- Source: 1940 United States Senate elections
The 1940 United States Senate elections coincided with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to his third term as president. The 32 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies.
Although Roosevelt was re-elected, support for his administration had dropped somewhat after eight years, and the Republican opposition gained three seats from the Democrats. However, the New Deal Democrats regained firm control of both the House and Senate because Progressives dominated the election. The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party also disappeared from the Senate, as Henrik Shipstead joined the Republican party and Ernest Lundeen had died during the preceding term. Senator Harry S. Truman of Missouri was elected to his final term in the Senate in 1940. Truman resigned in 1945 to serve as President Roosevelt's third Vice President.
Republicans later gained an additional seat through an appointment in Colorado.
Gains, losses, and holds
= Retirements
=One Republican and two Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. One Republican retired instead of seeking election to finish the unexpired term.
= Defeats
=Five Democrats and two Republicans sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election. One Democrat sought election to finish the unexpired term but lost in the general election.
= Post-election changes
== Party switches
=One Farmer-Labor senator was re-elected as a Republican.
Change in composition
= Before the elections
== Election results
=Race summaries
= Special elections during the 76th Congress
=In these special elections, the winner elected during 1940 and seated once qualified; ordered by election date.
= Races leading to the 77th Congress
=In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1941; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
Closest races
Thirteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:
There is no tipping point state.
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Idaho (special)
Illinois (special)
Indiana
Kentucky (special)
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
One-term Democrat Harry S. Truman was narrowly re-elected. He would only serve until resigning January 17, 1945, to become U.S. Vice President.
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
Pittman suffered a severe heart attack just before the election on November 5, and two doctors told his aides before the election that death was imminent. To avoid affecting the election, the party told the press that the senator was hospitalized for exhaustion and that his condition was not serious. Pittman died on November 10 at the Washoe General Hospital in Reno, Nevada. Governor Edward Carville would go on to appoint Berkeley L. Bunker as his replacement.
In later years, a myth spread that Pittman had in fact died before the election, and his body had been kept on ice in the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah so that Carville could appoint his replacement.
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
The whole ticket nominated by Democrats and American Laborites was elected.
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
There were 2 elections due to the June 20, 1940, death of two-term Republican Ernest Willard Gibson.
= Vermont (regular)
=Two-term Republican Warren Austin was easily re-elected. He faced no opponents in the primary.
Austin served only until his August 2, 1946, resignation to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
= Vermont (special)
=Gibson's son, Republican Ernest W. Gibson Jr. was appointed June 24, 1940, to continue his father's term, pending a special election, in which he was not a candidate.
Aiken did not take the seat until January 10, 1941, as he wanted to remain Governor of Vermont. He would be repeatedly re-elected and serve until his 1975 retirement.
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
See also
1940 United States elections
1940 United States presidential election
1940 United States gubernatorial elections
1940 United States House of Representatives elections
76th United States Congress
77th United States Congress
Notes
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Amerika Serikat
- Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Amerika Serikat
- Presiden Amerika Serikat
- Kota New York
- California
- Bernie Sanders
- John F. Kennedy
- Modesto, California
- 1940 United States Senate elections
- 1940 United States presidential election
- 1940 United States House of Representatives elections
- 1940 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
- 1940 United States elections
- 2012 United States Senate elections
- 1940 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
- 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia
- 1940 United States Senate election in Texas
- 1940 United States Senate election in Minnesota
