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33 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Results including special elections Republican gain Democratic hold Republican hold | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1942 were held November 3, 1942, midway through Franklin D. Roosevelt's third term as President.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. A Democrat, he won a record four presidential elections and became a central figure in world events during the first half of the 20th century. Roosevelt directed the federal government during most of the Great Depression, implementing his New Deal domestic agenda in response to the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. As a dominant leader of his party, he built the New Deal Coalition, which realigned American politics into the Fifth Party System and defined American liberalism throughout the middle third of the 20th century. His third and fourth terms were dominated by World War II. Roosevelt is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in American history, as well as among the most influential figures of the 20th century. Though he has also been subject to much criticism, he is generally rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. presidents, along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
The President of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
Although this election took place during World War II, the opposition Republican party made major gains, taking eight seats from the Democrats and one from an independent. The Democrats nonetheless retained a significant majority, though the smallest since Roosevelt was first elected in 1932.
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
The New York Times ascribed the results to "voters' dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war, both at home and abroad" but not evidence of a lack of enthusiasm for the war effort. It found that a candidate's stance as isolationist or interventionist before Pearl Harbor had little impact on his success at the polls. [2] The paper's editorial board welcomed a return to normal political alignments after the unbalanced majorities of the previous decade. [3] The election not only changed the numbers of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, but also accomplished an ideological shift, as several longtime enthusiastic supporters of the New Deal were replaced by Republicans of the most conservative sort. [4]
Republicans had a net gain of nine seats.
Nine came from wins over Democrats:
Republicans picked up an Independent seat:
Also, in a special election, Republicans gained a seat from the Democrats, which would later be held by a different Republican from the general election, see above:
At the beginning of 1942.
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 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
D39 | D40 | D41 | D42 | D43 Ran | D44 Ran | D45 Ran | D46 Ran | D47 Ran | D48 Ran |
Majority → | D49 Ran | ||||||||
D58 Ran | D57 Ran | D56 Ran | D55 Ran | D54 Ran | D53 Ran | D52 Ran | D51 Ran | D50 Ran | |
D59 Ran | D60 Ran | D61 Ran | D62 Ran | D63 Ran | D64 Retired | D65 Retired | P1 | I1 Ran | R29 Ran |
R19 | R20 | R21 Ran | R22 Ran | R23 Ran | R24 Ran | R25 Ran | R26 Ran | R27 Ran | R28 Ran |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
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 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
D39 | D40 | D41 | D42 | D43 Re-elected | D44 Re-elected | D45 Re-elected | D46 Re-elected | D47 Re-elected | D48 Re-elected |
Majority → | D49 Re-elected | ||||||||
P1 | D57 Hold | D56 Hold | D55 Re-elected | D54 Re-elected | D53 Re-elected | D52 Re-elected | D51 Re-elected | D50 Re-elected | |
R38 Gain | R37 Gain | R36 Gain | R35 Gain | R34 Gain | R33 Gain | R32 Gain | R31 Gain | R30 Gain | R29 Re-elected |
R19 | R20 | R21 Re-elected | R22 Re-elected | R23 Re-elected | R24 Re-elected | R25 Re-elected | R26 Re-elected | R27 Re-elected | R28 Re-elected |
R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 |
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 | D37 | D36 | D35 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | D30 | D29 |
D39 | D40 | D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 | D47 | D48 |
Majority → | D49 | ||||||||
P1 | D57 Hold | D56 | D55 | D54 | D53 | D52 | D51 | D50 | |
R38 Gain, same as general | R37 Hold | R36 Appointee elected | R35 | R34 | 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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In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1942 or before January 3, 1943; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
West Virginia Class 2 | Joseph Rosier | Democratic | 1941 (Appointed) | Interim appointee lost election to finish term. New senator elected November 3, 1942 and qualified November 17, 1942. [5] Neither candidate ran in the contemporaneous election for the next term, see below. Republican gain. | √ Hugh Shott (Republican) 52.3% Joseph Rosier (Democratic) 47.7% |
Colorado Class 3 | Eugene D. Millikin | Republican | 1941 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected November 3, 1942. | √ Eugene D. Millikin (Republican) 56.1% James A. Marsh (Democratic) 42.1% |
Nevada Class 1 | Berkeley L. Bunker | Democratic | 1940 (Appointed) | Appointee lost nomination to finish term. New senator elected November 3, 1942 and qualified December 7, 1942. [6] Democratic hold. | √ James G. Scrugham (Democratic) 58.7% Cecil W. Creel (Republican) 41.3% |
Minnesota Class 2 | Joseph H. Ball | Republican | 1940 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. Winner did not run for the next term, see below. | √ Arthur E. Nelson (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1943; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Alabama | John H. Bankhead II | Democratic | 1930 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John H. Bankhead II (Democratic) Unopposed |
Arkansas | George L. Spencer | Democratic | 1941 (Appointed) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold. | √ John L. McClellan (Democratic) Unopposed |
Colorado | Edwin C. Johnson | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Edwin C. Johnson (Democratic) 50.2% Ralph L. Carr (Republican) 49.2% |
Delaware | James H. Hughes | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Clayton D. Buck (Republican) 54.2% E. Ennalls Berl (Democratic) 44.9% |
