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The United States Senate elections of 1940 were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the election of Franklin Roosevelt to his third term as President. 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. The Farmer-Labor Party also disappeared from the Senate, as Henrik Shipstead joined the Republican party and Ernest Lundeen had died during the preceding term.
Although incumbent John G. Townsend, Jr. (R-DE) was defeated by a Democrat, Republicans defeated incumbents James M. Slattery (D-IL) and Sherman Minton (D-IN), and took open seats in Nebraska and Ohio.
[edit] Senate contests in 1940
| State |
Incumbent |
Party |
Status |
Opposing Candidates |
| Arizona |
Henry F. Ashurst |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 71.6 - 28.0 |
Ernest W. McFarland (Democrat)
I. A. Jennings (Republican)
|
| California |
Hiram W. Johnson |
Republican |
Re-elected, 82.5 - 13.5 |
Fred Dyster (Independent)
|
| Connecticut |
Francis T. Maloney |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 53.2 - 45.7 |
Paul L. Cornell (Republican)
|
| Delaware |
John G. Townsend, Jr. |
Republican |
Defeated, 50.6 - 47.3 |
James M. Tunnell (Democrat)
|
| Florida |
Charles O. Andrews |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| Idaho1 |
John W. Thomas |
Republican |
Re-elected, 53.0 - 47.1 |
Glen H. Taylor (Democrat)
|
| Illinois2 |
James M. Slattery |
Democrat |
Defeated, 50.1 - 49.6 |
C. Wayland Brooks (Republican)
|
| Indiana |
Sherman Minton |
Democrat |
Defeated, 50.5 - 49.1 |
Raymond E. Willis (Republican)
|
| Kentucky3 |
A. B. "Happy" Chandler I |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 58.3 - 41.7 |
Walter B. Smith (Republican)
|
| Maine |
Frederick Hale |
Republican |
Retired: Republican victory, 58.6 - 41.3 |
Ralph O. Brewster (Republican)
Louis J. Brann (Democrat)
|
| Maryland |
George L. P. Radcliffe |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 64.7 - 33.5 |
Harry W. Nice (Republican)
|
| Massachusetts |
David I. Walsh |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 55.6 - 42.8 |
Henry Parkman, Jr. (Republican)
|
| Michigan |
Arthur H. Vandenberg |
Republican |
Re-elected, 52.7 - 47.0 |
Frank Fitzpatrick (Democrat)
|
| Minnesota |
Henrik Shipstead |
Republican |
Re-elected, 53.0 - 25.7 - 20.6 |
Elmer Austin Benson (Farmer-Labor)
John E. Regan (Democrat)
|
| Mississippi |
Theodore G. Bilbo |
Democrat |
Re-elected, unopposed |
|
| Missouri |
Harry S. Truman |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 51.2 - |
Manvel H. Davis (Republican) 48.7
W. F. Rinck (Socialist) 0.1
Theodore Baeff (Socialist Labor) 0.01
|
| Montana |
Burton K. Wheeler |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 73.4 - 26.6 |
E. K. Cheadle (Republican)
|
| Nebraska |
Edward R. Burke |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 57.0 - 41.5 |
Hugh Butler (Republican)
R. L. Cochran (Democrat)
|
| Nevada |
Key Pittman |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 60.5 - 39.5 |
Samuel Platt (Republican)
|
| New Jersey |
W. Warren Barbour |
Republican |
Re-elected, 55.1 - 44.1 |
James H. R. Cromwell (Democrat)
|
| New Mexico |
Dennis Chavez |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 56.0 - 44.1 |
Albert K. Mitchell (Republican)
|
| New York |
James M. Mead |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 53.3 - 46.7 |
Bruce Barton (Republican)
|
| North Dakota |
Lynn J. Frazier |
Republican |
Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 38.1 - 35.1 - 26.5 |
William Langer (Republican)
William Lemke (Independent)
Charles V. Vogel (Democrat)
|
| Ohio |
Vic Donahey |
Democrat |
Retired: Republican victory, 52.4 - 47.6 |
Harold H. Burton (Republican)
John McSweeney (Democrat)
|
| Pennsylvania |
Joseph F. Guffey |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 51.8 - 47.4 |
Jay Cooke (Republican)
|
| Rhode Island |
Peter G. Gerry |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 55.2 - 44.8 |
James O. McManus (Republican)
|
| Tennessee |
Kenneth D. McKellar |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 70.8 - 29.2 |
Howard H. Baker, Sr. (Republican)
|
| Texas |
Tom Connally |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 94.3 - 5.7 |
George I. Shannon (Republican)
|
| Utah |
William H. King |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 62.9 - 37.2 |
Abe Murdock (Democrat)
Philo T. Farnsworth, Jr. (Republican)
|
| Vermont |
Warren R. Austin |
Republican |
Re-elected, 66.5 - 33.6 |
Ona S. Searles (Democrat)
|
| Vermont4 |
Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. |
Republican |
Retired: Republican victory, 61.6 - 38.4 |
George D. Aiken (Republican)
Herbert B. Comings (Democrat)
|
| Virginia |
Harry F. Byrd |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 93.3 |
|
| Washington |
Lewis B. Schwellenbach |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, 54.2 - 45.8 |
Monrad Wallgren (Democrat)
Stephen F. Chadwick (Republican)
|
| West Virginia |
Rush D. Holt |
Democrat |
Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 56.3 - 43.7 |
Harley M. Kilgore (Democrat)
Thomas Sweeney (Republican)
|
| Wisconsin |
Robert M. La Follette, Jr. |
Progressive |
Re-elected, 45.3 - 41.4 - 13.2 |
Fred H. Clausen (Republican)
James E. Finnegan (Democrat)
|
| Wyoming |
Joseph C. O'Mahoney |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 58.7 - 41.3 |
Milward Simpson (Republican)
|
1 special election held due to death of William E. Borah (R-ID)
2 special election held due to death of James H. Lewis (D-IL)
3 special election held due to death of Marvel M. Logan (D-KY)
4 special election held due to death of Ernest W. Gibson (R-VT)
[edit] Senate composition before and after elections
[edit] See also
