1974 United States Senate election in Vermont

1974 United States Senate election in Vermont

←  1968 November 5, 1974 (1974-11-05) 1980  →

Nominee Patrick Leahy Richard Mallary Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 70,629 66,223 Percentage 49.47% 46.38%

County results Municipality results Leahy:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% Mallary:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%

U.S. senator before election George Aiken Republican Elected U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy Democratic

The 1974 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 5, 1974. The incumbent Republican Senator, George Aiken, did not run for re-election to another term in the United States Senate. The Democratic nominee, Patrick Leahy, the state's attorney of Chittenden County, defeated Republican nominee Rep. Richard W. Mallary to become Aiken's successor. This election also included Liberty Union Party candidate Bernie Sanders, who won 4.1% of the vote.

This election marked the first time in Vermont's history that it elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate, the last remaining U.S. state to do so. Leahy remained the only Democrat ever elected to the Senate from Vermont until 2022, when he retired and was succeeded by Peter Welch. The last non-Republican elected to the Senate from Vermont before 1974 was Lawrence Brainerd, a Free Soil Party member chosen in 1854 by an anti-slavery coalition of the Vermont General Assembly to fill a brief vacancy in this same seat.

Leahy and Sanders would later serve together in the Senate from Sanders's election in 2006 until Leahy's retirement in 2023.

Republican primary

Candidates

• T. Serse Ambrosini, former Vice President of the Chase Manhattan Bank ^[1]
• Charles R. Ross, former member of the Burlington City Council and Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont ^[1]
• Richard W. Mallary, U.S. Representative from Vermont's at-large congressional district ^[1]

Results

Republican primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard W. Mallary	27,221	59.1%
	Republican	Charles R. Ross	14,479	35.8%
	Republican	T. Serse Ambrosini	2,265	4.9%
	None	Scattering	61	0.1%
Total votes			44,026	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Nathaniel Frothingham, former teacher ^[1]
• Patrick Leahy, State Attorney for Chittenden County ^[1]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patrick Leahy	19,801	83.9%
	Democratic	Nathaniel Frothingham	3,703	15.7%
	None	Scattering	97	0.4%
Total votes			23,601	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Patrick Leahy (D), State's Attorney for Chittenden County ^[1]
• Richard W. Mallary (R), U.S. Representative from Vermont's at-large congressional district ^[1]
• Bernie Sanders (LU), carpenter and social worker ^[1]

Results

1974 United States Senate election in Vermont ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patrick Leahy	70,629	49.47%
	Republican	Richard W. Mallary	66,223	46.38%
	Liberty Union	Bernie Sanders	5,901	4.13%
	Write-in		19	0.01%
Total votes			142,772	100.00%
	Democratic gain from Republican

See also

• 1974 United States Senate elections

References

1. "Senate Race Enters Final Week; No Surprises Likely". The Times Argus. September 3, 1974. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
2. Douglas, James H. (1989). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 134 – via Google Books.
3. Douglas, James H. (1989). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 135 – via Google Books.
4. "1974 U.S. Senate General Election" . Retrieved December 1, 2020.