1954 United States Senate elections

1954 U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Arkansas
	County results; McClellan: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%; McMath: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
U.S. senator before election; John L. McClellan; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; John L. McClellan; Democratic

1954 United States Senate election in Alabama
	County results; Sparkman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
U.S. senator before election; John Sparkman; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; John Sparkman; Democratic

1954 United States Senate elections
38 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate; 49 seats needed for a majority
	Results of the elections:; Democratic gain Democratic hold; Republican gain Republican hold; No electionRectangular inset (Neb., N. H. & N. C.): both seats up for election
Majority Leader before election; Bill Knowland; Republican	Elected Majority Leader ; Lyndon Johnson; Democratic

The 1954 United States Senate elections was a midterm election in the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. The 32 Senate seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and six special elections were held to fill vacancies. Eisenhower's Republican party lost a net of two seats to the Democratic opposition. This small change was just enough to give Democrats control of the chamber with the help of the Independent (Wayne Morse of Oregon) who at the start of this Congress in January 1955 agreed to caucus with them; he later officially joined the party in April 1955.

A contribution to the Republican reversal was backlash against GOP-driven McCarthyism and the numerous controversies it spawned, including the Army–McCarthy hearings. Other factors included a comment made in Detroit by Defense Secretary Charles Wilson, former president of General Motors, equating unemployed auto workers with "lazy kennel dogs who sit... and yell."^[2]

However, it has been pointed out that losses in the midterm election were considerably less than the White House party generally faces in the midterm elections, and this has been attributed to the overall popularity of President Eisenhower, who participated in the campaign along with Vice-President Richard Nixon and other members of the cabinet.^[3]

The elections resulted in a divided government that continued to the end of Eisenhower's presidency and a Democratic majority that would last until 1981. As of 2022^[update], this is the last Senate election cycle in which a state (both Nebraska and North Carolina) had to hold three simultaneous elections (two special elections and one regular election) due to the near-simultaneous deaths of both incumbent Senators.

Results summary

↓
48	1	47
Democratic	I	Republican

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.

Parties		Democratic	Republican	Independent	Other	Total
Parties						Total
Last elections (1952)		47	49	0	0	96
Before these elections		46	49	1	0	96
Not up		24	33	0	1	58
Up		22	16	0	—	38
	Class 2 (1948→1954)	20	12	—	—	32
	Special: Class 1	0	1	—	—	1
	Special: Class 3	2	3	—	—	5

Incumbent retired		2	4	—	—	6
	Held by same party	1	3	—	—	4
	Replaced by other party	1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat 1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican		—	—	2
	Result	2	4	0	0	6
Incumbent ran		20	12	—	—	32
	Won re-election	17	7	—	—	24
	Lost re-election	4 Republicans replaced by 4 Democrats 2 Democrats replaced by 2 Republicans		—	—	6
	Lost renomination but held by same party	1	1	—	—	2
	Result	22	10	0	0	32

Total elected		24	14	0	0	38
Net change		2	2			2

Nationwide vote		15,137,069	12,585,368	35,661	323,147	28,081,245
	Share	53.90%	44.82%	0.13%	1.15%	100%
Result		48	47	1	0	96

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives^[1]

Gains, losses and holds

Retirements

One Republican and one Democrat retired instead of seeking re-election. Two Republicans and one Democrat also retired instead of finishing the unexpired term.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Colorado	Edwin C. Johnson	Gordon Allott
Nebraska (regular)	Eva Bowring	Carl Curtis
Nebraska (special, Class 1)	Samuel W. Reynolds	Roman Hruska
Nebraska (special, Class 2)	Eva Bowring	Hazel Abel
New Jersey	Robert C. Hendrickson	Clifford P. Case
South Carolina	Charles E. Daniel	Strom Thurmond
Wyoming	Edward D. Crippa	Joseph C. O'Mahoney

Defeats

Three Republicans and two Democrats sought re-election, and two Republicans and one Democrat also sought election to finish the unexpired term, but lost in the primary or general election.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Iowa	Guy Gillette	Thomas E. Martin
Kentucky	John Sherman Cooper	Alben W. Barkley
Michigan	Homer S. Ferguson	Patrick V. McNamara
Nevada (special)	Ernest S. Brown	Alan Bible
New Hampshire (special)	Robert W. Upton	Norris Cotton
North Carolina (reg. and sp., Cl. 2)	Alton Lennon	W. Kerr Scott
Ohio (special)	Thomas A. Burke	George H. Bender
Oregon	Guy Cordon	Richard L. Neuberger

Party entrance

Wayne Morse (I-OR) who caucused with the Democrats, officially joined the party in April 1955.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Oregon	Wayne Morse	Wayne Morse

Post-election changes

State	Senator	Replaced by
Kentucky	Alben W. Barkley	Robert Humphreys
South Carolina	Strom Thurmond	Thomas A. Wofford
West Virginia	Harley M. Kilgore	William Laird III

Change in composition

Before the elections

		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 Ala. Ran	D₂₆ Ark. Ran	D₂₇ Colo. Retired	D₂₈ Del. Ran
D₃₈ N.C. (sp 3) Ran	D₃₇ N.C. (reg) N.C. (sp 2) Ran	D₃₆ N.M. Ran	D₃₅ Mont. Ran	D₃₄ Miss. Ran	D₃₃ Minn. Ran	D₃₂ La. Ran	D₃₁ Iowa Ran	D₃₀ Ill. Ran	D₂₉ Ga. Ran
D₃₉ Ohio (sp) Ran	D₄₀ Okla. Ran	D₄₁ R.I. Ran	D₄₂ S.C. Retired	D₄₃ Tenn. Ran	D₄₄ Texas Ran	D₄₅ Va. Ran	D₄₆ W.Va. Ran	I₁	R₄₉ Wyo. (reg) Wyo. (sp) Retired
Majority →									R₄₉ Wyo. (reg) Wyo. (sp) Retired
R₃₉ Mass. Ran	R₄₀ Mich. Ran	R₄₁ Neb. (reg) Neb. (sp 2) Retired	R₄₂ Neb. (sp 1) Retired	R₄₃ Nev. (sp) Ran	R₄₄ N.H. (reg) Ran	R₄₅ N.H. (sp) Ran	R₄₆ N.J. Retired	R₄₇ Ore. Ran	R₄₈ S.D. Ran
R₃₈ Me. Ran	R₃₇ Ky. Ran	R₃₆ Kan. Ran	R₃₅ Idaho Ran	R₃₄ Calif. (sp) Ran	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

