United States Senate elections, 1948
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32 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results including special elections Democratic gains Democratic holds Republican holds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1948 were elections which coincided with the election of Democratic President Harry S. Truman for a full term. Truman had campaigned against an "obstructionist" Congress that had blocked many of his initiatives, and in addition the U.S. economy recovered from the postwar recession of 1946–47 by election day. Thus Truman was rewarded with a Democratic gain of nine seats in the Senate, enough to give them control of the chamber.[1][2]
Gains and losses
In addition to gaining an open seat in Oklahoma, the Democrats defeated eight Republican incumbents:
- Clayton D. Buck (R-DE)
- Henry C. Dworshak (R-ID)
- C. Wayland Brooks (R-IL)
- George A. Wilson (R-IA)
- John S. Cooper (R-KY)
- Joseph H. Ball (R-MN)
- Chapman Revercomb (R-WV)
- Edward V. Robertson (R-WY)
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | ||
| D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 |
| D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 |
| D38 Ran |
D37 Ran |
D36 Ran |
D35 Ran |
D34 Ran |
D33 Ran |
D32 Ran |
D31 | D30 | D29 |
| D39 Ran |
D40 Ran |
D41 Ran |
D42 Ran |
D43 Ran |
D44 Retired |
D45 Retired |
R51 Retired |
R50 Retired |
R49 Retired |
| Majority → | |||||||||
| R39 Ran |
R40 Ran |
R41 Ran |
R42 Ran |
R43 Ran |
R44 Ran |
R45 Ran |
R46 Ran |
R47 Retired |
R48 Retired |
| R38 Ran |
R37 Ran |
R36 Ran |
R35 Ran |
R34 Ran |
R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 |
| R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 |
| R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | ||
Election results
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | ||
| D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 |
| D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 |
| D38 Re-elected |
D37 Re-elected |
D36 Re-elected |
D35 Re-elected |
D34 Re-elected |
D33 Re-elected |
D32 Re-elected |
D31 | D30 | D29 |
| D39 Re-elected |
D40 Re-elected |
D41 Re-elected |
D42 Hold |
D43 Hold |
D44 Hold |
D45 Hold |
D46 Gain |
D47 Gain |
D48 Gain |
| Majority → | D49 Gain | ||||||||
| R39 Hold |
R40 Hold |
R41 Hold |
R42 Hold |
D54 Gain |
D53 Gain |
D52 Gain |
D51 Gain |
D50 Gain | |
| R38 Re-elected |
R37 Re-elected |
R36 Re-elected |
R35 Re-elected |
R34 Re-elected |
R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 |
| R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | R28 |
| R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | ||
| Key: |
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Race summaries
Special elections during the 80th Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1948 or before January 3, 1949; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Louisiana (Class 3) |
William C. Feazel | Democratic | 1948 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. Winner elected November 2, 1948. Democratic hold. |
√ Russell B. Long (Democratic) 74.9% Clem S. Clarke (Republican) 25.1% |
| North Carolina (Class 2) |
William Umstead | Democratic | 1946 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. Winner elected November 2, 1948. Democratic hold. |
√ Melville Broughton (Democratic) 70.7% John A. Wilkinson (Republican) 28.8% William T. Brown (Progressive) 0.5% |
Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1949; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Alabama | John Sparkman | Democratic | 1946 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Sparkman (Democratic) 84.0% Paul G. Parsons (Republican) 16.0% |
| Arkansas | John L. McClellan | Democratic | 1942 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John L. McClellan (Democratic) 93.3% R. Walter Tucker (Independent) 6.7% |
| Colorado | Edwin C. Johnson | Democratic | 1936 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Edwin C. Johnson (Democratic) 66.8% Will F. Nicholson (Republican) 32.4% |
| Delaware | Clayton D. Buck | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ J. Allen Frear, Jr. (Democratic) 50.9% Clayton D. Buck (Republican) 48.3% |
| Georgia | Richard Russell, Jr. | Democratic | 1933 (Special) 1936 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Richard Russell, Jr. Unopposed |
| Idaho | Henry C. Dworshak | Republican | 1946 (Special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Bert H. Miller (Democratic) 50.0% Henry C. Dworshak (Republican) 48.5% |
| Illinois | C. Wayland Brooks | Republican | 1940 (Special) 1942 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Paul Douglas (Democratic) 55.1% C. Wayland Brooks (Republican) 44.6% |
