United States Senate elections, 1954
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Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican hold Republican gain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1954 was a midterm election in the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. Eisenhower's Republican party lost a net of two seats to the Democratic opposition. This small change was enough to give Democrats control of the chamber, which they would hold until January 1981. Including independent Wayne L. Morse, who caucused with the Democrats, Democrats held a 49-47 majority.
The elections resulted in a divided government that continued to the end of Eisenhower's presidency.
Change in Senate composition
Senate composition before the elections
D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | I1 | ||
D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 |
D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 | D18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D28 | D29 | D30 | D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 |
D47 | D46 | D45 | D44 | D43 | D42 | D41 | D40 | D39 | D38 |
↓ Plurality (+ Vice President's tie-breaking vote) | |||||||||
R48 | R47 | R46 | R45 | R44 | R43 | 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
D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | I1* | ||
D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 |
D27√ | D26√ | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 | D18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D28√ | D29√ | D30√ | D31√ | D32√ | D33√ | D34√ | D35√ | D36√ | D37√ |
D47+ | D46+ | D45+ | D44+ | D43O | D42O | D41√ | D40√ | D39√ | D38√ |
D48+ | ← Majority | ||||||||
R47+ | R46+ | R45+ | R44O | R43O | R42O | 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 |
*I1: Wayne Morse of Oregon, who was not up for election this year, later changed parties from Independent to Democratic in the next Congress.
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Gains and losses
Democrats defeated incumbents John S. Cooper (R-KY), Homer Ferguson (R-MI), Ernest S. Brown (R-NV), and Guy Cordon (R-OR), and took an open seat in Wyoming. Republicans took the seats of incumbents Guy M. Gillette (D-IA) and Thomas A. Burke (D-OH), and took an open seat in Colorado.
Complete list of contests
All elections are for the Class 2 seat, unless otherwise indicated.
State | Incumbent | Party | Result | Other candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | John Sparkman | Democratic | Re-elected | John Sparkman (Democratic) 82.5% Junius Foy Guin, Jr. (Republican) 17.5% |
Arkansas | John L. McClellan | Democratic | Re-elected | John L. McClellan (Democratic) Unopposed |
California Class 3: Special |
Thomas Kuchel | Republican | Appointee elected to finish term ending January 3, 1957 | Thomas Kuchel (Republican) 53.2% Samuel W. Yorty (Democratic) 45.5% Isobel M. Cerney (Independent-Progressive) 1.2% |
Colorado | Edwin C. Johnson | Democratic | Retired Republican gain |
Gordon Allott (Republican) 51.3% John A. Carroll (Democratic) 48.7% |
Delaware | J. Allen Frear, Jr. | Democratic | Re-elected | J. Allen Frear, Jr. (Democratic) 56.9% Herbert B. Warburton (Republican) 43.1% |
Georgia | Richard Russell, Jr. | Democratic | Re-elected | Richard Russell, Jr. (Democratic) Unopposed |
Idaho | Henry C. Dworshak | Republican | Re-elected | Henry C. Dworshak (Republican) 62.8% Glen H. Taylor (Democratic) 37.2% |
Illinois | Paul Douglas | Democratic | Re-elected | Paul Douglas (Democratic) 53.6% Joseph T. Meek (Republican) 46.4% |
Iowa | Guy M. Gillette | Democratic | Lost re-election Republican gain |
Thomas E. Martin (Republican) 52.2% Guy M. Gillette (Democratic) 47.5% Ernest Seemann (Republicsons) 0.3% |
Kansas | Andrew F. Schoeppel | Republican | Re-elected | Andrew F. Schoeppel (Republican) 56.3% George McGill (Democratic) 41.8% David C. White (Prohibition) 1.8% |
Kentucky | John S. Cooper | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain |
Alben W. Barkley (Democratic) 54.5% John S. Cooper (Republican) 45.5% |
Louisiana | Allen J. Ellender | Democratic | Re-elected | Allen J. Ellender (Democratic) Unopposed |
Maine | Margaret C. Smith | Republican | Re-elected | Margaret C. Smith (Republican) 58.6% Paul A. Fullam (Democratic) 41.4% |