Results of the elections

		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 Ala. Re-elected	D₂₆ Ark. Re-elected	D₂₇ Del. Re-elected	D₂₈ Ga. Re-elected
D₃₈ R.I. Re-elected	D₃₇ Okla. Re-elected	D₃₆ N.C. (sp 3) Elected^[c]	D₃₅ N.C. (reg) N.C. (sp 2) Hold	D₃₄ N.M. Re-elected	D₃₃ Mont. Re-elected	D₃₂ Miss. Re-elected	D₃₁ Minn. Re-elected	D₃₀ La. Re-elected	D₂₉ Ill. Re-elected
D₃₉ S.C. Hold	D₄₀ Tenn. Re-elected	D₄₁ Texas Re-elected	D₄₂ Va. Re-elected	D₄₃ W.Va. Re-elected	D₄₄ Ky. Gain	D₄₅ Mich. Gain	D₄₆ Nev. (sp) Gain^[d]	D₄₇ Ore. Gain	D₄₈ Wyo. (reg) Wyo. (sp) Gain
Majority with Independent in caucus ↑									I₁
R₃₉ Neb. (sp 2) Hold Neb. (reg) Hold	R₄₀ Neb. (sp 1) Hold	R₄₁ N.H. (reg) Re-elected	R₄₂ N.H. (sp) Hold	R₄₃ N.J. Hold	R₄₄ S.D. Re-elected	R₄₅ Colo. Gain	R₄₆ Iowa Gain	R₄₇ Ohio (sp) Gain^[d]	I₁
R₃₈ Mass. Re-elected	R₃₇ Me. Re-elected	R₃₆ Kan. Re-elected	R₃₅ Idaho Re-elected	R₃₄ Calif. (sp) Elected^[c]	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:

D_#	Democratic
I_#	Independent
R_#	Republican

Race summaries

Special elections during the 83rd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1954 or before January 3, 1955; ordered by election date, then state, then class.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
California (Class 3)	Thomas Kuchel	Republican	1953 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 2, 1954.	▌Y Thomas Kuchel (Republican) 53.2% ▌Sam Yorty (Democratic) 45.5% ▌Isobel M. Cerney (Progressive) 1.3%
Nebraska (Class 1)	Samuel W. Reynolds	Republican	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Republican hold.	▌Y Roman Hruska (Republican) 60.9% ▌James F. Green (Democratic) 39.1%
Nebraska (Class 2)	Eva Bowring	Republican	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. Republican hold.	▌Y Hazel Abel (Republican) 57.8% ▌William H. Meier (Democratic) 42.2%
Nevada (Class 3)	Ernest S. Brown	Republican	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost election. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Democratic gain.	▌Y Alan Bible (Democratic) 58.1% ▌Ernest S. Brown (Republican) 41.9%
New Hampshire (Class 3)	Robert W. Upton	Republican	1953 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Republican hold.	▌Y Norris Cotton (Republican) 60.2% ▌Stanley J. Betley (Democratic) 39.8%
North Carolina (Class 2)	Alton Lennon	Democratic	1953 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Democratic hold. Winner also elected to next term; see below.	▌Y W. Kerr Scott (Democratic) Unopposed
North Carolina (Class 3)	Sam Ervin	Democratic	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 2, 1954.	▌Y Sam Ervin (Democratic) Unopposed
Ohio (Class 3)	Thomas A. Burke	Democratic	1953 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost election. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Republican gain.	▌Y George H. Bender (Republican) 50.1% ▌Thomas A. Burke (Democratic) 49.9%
Wyoming (Class 2)	Edward D. Crippa	Republican	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. New senator elected November 2, 1954. Winner also elected to the next term; see below. Democratic gain.	▌Y Joseph C. O'Mahoney (Democratic) 51.6% ▌William Henry Harrison III (Republican) 48.4%^[4]