| Iowa | George A. Wilson | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Guy M. Gillette (Democratic) 57.8% George A. Wilson (Republican) 41.6% |
| Kansas | Arthur Capper | Republican | 1918 1924 1930 1936 1942 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. |
√ Andrew F. Schoeppel (Republican) 54.9% George McGill (Democratic) 42.7% |
| Kentucky | John S. Cooper | Republican | 1946 (Special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Virgil Chapman (Democratic) 51.4% John S. Cooper (Republican) 48.3% |
| Louisiana | Allen J. Ellender | Democratic | 1936 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Allen J. Ellender Unopposed |
| Maine | Wallace H. White Jr. | Republican | 1930 1936 1942 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. |
√ Margaret C. Smith (Republican) 71.3% Adrian H. Scolten (Democratic) 28.7% |
| Massachusetts | Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | 1944 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 53.0% John I. Fitzgerald (Democratic) 46.4% |
| Michigan | Homer Ferguson | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Homer Ferguson (Republican) 50.7% Frank E. Hook (Democratic) 48.5% |
| Minnesota | Joseph H. Ball | Republican | 1940 (Appointed) 1942 (Retired) 1942 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Hubert Humphrey (Democratic) 59.9% Joseph H. Ball (Republican) 39.7% |
| Mississippi | James O. Eastland | Democratic | 1941 (Appointed) 1941 (Retired) 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ James O. Eastland Unopposed |
| Montana | James E. Murray | Democratic | 1934 (Special) 1936 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ James E. Murray (Democratic) 56.7% Tom J. Davis (Republican) 42.7% |
| Nebraska | Kenneth S. Wherry | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Kenneth S. Wherry (Republican) 56.7% Terry Carpenter (Democratic) 43.3% |
| New Hampshire | Styles Bridges | Republican | 1936 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Styles Bridges (Republican) 58.1% Alfred E. Fortin (Democratic) 41.2% |
| New Jersey | Albert W. Hawkes | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. |
√ Robert C. Hendrickson (Republican) 50.0% Archibald S. Alexander (Democratic) 47.3% |
| New Mexico | Carl A. Hatch | Democratic | 1933 (Appointed) 1934 (Special) 1936 1942 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
√ Clinton P. Anderson (Democratic) 57.2% Patrick J. Hurley (Republican) 42.4% |
| North Carolina | William B. Umstead | Democratic | 1946 (Appointed) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic hold. Winner also elected to finish the term, see above. |
√ J. Melville Broughton (Democratic) 70.7% John A. Wilkinson (Republican) 28.8% |
| Oklahoma | Edward H. Moore | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. |
√ Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 62.3% Ross Rizley (Republican) 37.4% |
| Oregon | Guy Cordon | Republican | 1944 (Appointed) 1944 (Special) |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Guy Cordon (Republican) 60.0% Manley J. Wilson (Democratic) 40.0% |
| Rhode Island | Theodore F. Green | Democratic | 1936 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Theodore F. Green (Democratic) 59.3% Thomas P. Hazard (Republican) 40.7% |
| South Carolina | Burnet R. Maybank | Democratic | 1941 (Special) 1942 |
Incumbent re-elected. | √ Burnet R. Maybank Unopposed |
| South Dakota | Vera C. Bushfield | Republican | 1948 (Appointee) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. Incumbent resigned December 26, 1948 and winner appointed December 31, 1948 to finish the term. |
√ Karl E. Mundt (Republican) 59.3% John A. Engel (Democratic) 40.7% |
| Tennessee | Tom Stewart | Democratic | 1938 (Special) | Incumbent lost re-nomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
√ Estes Kefauver (Democratic) 65.3% B. Carroll Reece (Republican) 33.5% |
| Texas | W. Lee O'Daniel | Democratic | 1941 (Special) 1942 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold. |
√ Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) 66.2% Jack Porter (Republican) 32.9% Samuel N. Morris (Prohibition) 0.8% |
| Virginia | A. Willis Robertson | Democratic | 1946 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ A. Willis Robertson (Democratic) 65.6% Robert H. Woods (Republican) 30.8% |
| West Virginia | Chapman Revercomb | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) 57.0% Chapman Revercomb (Republican) 43.0% |
| Wyoming | Edward V. Robertson | Republican | 1942 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain. |
√ Lester C. Hunt (Democratic) 57.1% Edward V. Robertson (Republican) 42.9% |
Elections during the 81st Congress