Georgia | Richard Russell, Jr. | Democratic | 1933 (Special) 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Richard Russell, Jr. (Democratic) Unopposed |
Idaho | John Thomas | Republican | 1939 (Appointed) 1940 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ John Thomas (Republican) 51.5% Glen H. Taylor (Democratic) 48.5% |
Illinois | C. Wayland Brooks | Republican | 1940 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ C. Wayland Brooks (Republican) 53.2% Raymond S. McKeough (Democratic) 46.4% |
Iowa | Clyde L. Herring | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ George A. Wilson (Republican) 58.0% Clyde L. Herring (Democratic) 41.7% |
Kansas | Arthur Capper | Republican | 1918 1924 1930 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Arthur Capper (Republican) 57.1% George McGill (Democratic) 40.3% |
Kentucky | Happy Chandler | Democratic | 1939 (Appointed) 1940 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Happy Chandler (Democratic) 55.3% Richard J. Colbert (Republican) 44.7% |
Louisiana | Allen J. Ellender | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Allen J. Ellender (Democratic) Unopposed |
Maine | Wallace White | Republican | 1930 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Wallace White (Republican) 66.7% Fulton J. Redman (Democratic) 33.3% |
Massachusetts | Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. | Republican | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (Republican) 52.4% Joseph E. Casey (Democratic) 46.6% |
Michigan | Prentiss M. Brown | Democratic | 1936 1936 (Appointed) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Homer Ferguson (Republican) 49.6% Prentiss M. Brown (Democratic) 47.2% |
Minnesota | Joseph H. Ball | Republican | 1940 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected. Winner did not run to finish the term, see above. | √ Joseph H. Ball (Republican) 47.0% Elmer Austin Benson (Farmer–Labor) 28.2% Martin A. Nelson (Independent) 14.4% Ed Murphy (Democratic) 10.4% |
Mississippi | Wall Doxey | Democratic | 1941 (Special) | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. | √ James O. Eastland (Democratic) Unopposed |
Montana | James E. Murray | Democratic | 1934 (Special) 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ James E. Murray (Democratic) 49.1% Wellington D. Rankin (Republican) 48.4% |
Nebraska | George W. Norris | Independent | 1913 1918 1924 1930 1936 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Kenneth S. Wherry (Republican) 49.0% George W. Norris (Independent) 28.6% Foster May (Democratic) 22.0% |
New Hampshire | Styles Bridges | Republican | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Styles Bridges (Republican) 54.6% Francis P. Murphy (Democratic) 45.4% |
New Jersey | William H. Smathers | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Albert W. Hawkes (Republican) 53.1% William H. Smathers (Democratic) 45.8% |
New Mexico | Carl A. Hatch | Democratic | 1933 (Appointed) 1934 (Special) 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Carl A. Hatch (Democratic) 59.2% J. Benson Newell (Republican) 40.8% |
North Carolina | Josiah W. Bailey | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Josiah W. Bailey (Democratic) 65.9% Sam J. Morris (Republican) 34.1% |
Oklahoma | Joshua B. Lee | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Edward H. Moore (Republican) 54.8% Josh Lee (Democratic) 44.8% |
Oregon | Charles L. McNary | Republican | 1917 (Appointed) 1918 (Not elected) 1918 (Appointed) 1918 1924 1930 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Charles L. McNary (Republican) 77.1% Walter W. Whitbeck (Democratic) 22.9% |
Rhode Island | Theodore F. Green | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Theodore F. Green (Democratic) 58.0% Ira Lloyd Letts (Republican) 42.0% |
South Carolina | Burnet R. Maybank | Democratic | 1941 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Burnet R. Maybank (Democratic) Unopposed |
South Dakota | William J. Bulow | Democratic | 1930 1936 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Harlan J. Bushfield (Republican) Tom Berry (Democratic) 41.3% |
Tennessee | Tom Stewart | Democratic | 1938 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ A. Tom Stewart (Democratic) 70.5% F. Todd Meacham (Republican) 21.5% |
Texas | W. Lee O'Daniel | Democratic | 1941 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected. | √ W. Lee O'Daniel (Democratic) 94.9% |
Virginia | Carter Glass | Democratic | 1920 (Appointed) 1920 (Special) 1924 1930 1936 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Carter Glass (Democratic) 91.1% Lawrence S. Wilkes (Socialist) 6.5% |
West Virginia | Joseph Rosier | Democratic | 1941 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected. Republican gain. Winner did not run to finish the term, see above. | √ Chapman Revercomb (Republican) 55.4% Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) 44.6% |
Wyoming | Henry H. Schwartz | Democratic | 1936 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain. | √ Edward V. Robertson (Republican) 54.6% Henry H. Schwartz (Democratic) 45.4% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. | 721,239 | 52.44 | +3.91 | |
Democratic | Joseph E. Casey | 641,042 | 46.61 | +5.62 | |
Socialist | George Lyman Paine | 4,802 | 0.35 | -0.19 | |
Socialist Labor | Horace I. Hillis | 4,781 | 0.35 | +0.35 | |
Prohibition | George L. Thompson | 3,577 | 0.26 | +0.26 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | James E. Murray (inc.) | 83,673 | 49.07% | -5.91% | |
Republican | Wellington D. Rankin | 82,461 | 48.36% | +21.25% | |
Prohibition | Charles R. Miller | 2,711 | 1.59% | ||
Socialist | E. H. Helterbran | 1,669 | 0.98% | ||
Majority | 1,212 | 0.71% | -27.16% | ||
Turnout | 170,514 | ||||
Democratic hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Burnet R. Maybank (incumbent) | 22,556 | 100.0 | 0.0 | |
No party | Write-Ins | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 22,554 | 100.0 | 0.0 | ||
Turnout | 22,558 | ||||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carter Glass (inc.) | 79,421 | 91.08% | +0.58% | |
Socialist | Lawrence S. Wilkes | 5,690 | 6.53% | +6.53% | |
Communist | Alice Burke | 2,041 | 2.34% | -1.00% | |
Write-ins | 48 | <0.01% | -0.07% | ||
Majority | 73,731 | 84.55% | -2.40% | ||
Turnout | 87,200 | ||||
Democratic hold | |||||
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