Races leading to the 84th Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on January 3, 1955; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	John Sparkman	Democratic	1946 (special) 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y John Sparkman (Democratic) 82.5% ▌Junius Foy Guin Jr. (Republican) 17.5%
Arkansas	John L. McClellan	Democratic	1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y John L. McClellan (Democratic) Unopposed
Colorado	Edwin C. Johnson	Democratic	1936 1942 1948	Incumbent retired to run for Governor. Republican gain.	▌Y Gordon Allott (Republican) 51.3% ▌John A. Carroll (Democratic) 48.7%
Delaware	J. Allen Frear Jr.	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y J. Allen Frear Jr. (Democratic) 56.9% ▌Herbert Warburton (Republican) 43.1%
Georgia	Richard Russell Jr.	Democratic	1932 (special) 1936 1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Richard Russell Jr. (Democratic) Unopposed
Idaho	Henry Dworshak	Republican	1946 (special) 1948 (Lost) 1949 (Appointed) 1950 (special)	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Henry Dworshak (Republican) 62.8% ▌Glen H. Taylor (Democratic) 37.2%
Illinois	Paul Douglas	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Paul Douglas (Democratic) 53.6% ▌Joseph T. Meek (Republican) 46.4%
Iowa	Guy Gillette	Democratic	1936 (special) 1938 1944 (Lost) 1948	Incumbent lost re-election. Republican gain.	▌Y Thomas E. Martin (Republican) 52.2% ▌Guy Gillette (Democratic) 47.5% ▌Ernest Seemann (Republicsons) 0.3%
Kansas	Andrew Frank Schoeppel	Republican	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Andrew Frank Schoeppel (Republican) 56.3% ▌George McGill (Democratic) 41.8% ▌David C. White (Prohibition) 1.8%
Kentucky	John Sherman Cooper	Republican	1946 (special) 1948 (Lost) 1952 (special)	Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain.	▌Y Alben W. Barkley (Democratic) 54.5% ▌John Sherman Cooper (Republican) 45.5%
Louisiana	Allen J. Ellender	Democratic	1936 1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Allen J. Ellender (Democratic) Unopposed
Maine	Margaret Chase Smith	Republican	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Margaret Chase Smith (Republican) 58.6% ▌Paul A. Fullam (Democratic) 41.4%
Massachusetts	Leverett Saltonstall	Republican	1944 (special) 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 50.5% ▌Foster Furcolo (Democratic) 49.0%
Michigan	Homer S. Ferguson	Republican	1942 1948	Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain.	▌Y Patrick V. McNamara (Democratic) 50.8% ▌Homer S. Ferguson (Republican) 48.9%
Minnesota	Hubert Humphrey	DFL	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Hubert Humphrey (DFL) 56.4% ▌Val Bjornson (Republican) 42.1%
Mississippi	James Eastland	Democratic	1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y James Eastland (Democratic) Unopposed
Montana	James E. Murray	Democratic	1934 (special) 1936 1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y James E. Murray (Democratic) 50.4% ▌Wesley A. D'Ewart (Republican) 49.6%
Nebraska	Eva Bowring	Republican	1954 (special)	Interim appointee retired. Republican hold. Winner was not elected to finish the term; see above. Successor seated January 1, 1955.	▌Y Carl Curtis (Republican) 61.1% ▌Keith Neville (Democratic) 38.9%
New Hampshire	Styles Bridges	Republican	1936 1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Styles Bridges (Republican) 60.2% ▌Gerard L. Morin (Democratic) 39.8%
New Jersey	Robert C. Hendrickson	Republican	1948	Incumbent retired. Republican hold.	▌Y Clifford P. Case (Republican) 48.7% ▌Charles R. Howell (Democratic) 48.5%
New Mexico	Clinton Anderson	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Clinton Anderson (Democratic) 57.3% ▌Edwin L. Mechem (Republican) 42.7%
North Carolina	Alton Lennon	Democratic	1953 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination. Democratic hold. Winner also elected to finish the term; see above.	▌Y W. Kerr Scott (Democratic) 65.90% ▌Paul C. West (Republican) 34.10%
Oklahoma	Robert S. Kerr	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 55.8% ▌Fred M. Mock (Republican) 43.7% Others ▌George V. Fried (Independent) 0.3% ▌George H. Brasier (Independent) 0.2%
Oregon	Guy Cordon	Republican	1944 (Appointed) 1944 (special) 1948	Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain.	▌Y Richard L. Neuberger (Democratic) 50.2% ▌Guy Cordon (Republican) 49.8%
Rhode Island	Theodore F. Green	Democratic	1936 1942 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Theodore F. Green (Democratic) 59.3% ▌Walter I. Sundlun (Republican) 40.7%
South Carolina	Charles E. Daniel	Democratic	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. Democratic hold. Incumbent then resigned December 23, 1954, to give successor preferential seniority. Winner appointed December 24 to finish the term.	▌Y Strom Thurmond (Democratic) 63.1% ▌Edgar Allan Brown (Democratic) 36.8%
South Dakota	Karl Mundt	Republican	1948 1948 (Appointed)	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Karl Mundt (Republican) 57.3% ▌Kenneth Holum (Democratic) 42.7%
Tennessee	Estes Kefauver	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Estes Kefauver (Democratic) 70.0% ▌Tom Wall (Republican) 30.0%
Texas	Lyndon B. Johnson	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) 84.6% ▌Carlos G. Watson (Republican) 14.9% ▌Fred Spangler (Constitution) 0.5%
Virginia	A. Willis Robertson	Democratic	1946 (special) 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y A. Willis Robertson (Democratic) 79.9% ▌Charles W. Lewis Jr. (Ind. Democratic) 10.7% ▌Clarke T. Robb (Social Democratic) 9.4%
West Virginia	Matthew M. Neely	Democratic	1922 1928 (Lost) 1930 1936 1941 (Resigned) 1948	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) 54.8% ▌Thomas Sweeney (Republican) 45.2%
Wyoming	Edward D. Crippa	Republican	1954 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. Democratic gain. Winner also elected to finish the term; see above.	▌Y Joseph C. O'Mahoney (Democratic) 51.5% ▌William Henry Harrison III (Republican) 48.5%^[4]

Closest races

Twelve races had a margin of victory under 10%:

State	Party of winner	Margin
Ohio (special)	Republican (flip)	0.12%
New Jersey	Republican	0.19%
Oregon	Democratic (flip)	0.4%^[e]
Montana	Democratic	0.8%
Massachusetts	Republican	1.5%
Michigan	Democratic (flip)	1.9%
Colorado	Republican (flip)	2.6%
Wyoming	Democratic (flip)	3.2%
Iowa	Republican (flip)	4.7%
California (special)	Republican	7.7%
Kentucky	Democratic (flip)	9.0%
West Virginia	Democratic	9.6%

Alabama

Alabama election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Sparkman (Incumbent)	259,348	82.47
	Republican	J. Foy Guin Jr.	55,110	17.53
Majority			204,438	64.96
Turnout			314,458
	Democratic hold

Arkansas

Arkansas election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John L. McClellan (Incumbent)	291,058	100.00
	Democratic hold

California (special)

1954 United States Senate special election in California

← 1950

November 2, 1954

1956 →


Nominee	Thomas Kuchel	Sam Yorty
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	2,090,836	1,788,071
Percentage	53.21%	45.50%

County results:

Thomas Kuchel: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%

Sam Yorty: 50-60%

U.S. senator before election

Thomas Kuchel
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Thomas Kuchel
Republican

Following the resignation of Richard Nixon to assume the vice presidency, Governor Earl Warren appointed Thomas Kuchel to Nixon's seat; Kuchel assumed the office on January 2, 1953.^[5]

California election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Thomas Kuchel (Incumbent)	2,090,836	53.2
	Democratic	Sam Yorty	1,788,071	45.5
	Independent–Progressive	Isobel M. Cerney	50,506	1.3
	None	Scattering	255	0.00
Majority			302,765	7.7
Turnout			3,929,668
	Republican hold