Massachusetts | Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | Re-elected | Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 50.5% Foster Furcolo (Democratic) 49.0% |
Michigan | Homer Ferguson | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain |
Patrick V. McNamara (Democratic) 50.8% Homer Ferguson (Republican) 48.9% |
Minnesota | Hubert Humphrey | Democratic | Re-elected | Hubert Humphrey (Democratic) 56.4% Val Bjornson (Republican) 42.1% |
Mississippi | James O. Eastland | Democratic | Re-elected | James O. Eastland (Democratic) Unopposed |
Montana | James E. Murray | Democratic | Re-elected | James E. Murray (Democratic) 50.4% Wesley A. D'Ewart (Republican) 49.6% |
Nebraska Class 1: Special |
Samuel W. Reynolds | Republican | Appointee retired Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1959 Republican hold |
Roman L. Hruska (Republican) 60.9% James F. Green (Democratic) 39.1% |
Nebraska | Eva Bowring | Republican | Appointee retired Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1955 Republican hold |
Hazel H. Abel (Republican) 57.8% William H. Meier (Democratic) 42.2% |
Appointee retired Winner elected to next term starting January 3, 1955 Republican hold |
Carl T. Curtis (Republican) 61.1% Keith Neville (Democratic) 38.9% | |||
Nevada Class 3: Special |
Ernest S. Brown | Republican | Appointee lost election to finish term ending January 3, 1957 Democratic gain |
Alan Bible (Democratic) 58.1% Ernest S. Brown (Republican) 41.9% |
New Hampshire | Styles Bridges | Republican | Re-elected | Styles Bridges (Republican) 60.2% Gerard L. Morin (Democratic) 39.8% |
New Hampshire Class 3: Special |
Robert W. Upton | Republican | Appointee lost nomination to finish term ending January 3, 1957 Republican hold |
Norris Cotton (Republican) 60.2% Stanley J. Betley (Democratic) 39.8% |
New Jersey | Robert C. Hendrickson | Republican | Retired Republican hold |
Clifford P. Case (Republican) 48.7% Charles R. Howell (Democratic) 48.5% |
New Mexico | Clinton P. Anderson | Democratic | Re-elected | Clinton P. Anderson (Democratic) 57.3% Edwin L. Mechem (Republican) 42.7% |
North Carolina | Alton Asa Lennon | Democratic | Lost renomination Democratic hold |
William Kerr Scott (Democratic) 65.9% Paul C. West (Republican) 34.1% |
North Carolina Class 3: Special |
Sam Ervin | Democratic | Appointee elected to finish term ending January 3, 1957 | Sam Ervin (Democratic) Unopposed |
Ohio Class 3: Special |
Thomas A. Burke | Democratic | Appointee lost election to finish term ending January 3, 1957 Republican gain |
George H. Bender (Republican) 50.1% Thomas A. Burke (Democratic) 49.9% |
Oklahoma | Robert S. Kerr | Democratic | Re-elected | Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 55.8% Fred M. Mock (Republican) 43.7% George V. Fried (Independent) 0.3% George H. Brasier (Independent) 0.2% |
Oregon | Guy Cordon | Republican | Lost re-election Democratic gain |
Richard L. Neuberger (Democratic) 50.2% Guy Cordon (Republican) 49.8% |
Rhode Island | Theodore F. Green | Democratic | Re-elected | Theodore F. Green (Democratic) 59.3% Walter I. Sundlun (Republican) 40.7% |
South Carolina | Charles E. Daniel | Democratic | Appointee retired Democratic hold |
Strom Thurmond (ID) 63.1% Edgar A. Brown (Democratic) 36.8% |
South Dakota | Karl E. Mundt | Republican | Re-elected | Karl E. Mundt (Republican) 57.3% Kenneth Holum (Democratic) 42.7% |
Tennessee | Estes Kefauver | Democratic | Re-elected | Estes Kefauver (Democratic) 70.0% Tom Wall (Republican) 30.0% |
Texas | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic | Re-elected | Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) 84.6% Carlos G. Watson (Republican) 14.9% Fred Spangler (Constitution Party) 0.5% |
Virginia | A. Willis Robertson | Democratic | Re-elected | A. Willis Robertson (Democratic) 79.9% Charles W. Lewis, Jr. (Independent-Democrat) 10.7% Clarke T. Robb (Virginia Social Democrat) 9.4% |
West Virginia | Matthew M. Neely | Democratic | Re-elected | Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) 54.8% Thomas Sweeney (Republican) 45.2% |
Wyoming | Edward D. Crippa | Republican | Retired Democratic gain |
Joseph C. O'Mahoney (Democratic) 51.5% William H. Harrison (Republican) 48.5% |