1936 United States Senate elections

The 1936 United States Senate elections coincided with the reelection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 32 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. The Great Depression continued and voters backed progressive candidates favoring Roosevelt's New Deal in races across the country. The Democrats gained 5 net seats during the election, and in combination with Democratic and Farmer–Labor interim appointments and the defection of George W. Norris from the Republican Party to become independent, the Republicans were reduced to 16 seats. The Democrats gained a further two seats due to midterm vacancies. The Democrats' 77 seats and their 62-seat majority remain their largest in history.

This was the last of four consecutive election cycles where Republicans suffered losses due to the ongoing effects of the Great Depression. This was also the last Senate election cycle until 2012 in which a Democratic candidate who won two terms also made net gains in the Senate on both occasions. Additionally, this is the last time any party held three-fourths of all Senate seats. In contrast, this was the first time since 1930 (which also involved the Class 2 seats) where the Republicans were able to flip a Senate seat despite suffering net losses during this period.

Gains, losses, and holds Retirements One Republican, one Farmer-Labor, and five Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

StateSenatorReplaced by Colorado Florida (special, class 1) Florida (special, class 3) Louisiana Massachusetts Minnesota (special) Minnesota New Hampshire

Defeats Six Republicans and one Democrat sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

StateSenatorReplaced by Delaware Iowa Michigan New Jersey Oklahoma Rhode Island Wyoming

Death One Democrat died on July 16, 1936, and his seat remained vacant until the election.

StateSenatorReplaced by Iowa (special)

Independent gain One Republican won re-election as an Independent.

StateSenatorReplaced by Nebraska

Post-election changes

StateSenatorReplaced by Alabama Arkansas New Jersey New York Oregon Tennessee

Change in composition

Before the elections After the April 1936 special election. D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R FL FL P V D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Result of the elections D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D FL FL P D D D D D D D I R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Beginning of the next Congress

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D FL P D D D D D D D D FL I R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Key D Democratic FL Farmer–Labor I Independent P Progressive R Republican V Vacant

Race summaries Elections during the 74th Congress In these special elections the winners were seated once they qualified; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Louisiana(Class 2) Rose McConnell Long Democratic 1936 Interim appointee elected April 21, 1936.Winner was later not elected to the next term; see below. Florida(Class 1) Scott Loftin Democratic 1936 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected November 3, 1936.Democratic hold. Florida(Class 3) William Luther Hill Democratic 1936 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected November 3, 1936.Democratic hold. Iowa(Class 3) Vacant Louis Murphy (D) had died July 16, 1936.New senator elected November 3, 1936.Democratic hold Minnesota(Class 2) Elmer A. Benson Farmer–Labor 1935 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected November 3, 1936.Republican gain.Winner was not a candidate for the next term; see below. New Mexico(Class 1) Dennis Chávez Democratic 1935 Interim appointee elected November 3, 1936.

Elections leading to the 75th Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1937; 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 Incumbent re-elected. Arkansas Joseph T. Robinson Democratic 1913191819241930 Incumbent re-elected. Colorado Edward P. Costigan Democratic 1930 Incumbent retired.New senator elected.Democratic hold. Delaware Daniel O. Hastings Republican 1928 1930 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected.Democratic gain. Georgia Richard Russell Jr. Democratic 1932 Incumbent re-elected. Idaho William Borah Republican 19071913191819241930 Incumbent re-elected. Illinois J. Hamilton Lewis Democratic 1913 1918 1930 Incumbent re-elected. Iowa L. J. Dickinson Republican 1930 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected.Democratic gain. Kansas Arthur Capper Republican 191819241930 Incumbent re-elected. Kentucky M. M. Logan Democratic 1930 Incumbent re-elected. Louisiana Rose McConnell Long Democratic 1936 1936 Incumbent retired.New senator elected.Democratic hold. Maine Wallace H. White Republican 1930 Incumbent re-elected. Massachusetts Marcus A. Coolidge Democratic 1930 Incumbent retired.New senator elected.Republican gain. Michigan James Couzens Republican 1922 1924 19241930 Incumbent lost renomination then died October 22, 1936.New senator elected.Democratic gain.Winner was later appointed to finish term. Minnesota Elmer A. Benson Farmer–Labor 1935 Interim appointee retired to run for Governor of Minnesota.New senator elected.Farmer–Labor hold.Winner was not a candidate to finish the current term. Mississippi Pat Harrison Democratic 191819241930 Incumbent re-elected. Montana James E. Murray Democratic 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Nebraska George W. Norris Republican 1913191819241930 Incumbent re-elected as an Independent.Independent gain. New Hampshire Henry W. Keyes Republican 191819241930 Incumbent retired.New senator elected.Republican hold. New Jersey W. Warren Barbour Republican 1931 1932 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected.Democratic gain. New Mexico Carl Hatch Democratic 1933 1934 Incumbent re-elected. North Carolina Josiah Bailey Democratic 1930 Incumbent re-elected. Oklahoma Thomas Gore Democratic 1907 190919141920 1930 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected.Democratic hold. Oregon Charles L. McNary Republican 1917 1918 1918 191819241930 Incumbent re-elected. Rhode Island Jesse H. Metcalf Republican 1924 19241930 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected.Democratic gain. South Carolina James F. Byrnes Democratic 1930 Incumbent re-elected. South Dakota William J. Bulow Democratic 1930 Incumbent re-elected. Tennessee Nathan L. Bachman Democratic 1933 1934 Incumbent re-elected. Texas Morris Sheppard Democratic 1913 1913191819241930 Incumbent re-elected. Virginia Carter Glass Democratic 1920 1920 19241930 Incumbent re-elected. West Virginia Matthew M. Neely Democratic 1930 Incumbent re-elected. Wyoming Robert D. Carey Republican 1930 1930 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected.Democratic gain.