Colorado

1954 United States Senate election in Colorado

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Gordon Allott	John A. Carroll
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	248,502	235,686
Percentage	51.32%	48.68%

County results
Allott: 50–60% 60–70%
Carroll: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Edwin C. Johnson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Gordon Allott
Republican

Colorado election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Gordon Allott	248,502	51.32
	Democratic	John A. Carroll	235,686	48.68
Majority			12,816	2.64
Turnout			484,188
	Republican gain from Democratic

Delaware

1954 United States Senate election in Delaware

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	J. Allen Frear Jr.	Herbert B. Warburton
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	82,511	62,389
Percentage	56.94%	43.06%

County results
Frear: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

J. Allen Frear Jr.
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

J. Allen Frear Jr.
Democratic

Delaware election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	J. Allen Frear (Incumbent)	82,511	56.94
	Republican	Herbert B. Warburton	62,389	43.06
Majority			20,122	13.88
Turnout			144,900
	Democratic hold

Georgia

1954 U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Georgia

← 1948

September 8, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Richard Russell Jr.
Party	Democratic
Electoral vote	410
Popular vote	619,129
Percentage	100.00%

County results
Russell: >90%

U.S. senator before election

Richard Russell Jr.
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Richard Russell Jr.
Democratic

Georgia election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard B. Russell (Incumbent)	333,917	99.99
	None	Scattering	19	0.01
Majority			333,898	99.98
Turnout			333,936
	Democratic hold

Idaho

Idaho election

← 1948

1960 →


Nominee	Henry Dworshak	Glen H. Taylor
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	142,269	84,139
Percentage	62.84%	37.16%

County results
Dworshak: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Taylor: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Henry Dworshak
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Henry Dworshak
Republican

In Idaho, Republican Incumbent Henry Dworshak defeated Glen H. Taylor, who had previously represented Idaho in the Senate from 1945 to 1951. Allegations of Communist ties were used against Taylor by Dworshak and other Republicans to win the election.^[6]

Idaho election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henry Dworshak (Incumbent)	142,269	62.84%
	Democratic	Glen H. Taylor	84,139	37.16%
Majority			58,130	25.68%
Turnout			226,408
	Republican hold

Illinois

1954 United States Senate election in Illinois

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →

Turnout

63.69%


Nominee	Paul Douglas	Joseph T. Meek
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	1,804,338	1,563,683
Percentage	53.57%	46.43%

County results
Douglas: 50–60% 60–70%
Meeks: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Paul Douglas
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Paul Douglas
Democratic

Illinois election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul H. Douglas (Incumbent)	1,804,338	53.57
	Republican	Joseph T. Meek	1,563,683	46.43
Majority			240,655	7.14
Turnout			3,368,021
	Democratic hold

Iowa

1954 United States Senate election in Iowa

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Thomas E. Martin	Guy Gillette
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	442,409	402,712
Percentage	52.21%	47.53%

County results
Martin:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Gillette:      50–60%      60–70%
Tie:      40–50%

U.S. senator before election

Guy Gillette
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Thomas E. Martin
Republican

Iowa election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Thomas E. Martin	442,409	52.21
	Democratic	Guy Gillette (Incumbent)	402,712	47.53
	Republicsons	Ernest Seeman	2,234	0.26
Majority			39,697	4.68
Turnout			847,355
	Republican gain from Democratic

Kansas

1954 United States Senate election in Kansas

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Andrew F. Schoeppel	George McGill
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	348,144	258,575
Percentage	56.33%	41.84%

County results
Schoeppel: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
McGill: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Andrew F. Schoeppel
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Andrew F. Schoeppel
Republican

General election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Andrew Schoeppel (Incumbent)	348,144	56.33
	Democratic	George McGill	258,575	41.84
	Prohibition	David C. White	11,344	1.84
Majority			89,569	14.49
Turnout			618,063
	Republican hold

Kentucky

1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky

← 1952 (special)

November 2, 1954

1956 (special) →


Nominee	Alben Barkley	John Sherman Cooper
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	434,109	362,948
Percentage	54.46%	45.54%

County results
Barkley: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Cooper: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%

U.S. senator before election

John Sherman Cooper
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Alben Barkley
Democratic

Kentucky election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alben Barkley	434,109	54.46
	Republican	John Sherman Cooper (Incumbent)	362,948	45.54
Majority			71,161	8.92
Turnout			797,057
	Democratic gain from Republican

Louisiana

1954 Democratic Senate primary election in Louisiana

← 1948

July 27, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Allen Ellender	Frank B. Ellis
Party	Democratic	Democratic
Popular vote	268,054	162,775
Percentage	59.15%	35.92%

Parish results
Ellender: 30–40% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
Ellis: 50-60%

U.S. senator before election

Allen Ellender
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Allen Ellender
Democratic

Louisiana election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Allen J. Ellender (Incumbent)	207,115	100.00
	Democratic hold

Maine

1954 United States Senate election in Maine

← 1948

September 13, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Margaret Chase Smith	Paul Fullam
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	144,530	102,075
Percentage	58.61%	41.39%

County results
Smith: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Fullam: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Margaret Chase Smith
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Margaret Chase Smith
Republican

Maine election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Margaret Chase Smith (Incumbent)	144,530	58.61
	Democratic	Paul A. Fullam	102,075	41.39
Majority			42,455	17.22
Turnout			246,605
	Republican hold

Massachusetts

1954 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Leverett Saltonstall	Foster Furcolo
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	956,605	927,899
Percentage	50.54%	49.03%

Saltonstall

50–60%

60–70%

70–80%

80–90%

90–100%

Furcolo

50–60%

60–70%

70–80%

Senator before election

Leverett Saltonstall
Republican

Elected Senator

Leverett Saltonstall
Republican

In Massachusetts, Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall defeated his challengers.

Democrat Foster Furcolo (Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts since 1952 and member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district from 1949 to 1952) beat John I. Fitzgerald (former member of the Boston City Council and Democratic candidate for Senate in 1948) and Joseph L. Murphy (former member of the Massachusetts Senate).

Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall (United States senator since 1945 and Governor of Massachusetts from 1939 to 1945) was renominated. Other nominees included Socialist Workers Thelma Ingersoll (ran for Senate in 1952.^[7]) and Prohibition Harold J. Ireland (candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General in 1948 and 1952).

