1974 United States Senate election in North Dakota

The 1974 U.S. Senate election in North Dakota was held November 5, 1974. The incumbent, Republican Senator Milton Young, was reelected to his sixth term, defeating North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate William L. Guy, a former governor of North Dakota.[1]

1974 United States Senate election in North Dakota

November 5, 1974

Nominee Milton Young William L. Guy Party Republican Democratic-NPL Popular vote 114,852 114,675 Percentage 48.45% 48.37%

County Results Young:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70% Guy:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Milton Young Republican Elected U.S. Senator Milton Young Republican

Elections in North Dakota
Federal government Presidential 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 Dem 2008 Dem GOP 2012 GOP 2016 Dem 2020 Dem U.S. Senate 1889 1891 1893 1897 1899 1903 1905 1909 1911 1911 (sp) 1914 1916 1920 1922 1926 1926 (sp) 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1946 (sp) 1950 1952 1956 1958 1960 (sp) 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1992 (sp) 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 U.S. House 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1917 (1st sp) 1918 1920 1922 1924 2nd sp 1926 1928 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1963 (1st sp) 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
State government General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Gubernatorial elections 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1921 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Secretary of State elections 2018
Ballot measures 2004 Constitutional Measure 1

Only Young filed as a Republican, and the endorsed Democratic candidate was William L. Guy of Bismarck, North Dakota, who had served as governor from 1961 to 1973 and had presumably left the office to seek the Senate seat. Young and Guy won the primary elections for their respective parties. Guy, who was a very popular governor throughout the state, and Young, who had a high approval rating as a senator, created the closest ever election for one of North Dakota's Senate seats. Young won by only 177 votes, and Guy retired from politics.

Two independent candidates, James R. Jungroth and Kenneth C. Gardner, also filed before the deadline. Jungroth's platform was based on his opposition to strip mining the state's coal reserves.[2] Gardner later ran for the state's other seat in 1988 against then incumbent Quentin Burdick.