Closest races Eleven races had a margin of victory under 10%:

State Party of winner Margin Maine Republican 1.5% Kansas Republican 2.6% Oregon Republican 2.6% South Dakota Democratic 2.0% Iowa Democratic (flip) 3.4% New Hampshire Republican 4.2% Rhode Island Democratic (flip) 4.2% Iowa (special) Democratic (flip) 5.3% Nebraska Independent (flip) 6.0% Massachusetts Republican (flip) 7.5% Wyoming Democratic (flip) 8.4%

There is no tipping point state.

Alabama

Arkansas

Colorado

Delaware

Florida (special)

There were two special elections in Florida, due to the May 8, 1936, death of four-term Democrat Park Trammell and the June 17, 1936, death of five-term Democrat Duncan U. Fletcher.

Florida (special, class 1)

Democrat Scott Loftin was appointed May 26, 1936, to continue the term, pending a special election. Primaries were held August 11, 1936.

Andrews would be re-elected once and serve until his own death on September 18, 1946.

Florida (special, class 3)

Democrat William Luther Hill was appointed July 1, 1936, to continue the term, pending a special election, after the death of Senator Duncan U. Fletcher on June 17, 1936. Democrat Claude Pepper, who had lost to Trammell in 1934, won this election.

Pepper would be re-elected twice and serve until he lost renomination in 1950. He would later be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served there for 26 years.

Georgia

Democratic primaryCandidateVotes% Richard Russell Jr. 165,111 65.54 344 Eugene Talmadge 86,203 34.46 66

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Iowa (regular)

Iowa (special)

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Louisiana (regular)

Louisiana (special)

Democrat Rose McConnell Long was elected April 21, 1936, to finish the term to which she was appointed on January 31, 1936. She was not a candidate, however, to the next term on November 3, 1936, see above.

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

There were 2 elections to the same seat on the same day due to the December 22, 1935, death of two-term Republican Thomas D. Schall.

Minnesota (special)

The election was held to fill the vacancy in the seat formerly held by Thomas D. Schall for the final two months of Schall's unexpired term. Governor Floyd B. Olson had appointed Elmer Benson to fill the seat in 1935, but this appointment was temporary and subject to a special election held in the next general election year thereafter—1936. Benson opted to run for governor instead of running for election to continue for the remainder of the term. No special primaries were held for the special election, and, among Minnesota's three major parties, only the Republican Party of Minnesota officially fielded a candidate—Guy V. Howard. Regardless of the absence of Farmer-Labor and Democratic nominees, Howard nevertheless faced a great degree of competition from independent candidates Nathaniel J. Holmberg, Andrew Olaf Devold, and John G. Alexander.

The candidates were: John G. Alexander (I), Attorney and real estate manager Andrew Olaf Devold (I), Attorney, State Senator since 1919, former State Representative (1915–1919); a member of the Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota and formerly a member of the Socialist Party of Minnesota N. J. Holmberg (I), Former State Senator (1915–1919) and State Representative (1907–1915); a member of the Republican Party of Minnesota Guy V. Howard (R), Businessman and Republican elector in the 1916 presidential election

Howard was not a candidate for the next term, and served only until January 1937.

Minnesota (regular)

The election to the next term was won by Farmer–Labor congressman Ernest Lundeen.

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

There were 2 elections, due to the May 6, 1935, death of two-term Republican Bronson M. Cutting.

New Mexico (special)

Democratic former-Congressman Dennis Chavez had been Cutting's opponent in 1934. On May 11, 1935, after Cutting's death, Chavez was then appointed to continue Cutting's term, pending a special election which he then won.

Chavez would be re-elected four more times and serve until his death in 1962.

New Mexico (regular)

First-term Democrat Carl Hatch was easily re-elected.

Hatch would be re-elected once and serve until his 1948 retirement.

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Oregon

Rhode Island

South Carolina

| colspan=5 |Democratic hold

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

1936 United States Senate elections

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