Democratic primary ^[8]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Foster Furcolo	207,232	59.13
Democratic	Joseph L. Murphy	79,463	22.68
Democratic	John I. Fitzgerald	63,752	18.19

General election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Leverett Saltonstall (Incumbent)	956,605	50.54	−2.41%
	Democratic	Foster Furcolo	927,899	49.03	+2.60%
	Socialist Labor	Thelma Ingersoll	5,353	0.28	−0.17%
	Prohibition	Harold J. Ireland	2,832	0.15	−0.03%
	None	Scattering	21	0.00
Majority			28,706	1.52
Turnout			1,892,710
	Republican hold		Swing

Michigan

1954 United States Senate election in Michigan

← 1948

1960 →


Nominee	Patrick V. McNamara	Homer S. Ferguson
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	1,088,550	1,049,420
Percentage	50.75%	48.93%

County results
McNamara: 50–60% 60–70%
Ferguson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Homer S. Ferguson
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Patrick V. McNamara
Democratic

Michigan election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patrick V. McNamara	1,088,550	50.75
	Republican	Homer S. Ferguson (Incumbent)	1,049,420	48.93
	Prohibition	Leroy M. Lowell	4,841	0.23
	Socialist Labor	James Sim	1,126	0.05
	Socialist Workers	Rita Shaw	902	0.04
	None	Scattering	1	0.00
Majority			39,130	1.82
Turnout			2,144,840
	Democratic gain from Republican

Minnesota

1954 United States Senate election in Minnesota

← 1948

1960 →


Nominee	Hubert H. Humphrey	Val Bjornson
Party	Democratic (DFL)	Republican
Popular vote	642,193	479,619
Percentage	56.39%	42.11%

County results
Humphrey: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Bjornson: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70%

U.S. senator before election

Hubert H. Humphrey
Democratic (DFL)

Elected U.S. Senator

Hubert H. Humphrey
Democratic (DFL)

Minnesota election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic (DFL)	Hubert Humphrey (Incumbent)	642,193	56.38
	Republican	Val Bjornson	479,619	42.11
	Liberal Independent	Francis Patrick Ryan	12,457	1.09
	Socialist Workers	Vincent R. Dunne	4,683	0.41
Majority			162,574	14.27
Turnout			1,138,952
	Democratic (DFL) hold

Mississippi

Mississippi election

← 1948

1960 →


Nominee	James Eastland	James A. White
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	100,848	4,678
Percentage	95.6%	4.43%

County results
Eastland: 80-90% 90-100%

U.S. senator before election

James Eastland
Democratic

Elected U.S. senator

James Eastland
Democratic

Mississippi election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James Eastland (Incumbent)	100,848	95.57
	Republican	James A. White	4,678	4.43
Majority			96,070	91.14
Turnout			105,526
	Democratic hold

Montana

1954 United States Senate election in Montana

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	James E. Murray	Wesley A. D'Ewart
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	114,591	112,863
Percentage	50.38%	49.62%

County results
Murray: 50–60% 60–70%
D'Ewart: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

James E. Murray
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

James E. Murray
Democratic

In Montana incumbent senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936, 1942, and 1948, ran for re-election.

Murray won the Democratic primary against trivial opponents (farmer Ray E. Gulick and Sam G. Feezell).

Democratic Party primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James E. Murray (Incumbent)	65,896	86.94
	Democratic	Ray E. Gulick	4,961	6.55
	Democratic	Sam G. Feezell	4,941	6.52
Total votes			75,798	100.00

Republican Wesley A. D'Ewart United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district beat Robert Yellowtail, former Superintendent of the Crow Indian Reservation, for the GOP nomination.

Republican Primary results^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Wesley A. D'Ewart	49,964	82.36
	Republican	Robert Yellowtail	10,705	17.64
Total votes			60,669	100.00

A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate.

Montana election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	James E. Murray (Incumbent)	114,591	50.38	−6.27%
	Republican	Wesley A. D'Ewart	112,863	49.62	+6.88%
Majority			1,728	0.76	−13.15%
Turnout			227,454
	Democratic hold		Swing

Nebraska

Nebraska had three Senate elections on the ballot. Both incumbents had died in the span of three months, leading to appointments and special elections.

Nebraska (special, class 1)

1954 United States Senate Class I special election in Nebraska

← 1952

November 2, 1954

1958 →


Nominee	Roman Hruska	James F. Green
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	250,341	160,881
Percentage	60.88%	39.12%

County results
Hruska: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Green: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Samuel W. Reynolds
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Roman Hruska
Republican

Incumbent Republican Hugh A. Butler died July 1, 1954, and governor Robert B. Crosby appointed Republican Samuel W. Reynolds on July 3 to continue the term. Reynolds did not run to finish the term, and Republican Roman Hruska won the seat in November to finish the term ending in 1959.

Nebraska class 1 special election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Roman Hruska	250,341	60.88
	Democratic	James F. Green	160,881	39.12
	None	Scattering	3	0.00
Majority			89,460	21.76
Turnout			411,225
	Republican hold

Nebraska (special, class 2)

1954 United States Senate Class II special election in Nebraska

← 1952 (special)

November 2, 1954

1954 →


Nominee	Hazel Abel	William H. Meier
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	233,589	170,828
Percentage	57.76%	42.24%

County results
Abel: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Meier: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Eva Bowring
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Hazel Abel
Republican

Second-term Republican Kenneth S. Wherry was re-elected in 1948, but died on November 29, 1951. Governor Val Peterson appointed Fred A. Seaton to fill the seat temporarily. After Seaton chose not to run to continue the term, former governor Dwight P. Griswold elected to fill the remaining two years of the term, but died April 12, 1954, and Republican Eva Bowring was appointed April 16 by governor Crosby to continue Wherry's term. In November, Republican Hazel Abel was elected to finish the term.

