchel assumed the office on January 2, 1953.^[3]

Colorado

Colorado election

Nominee Gordon Allott John A. Carroll Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 248,502 235,686 Percentage 51.32% 48.68%

County results Allott:      50–60%      60–70% Carroll:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Edwin C. Johnson Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Gordon Allott Republican

Delaware

Georgia

Idaho

Idaho election

Nominee Henry Dworshak Glen H. Taylor Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 142,269 84,139 Percentage 62.84% 37.16%

U.S. senator before election Henry Dworshak Republican Elected U.S. Senator Henry Dworshak Republican

In Idaho, Republican Incumbent Henry Dworshak defeated Glen H. Taylor, who had previously represented Idaho in the Senate from 1945-1951. Allegations of Communist ties were used against Taylor by Dworshak and other Republicans to win the election.^[4]

Illinois

Illinois election

Turnout	63.69%
Nominee Paul Douglas Joseph T. Meek Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,804,338 1,563,683 Percentage 53.57% 46.43%
County results
U.S. senator before election Paul Douglas Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Paul Douglas Democratic

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Senator Allen J. Ellender

Maine

Maine election

September 13, 1954

Nominee Margaret Chase Smith Paul Fullam Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 144,530 102,075 Percentage 58.61% 41.39%

U.S. senator before election Margaret Chase Smith Republican Elected U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith Republican

Massachusetts

Massachusetts election

Nominee Leverett Saltonstall Foster Furcolo Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 956,605 927,899 Percentage 50.54% 49.03%

Municipal results

U.S. senator before election Leverett Saltonstall Republican Elected U.S. Senator Leverett Saltonstall Republican

In Massachusetts, Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall defeated his challengers.

Democrat Foster Furcolo (Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts since 1952 and member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district from 1949 to 1952) beat John I. Fitzgerald (former member of the Boston City Council and Democratic candidate for Senate in 1948) and Joseph L. Murphy (former member of the Massachusetts Senate).

Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall (United States senator since 1945 and Governor of Massachusetts from 1939 to 1945) was renominated. Other nominees included Socialist Workers Thelma Ingersoll (ran for Senate in 1952.^[5]) and Prohibition Harold J. Ireland (candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General in 1948 and 1952).

Michigan

1954 United States Senate election in Michigan

Nominee Patrick V. McNamara Homer S. Ferguson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,088,550 1,049,420 Percentage 50.75% 48.93%

County results McNamara:      50–60%      60–70% Ferguson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Homer S. Ferguson Republican Elected U.S. Senator Patrick V. McNamara Democratic

Minnesota

1954 United States Senate election in Minnesota

Nominee Hubert H. Humphrey Val Bjornson Party Democratic (DFL) Republican Popular vote 642,193 479,619 Percentage 56.39% 42.11%

County results Humphrey:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Bjornson:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%

U.S. senator before election Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic (DFL) Elected U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic (DFL)

Mississippi

Mississippi election

Nominee James Eastland James A. White Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 100,848 4,678 Percentage 95.6% 4.43%

County results Eastland:      80-90%      90-100%

U.S. senator before election James Eastland Democratic Elected U.S. senator James Eastland Democratic

Montana

In Montana incumbent senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936, 1942, and 1948, ran for re-election.

Murray won the Democratic primary against trivial opponents (farmer Ray E. Gulick and Sam G. Feezell).

Republican Wesley A. D'Ewart United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district beat Robert Yellowtail, former Superintendent of the Crow Indian Reservation, for the GOP nomination.

A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate.

Nebraska

Nebraska had three Senate elections on the ballot. Both incumbents had died in the span of three months, leading to appointments and special elections.

Nevada (special)

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Jersey election

Nominee Clifford P. Case Charles R. Howell Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 861,528 858,158 Percentage 48.66% 48.47%

County Results Case:      40–50%      50-60%      60-70% Howell:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Robert C. Hendrickson Republican Elected U.S. Senator Clifford P. Case Republican

New Mexico

North Carolina

Like Nebraska, North Carolina, had three elections on the ballot. Both senators had died during the 83rd Congress, leading to appointments and special elections.

Ohio (special)

Oklahoma

Oregon

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Carolina election

Nominee Strom Thurmond Edgar A. Brown Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 143,444 83,525 Percentage 63.1% 36.8%

Thurmond:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      70–80% Brown:      50-60%      60-70%      >90%

U.S. senator before election Burnet R. Maybank Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond Democratic

In South Carolina, Senator Burnet R. Maybank did not face a primary challenge in the summer and was therefore renominated as the Democratic Party's nominee for the election in the fall. However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A. Brown as their candidate for the election. Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate. He easily won the election and became the first U.S. senator to be elected by a write-in vote (William Knowland of California in 1946 was technically the first, but the ballots in that election were blank with no candidates listed, so essentially every candidate was running a write-in campaign).^[13]

Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election. His unexpected death on September 1 caused panic and confusion within the hierarchy of the state Democratic party because the state law required that a party's nominee be certified by September 3. Hours after Maybank's funeral, the state Democratic executive committee met in secret and chose state Senator Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell County as the party's nominee for the general election. Not only was Brown a part of the "Barnwell Ring", but he was also a member of the executive committee.

The state Democratic Party's decision to choose a candidate without holding a special primary election drew widespread criticism across the state. On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit. At least six county Democratic committees repudiated the action by the state committee and called for a primary election. Despite repeated calls for a primary, the state executive committee voted against holding a primary because they did not think that there was enough time before the general election to hold a primary election.

Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates. Thurmond and his supporters stated that the executive committee had several legal alternatives as opposed to the outright appointment of state Senator Brown. In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term.

Thurmond received support from Governor James F. Byrnes and from those who backed his Presidential bid as a Dixiecrat in the 1948 Presidential election. Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule"^[14] and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson. For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote. Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown.

On the other hand, Brown was supported by the Democratic party regulars and he also gained the endorsement of Senator Olin D. Johnston. Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952.

Marcus A. Stone, a lumberman in Florence and Dillon, was a candidate in previous Democratic primaries for governor and senator. He did very little campaigning for the general election.

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Virginia election

Nominee A. Willis Robertson Charles W. Lewis Jr. Party Democratic Independent Democratic Popular vote 244,844 32,681 Percentage 79.9% 10.7%   Nominee Clarke T. Robb Party Social Democratic Popular vote 28,922 Percentage 9.4%

U.S. senator before election A. Willis Robertson Democratic Elected U.S. senator A. Willis Robertson Democratic

In Virginia, Democratic incumbent Senator A. Willis Robertson defeated Independent Democrat Charles Lewis and Social Democrat Clarke Robb and was re-elected to a third term in office.

West Virginia

Wyoming

Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney

There were two elections the same day to the same seat, due to the June 19, 1954, death of Democrat Lester C. Hunt. Both elections were won by Democratic former senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney.

See also

• 1954 United States elections
  • 1954 United States House of Representatives elections
• 83rd United States Congress
• 84th United States Congress

Notes

References

Sources

• "A New Test For S.C. Voters". The News and Courier. November 2, 1954. p. 1A.
• "Brown Faces Thurmond In Write-In Race". The News and Courier. November 2, 1954. p. 1A.
• Lander, Ernest McPherson Jr. (1970). A History of South Carolina, 1865-1960. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 182–184. ISBN 0-87249-169-2.
• "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 I. Columbia, SC: 1955, pp. 4–5.
• U.S. Senate Biography of Strom Thurmond