In this special election, the winner was seated after January 3, 1949.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| New York (Class 3) |
John Foster Dulles | Republican | 1949 (Appointed) | Interim appointee lost election to finish the term. Winner elected November 8, 1949. Democratic gain. |
√ Herbert H. Lehman (Democratic) 52% John Foster Dulles (Republican) 48% |
Complete list of races
Massachusetts
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Leverett Saltonstall | 1,088,475 | 52.95% | -11.34% | |
| Democratic | John I. Fitzgerald | 954,398 | 46.43% | +11.53% | |
| Socialist Labor | Henning A. Blomen | 9,266 | 0.44% | -0.20% | |
| Prohibition | E. Tallmadge Root | 3,652 | 0.18% | +0.01% | |
Montana
Incumbent United States Senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936 and 1942, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary, he faced Tom J. Davis, an attorney and the Republican nominee, in the general election. Following a narrow re-election in 1936, Murray significantly expanded his margin of victory and comfortably won re-election over Davis, winning his fourth term and his third full term in the Senate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James E. Murray (inc.) | 125,193 | 56.65% | +7.58% | |
| Republican | Tom S. Davis | 94,458 | 42.74% | -5.62% | |
| Prohibition | C. S. Hanna | 1,352 | 0.61% | ||
| Majority | 30,735 | 13.91% | +13.20% | ||
| Turnout | 221,003 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
New York (Special)
A special election was held on November 8, 1949, to elect U.S. Senator to finish a term.
On June 28, 1949, incumbent senator Robert F. Wagner resigned due to ill health. On July 7, John Foster Dulles was appointed by Governor Thomas Dewey to fill the vacancy temporarily.[4]
The Republican State Committee nominated Dulles to succeed himself. The Democratic State Committee nominated former Governor Herbert H. Lehman. The Liberal Party endorsed Lehman. The American Labor Party made no nominations and urged its members not to vote for any candidate. The Democratic/Liberal ticket was elected and Dulles was defeated.[5]
| Democratic | Herbert H. Lehman | 2,149,347 |
| Republican | John Foster Dulles | 2,377,641 |
| Liberal | Herbert H. Lehman | 426,351 |
South Carolina
Senator Burnet R. Maybank was opposed in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan Dorn and three other candidates. Maybank obtained over 50% in the primary election on August 10 to avoid a runoff election.
| Democratic Primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Burnet R. Maybank | 161,608 | 51.5 |
| W.J. Bryan Dorn | 76,749 | 24.4 |
| Neville Bennett | 43,068 | 13.7 |
| Alan Johnstone | 17,689 | 5.6 |
| Marcus A. Stone | 14,904 | 4.8 |
Since the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party dominated the politics of South Carolina and its statewide candidates were never seriously challenged. Maybank did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Burnet R. Maybank (incumbent) | 135,998 | 96.4 | -3.6 | |
| Republican | J. Bates Gerald | 5,008 | 3.6 | +3.6 | |
| Majority | 130,990 | 92.8 | -7.2 | ||
| Turnout | 141,006 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
65+% won by Maybank
Virginia
Incumbent Democratic Senator Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Republican Robert H. Woods and was re-elected to his first full term in office.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Absalom Willis Robertson (inc.) | 253,865 | 65.74% | -2.41% | |
| Republican | Robert H. Woods | 118,546 | 30.70% | +1.68% | |
| Independent | Howard Carwile | 6,788 | 1.76% | ||
| Progressive | Virginia Foster Durr | 5,347 | 1.38% | +1.38% | |
| Socialist | Clarke T. Robb | 1,627 | 0.42% | -2.40% | |
| Write-ins | 5 | <0.01% | |||
| Majority | 135,319 | 35.04% | -4.09% | ||
| Turnout | 386,168 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
References
- ↑ William S. White (November 4, 1948). "SWEEP IN CONGRESS – Democrats Obtain 54-42 Margin in Senate by Winning 9 G.O.P. Seats". New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ↑ "Truman Sweep". New York Times. November 7, 1948. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- 1 2 "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1948" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Dulles Appointed Senator". The New York Times. July 8, 1949. (Subscription required (help)).
- ↑ "THE OFFICIAL COUNT: LEHMAN BY 198,057". The New York Times. December 15, 1949. (Subscription required (help)).
Further reading
- Hartley, Robert E. Battleground 1948: Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History (Southern Illinois University Press; 2013)
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