Nebraska class 2 special election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hazel Abel	233,589	57.76
	Democratic	William H. Meier	170,828	42.24
	None	Scattering	5	0.00
Majority			62,761	15.52
Turnout			404,422
	Republican hold

Nebraska (regular)

1954 United States Senate election in Nebraska

← 1954 (special)

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Carl Curtis	Keith Neville
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	255,695	162,990
Percentage	61.07%	38.93%

County results
Curtis: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Neville: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Hazel Abel
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Carl Curtis
Republican

Although elected to finish the class 2 term, Abel did not run for the next term, and Republican Carl Curtis was elected in November to the next term.

Nebraska general election (class 2)^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Carl T. Curtis	255,695	61.07
	Democratic	Keith Neville	162,990	38.93
	None	Scattering	6	0.00
Majority			92,705	22.14
Turnout			418,691
	Republican hold

On December 31, 1954, Abel resigned and Curtis was appointed January 1, 1955, two days ahead of his elected term.

Nevada (special)

1954 United States Senate special election in Nevada

← 1950

November 2, 1954

1956 →


Nominee	Alan Bible	Ernest S. Brown
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	45,043	32,470
Percentage	58.11%	41.89%

County results
Bible: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Brown: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Ernest S. Brown
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Alan Bible
Democratic

Nevada election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alan Bible	45,043	58.11
	Republican	Ernest S. Brown (Incumbent)	32,470	41.89
Majority			12,573	16.22
Turnout			77,513
	Democratic gain from Republican

New Hampshire

New Hampshire (regular)

1954 United States Senate election in New Hampshire

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Styles Bridges	Gerald L. Morin
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	117,150	77,386
Percentage	60.22%	39.78%

County results
Bridges: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%

U.S. senator before election

Styles Bridges
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Styles Bridges
Republican

New Hampshire election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Styles Bridges (Incumbent)	117,150	60.22
	Democratic	Gerard L. Morin	77,386	39.78
Majority			39,764	20.44
Turnout			194,536
	Republican hold

New Hampshire (special)

1954 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire

← 1950

November 2, 1954

1956 →


Nominee	Norris Cotton	Stanley J. Betley
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	114,068	75,490
Percentage	60.18%	39.82%

County results

Cotton: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%

Betley: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Robert W. Upton
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Norris Cotton
Republican

New Hampshire election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Norris Cotton	114,068	60.18
	Democratic	Stanley J. Betley	75,490	39.82
Majority			38,578	20.36
Turnout			189,558
	Republican hold

New Jersey

New Jersey election

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Clifford P. Case	Charles R. Howell
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	861,528	858,158
Percentage	48.66%	48.47%

County Results
Case: 40–50% 50-60% 60-70%
Howell: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Robert C. Hendrickson
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Clifford P. Case
Republican

New Jersey election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Clifford Case (Incumbent)	861,528	48.66
	Democratic	Charles R. Howell	858,158	48.47
	American Third	Henry Krajewski	35,421	2.00
	Write-In	Fred A. Hartley	7,025	0.40
	Socialist Labor	Albert Ronis	4,832	0.27
	Socialist Workers	George Breitman	3,590	0.20
Majority			3,370	0.19
Turnout			1,770,554
	Republican hold

New Mexico

1954 United States Senate election in New Mexico

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Clinton Anderson	Edwin L. Mechem
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	111,351	83,671
Percentage	57.10%	42.90%

County results
Anderson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Mechem

50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Clinton Anderson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Clinton Anderson
Democratic

New Mexico election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Clinton P. Anderson (Incumbent)	111,351	57.10
	Republican	Edwin L. Mechem	83,671	42.90
Majority			27,680	14.20
Turnout			195,022
	Democratic hold

North Carolina

Like Nebraska, North Carolina, had three elections on the ballot. Both senators had died during the 83rd Congress, leading to appointments and special elections.

North Carolina (special, class 2)

Democrat Willis Smith died June 26, 1953, and Democrat Alton A. Lennon was appointed July 10 to continue the term. In November, Lennon lost the nomination to Democrat W. Kerr Scott to finish the term.^[10] Scott took office November 29, 1954.

North Carolina class 2 special election^[1]^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	W. Kerr Scott	420,268	100.00
	Democratic hold

North Carolina (regular)

1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina

← 1950 (special)

November 2, 1954

1958 (special) →


Nominee	W. Kerr Scott	Paul C. West
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	408,312	211,322
Percentage	65.90%	34.10%

County results
Scott: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90-100%
West: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

Senator before election

Alton A. Lennon
Democratic

Elected Senator

W. Kerr Scott
Democratic

Democrat W. Kerr Scott was also elected to the next term, which would begin January 3, 1955.^[12]

North Carolina (class 2) general election^[1]^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	W. Kerr Scott	408,312	65.90
	Republican	Paul C. West	211,322	34.10
Majority			196,990	31.80
Turnout			619,634
	Democratic hold

North Carolina (special, class 3)

Democrat Clyde R. Hoey died May 12, 1954, and Democrat Sam Ervin was appointed June 5 to continue the term. In November, Ervin was elected to finish the term.

North Carolina class 3 special election^[1]^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Samuel J. Ervin Jr. (Incumbent)	410,574	100.00
	Democratic hold

Ohio (special)

1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio

← 1950

November 6, 1954

1956 →


Nominee	George H. Bender	Thomas A. Burke
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	1,257,874	1,254,904
Percentage	50.06%	49.94%

County results
Bender: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Burke: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Thomas A. Burke
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

George H. Bender
Republican

Ohio election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	George H. Bender	1,257,874	50.06
	Democratic	Thomas A. Burke (Incumbent)	1,254,904	49.94
Majority			2,970	0.12
Turnout			2,512,778
	Republican gain from Democratic

Oklahoma

1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Robert S. Kerr	Fred M. Mock
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	335,127	262,013
Percentage	55.84%	43.66%

County results
Kerr: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Mock: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Robert S. Kerr
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Robert S. Kerr
Democratic

Oklahoma election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert S. Kerr (Incumbent)	335,127	55.84
	Republican	Fred M. Mock	262,013	43.66
	Independent	George V. Fried	1,563	0.26
	Independent	George H. Brasier	1,417	0.24
Majority			73,114	12.18
Turnout			600,120
	Democratic hold

Oregon

1954 United States Senate election in Oregon

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Richard L. Neuberger	Guy Cordon
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	285,775	283,313
Percentage	50.22%	49.78%

County results
Neuberger: 50–60% 60–70%
Cordon: 50-60% 60-70%

Senator before election

Guy Cordon
Republican

Elected Senator

Richard L. Neuberger
Democratic

Oregon election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard L. Neuberger	285,775	50.22
	Republican	Guy Cordon (Incumbent)	283,313	49.78
Majority			2,462	0.44
Turnout			569,088
	Democratic gain from Republican

Rhode Island

1954 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Theodore F. Green	Walter I. Sundlun
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	193,654	132,970
Percentage	59.29%	40.71%

Green: 50–60% 60–70%
Sundlun: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Theodore F. Green
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Theodore F. Green
Democratic

Rhode Island election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Theodore Francis Green (Incumbent)	193,654	59.29
	Republican	Walter I. Sundlun	132,970	40.71
Majority			60,684	18.58
Turnout			326,624
	Democratic hold

South Carolina

1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1956 (special) →


Candidate	Strom Thurmond	Edgar A. Brown
Party	Democratic	Democratic
Popular vote	143,444	83,525
Percentage	63.13%	36.76%

Thurmond: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Brown: 50-60% 60-70% >90%

U.S. senator before election

Charles E. Daniel
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Strom Thurmond
Democratic

In South Carolina, Senator Burnet R. Maybank did not face a primary challenge in the summer and was therefore renominated as the Democratic Party's nominee for the election in the fall. However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A. Brown as their candidate for the election. Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate. He easily won the election and became the first U.S. senator to be elected by a write-in vote (William Knowland of California in 1946 was technically the first, but the ballots in that election were blank with no candidates listed, so essentially every candidate was running a write-in campaign).^[15]

Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election. His unexpected death on September 1 caused panic and confusion within the hierarchy of the state Democratic party because the state law required that a party's nominee be certified by September 3. Hours after Maybank's funeral, the state Democratic executive committee met in secret and chose state Senator Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell County as the party's nominee for the general election. Not only was Brown a part of the "Barnwell Ring", but he was also a member of the executive committee.

The state Democratic Party's decision to choose a candidate without holding a special primary election drew widespread criticism across the state. On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit. At least six county Democratic committees repudiated the action by the state committee and called for a primary election. Despite repeated calls for a primary, the state executive committee voted against holding a primary because they did not think that there was enough time before the general election to hold a primary election.

Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates. Thurmond and his supporters stated that the executive committee had several legal alternatives as opposed to the outright appointment of state Senator Brown. In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term.

Thurmond received support from Governor James F. Byrnes and from those who backed his Presidential bid as a Dixiecrat in the 1948 Presidential election. Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule"^[16] and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson. For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote. Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown.

On the other hand, Brown was supported by the Democratic party regulars and he also gained the endorsement of Senator Olin D. Johnston. Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952.

Marcus A. Stone, a lumberman in Florence and Dillon, was a candidate in previous Democratic primaries for governor and senator. He did very little campaigning for the general election.

South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1954
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Write-in	Strom Thurmond (Write-In)	143,444	63.13	+63.13
	Democratic	Edgar A. Brown	83,525	36.76	−59.64
	Write-in	Marcus Stone (Write-In)	240	0.11	+0.11
	No party	Write-Ins	23	0.00	0.00
Majority			59,919	26.37	−66.43
Turnout			227,232
	Democratic hold

South Dakota

1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Karl E. Mundt	Kenneth Holum
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	135,071	100,674
Percentage	57.30%	42.70%

County results
Mundt: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Holum: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

South Dakota election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Karl Mundt (Incumbent)	135,071	57.30
	Democratic	Kenneth Holum	100,674	42.70
Majority			34,397	14.60
Turnout			235,745
	Republican hold

Tennessee

1954 United States Senate election in Tennessee

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Estes Kefauver	Thomas P. Wall Jr
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	249,121	106,971
Percentage	69.96%	30.04%

Kefauver: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
Wall Jr: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

Senator before election

Estes Kefauver
Democratic

Elected Senator

Estes Kefauver
Democratic

Tennessee election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Estes Kefauver (Incumbent)	249,121	69.96
	Republican	Thomas P. Wall Jr.	106,971	30.04
	None	Write-Ins	2	0.00
Majority			142,150	39.92
Turnout			356,094
	Democratic hold

Texas

1954 United States Senate election in Texas

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Lyndon B. Johnson	Carlos Watson
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	538,417	95,033
Percentage	84.59%	14.93%

Johnson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
Watson: 80–90%

U.S. senator before election

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic

Texas election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lyndon Johnson (Incumbent)	538,417	84.59
	Republican	Carlos Watson	95,033	14.93
	Constitution	Fred T. Spangler	3,025	0.48
Majority			443,384	69.66
Turnout			636,475
	Democratic hold

Virginia

1954 United States Senate election in Virginia

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Absalom Willis Robertson	Charles W. Lewis, Jr.	Clarke T. Robb
Party	Democratic	Independent Democrat	Independent
Popular vote	244,844	32,681	28,922
Percentage	79.88%	10.66%	9.44%

County and independent city results
Robertson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
Lewis: 40-50%

U.S. senator before election

Absalom Willis Robertson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Absalom Willis Robertson
Democratic

In Virginia, Democratic incumbent Senator A. Willis Robertson defeated Independent Democrat Charles Lewis and Social Democrat Clarke Robb and was re-elected to a third term in office.

Virginia election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	A. Willis Robertson (Incumbent)	244,844	79.88	+14.14%
	Independent Democratic	Charles W. Lewis Jr.	32,681	10.66	+10.66%
	Social Democratic	Clarke T. Robb	28,922	9.44	+9.02%
	Write-ins		63	0.02	+0.02%
Majority			212,163	69.22	+34.18%
Turnout			306,510
	Democratic hold		Swing

West Virginia

1954 United States Senate election in West Virginia

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1958 (special) →


Nominee	Matthew M. Neely	Thomas Sweeney
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	325,263	268,066
Percentage	54.82%	45.18%

County results
Neely: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Sweeney: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Matthew M. Neely
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Matthew M. Neely
Democratic

West Virginia election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Matthew M. Neely (Incumbent)	325,263	54.82
	Republican	Thomas Sweeney	268,066	45.18
Majority			57,197	9.64
Turnout			593,329
	Democratic hold

Wyoming

There were two elections the same day to the same seat, due to the June 19, 1954, death of Democrat Lester C. Hunt. Both elections were won by Democratic former senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney.

Wyoming (special)

Republican Edward D. Crippa was appointed June 24, 1954, to continue the term, pending a November 2 special election.

Wyoming special election, November 2, 1954^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joseph C. O'Mahoney	57,163	51.56
	Republican	William Henry Harrison III	53,705	48.44
Majority			3,458	3.12
Turnout			110,868
	Democratic gain from Republican

Wyoming (regular)

1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming

← 1948

November 2, 1954

1960 →


Nominee	Joseph C. O'Mahoney	William Henry Harrison III
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	57,845	54,407
Percentage	51.53%	48.47%

County results
O'Mahoney: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Harrison: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Edward D. Crippa
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Joseph C. O'Mahoney
Democratic

Wyoming general election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joseph C. O'Mahoney	57,845	51.53
	Republican	William Henry Harrison III	54,407	48.47
Majority			3,438	3.06
Turnout			112,252
	Democratic gain from Republican

O'Mahoney would serve out the remainder of Hunt's term followed by this one term and then retire after 1960.

Notes

^ Maine held its election in September
^ Independent Wayne Morse, who sided with the Republicans in the last Congress to allow them to keep control of the Senate, began caucusing with the Democrats at the start of this next Congress on January 3, 1955.
^ ^a ^b Appointee elected
^ ^a ^b Appointee defeated
^ Oregon was the "tipping-point state".

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (October 15, 1955). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1954" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 2, 4, 20–21, 28–29, 30–31, 43.
^ Ambrose, Stephen (1991). Eisenhower: Soldier and President. Simon and Schuster. p. 375. ISBN 9780671747589.
^ Ambrose, Stephen (1991). Eisenhower: Soldier and President. Simon and Schuster. p. 375. ISBN 9780671747589.
^ ^a ^b "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page". www.ourcampaigns.com.
^ "SENATORS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1789-present, A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789" (PDF). United States Senate. p. 63. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
^ Beal, Merrill (March 1959). "The 1954 Election in Idaho". The Western Political Quarterly. 12 (1): 309–312. doi:10.2307/442811. JSTOR 442811 – via JSTOR.
^ Thelma Ingersoll at ourcampaigns.com
^ "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1960". www.ourcampaigns.com.
^ ^a ^b "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, July 20, 1954" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
^ "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - Special D Primary Race - May 29, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 02, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - D Primary Race - May 29, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate Race - Nov 02, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 02, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ Wilgoren, Debbi (November 3, 2010). "Murkowski appears to make history in Alaska". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
^ Lander, Ernest: A History of South Carolina 1865-1960, page 183. University of South Carolina Press, 1970.

Sources

"A New Test For S.C. Voters". The News and Courier. November 2, 1954. p. 1A.
"Brown Faces Thurmond In Write-In Race". The News and Courier. November 2, 1954. p. 1A.
Lander, Ernest McPherson Jr. (1970). A History of South Carolina, 1865-1960. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 182–184. ISBN 0-87249-169-2.
"Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of South Carolina to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1955, pp. 4–5.
U.S. Senate Biography of Strom Thurmond

[1] Maine held its election in September

[Indy-3] Independent Wayne Morse, who sided with the Republicans in the last Congress to allow them to keep control of the Senate, began caucusing with the Democrats at the start of this next Congress on January 3, 1955.

[Appointee_elected-6] Appointee elected

[Appointee_defeated-7] Appointee defeated

[9] Oregon was the "tipping-point state".

[Clerk-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (October 15, 1955). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1954" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 2, 4, 20–21, 28–29, 30–31, 43.

[4] Ambrose, Stephen (1991). Eisenhower: Soldier and President. Simon and Schuster. p. 375. ISBN 9780671747589.

[5] Ambrose, Stephen (1991). Eisenhower: Soldier and President. Simon and Schuster. p. 375. ISBN 9780671747589.

[Wyoming-8] "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page". www.ourcampaigns.com.

[10] "SENATORS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1789-present, A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789" (PDF). United States Senate. p. 63. Retrieved November 28, 2020.

[11] Beal, Merrill (March 1959). "The 1954 Election in Idaho". The Western Political Quarterly. 12 (1): 309–312. doi:10.2307/442811. JSTOR 442811 – via JSTOR.

[12] Thelma Ingersoll at ourcampaigns.com

[13] "Our Campaigns - MA US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1960". www.ourcampaigns.com.

[Primary_election_results-14] "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, July 20, 1954" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2014.

[15] "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - Special D Primary Race - May 29, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

[16] "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 02, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

[17] "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - D Primary Race - May 29, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

[18] "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate Race - Nov 02, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

[19] "Our Campaigns - NC US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 02, 1954". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

[20] Wilgoren, Debbi (November 3, 2010). "Murkowski appears to make history in Alaska". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 3, 2010.

[21] Lander, Ernest: A History of South Carolina 1865-1960, page 183. University of South Carolina Press, 1970.

[a]

[1]

[b]

[2]

[3]

[c]

[d]

[4]

[e]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

Results summary

Gains, losses and holds

Retirements

Defeats

Party entrance

Post-election changes

Change in composition

Before the elections

Results of the elections

Race summaries

Special elections during the 83rd Congress

Races leading to the 84th Congress

Closest races

Alabama

Arkansas

California (special)

Colorado

Delaware

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

Nebraska (special, class 1)

Nebraska (special, class 2)

Nebraska (regular)

Nevada (special)

New Hampshire

New Hampshire (regular)

New Hampshire (special)

New Jersey

New Mexico

North Carolina

North Carolina (special, class 2)

North Carolina (regular)

North Carolina (special, class 3)

Ohio (special)

Oklahoma

Oregon

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

West Virginia

Wyoming

Wyoming (special)

Wyoming (regular)

See also

Notes

References

Sources