United States Senate elections, 1948

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United States Senate elections, 1948

← 1946 November 2, 1948[1] 1950 →

33 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate
49 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
  ScottWikeLucas.jpg Kenneth wherry.jpg
Leader Scott Lucas Ken Wherry
Party Democratic Republican
Leader's seat Illinois Nebraska
Last election 45 seats 51 seats
Seats won 54 42
Seat change Increase 9 Decrease 9
Popular vote 12,750,608 9,662,053
Percentage 56.2% 42.6%
Swing Increase 14.8% Decrease 11.9%

Us 1948 senate election map.svg
  Democratic gains
  Democratic holds
  Republican holds

Majority Leader before election

Wallace White
Republican

Elected Majority Leader

Scott Lucas
Democratic

The United States Senate elections of 1948 were elections which coincided with the election of Democratic President Harry Truman for a full term. Truman had campaigned against an "obstructionist" Congress that had blocked many of his initiatives, and in addition the U.S. economy recovered from the postwar recession of 1946–47 by election day. Thus Truman was rewarded with a Democratic gain of nine seats in the Senate, enough to give them control of the chamber.[2][3]

Change in Senate composition

Senate composition before the elections

D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1
D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18
D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19
D29 D30 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D37 D38
R49 R50 R51 D45 D44 D43 D42 D41 D40 D39
← Majority
R48 R47 R46 R45 R44 R43 R42 R41 R40 R39
R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R36 R37 R38
R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19
R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18
R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1

Senate composition as a result of the elections

D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1
D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18
D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19
D29 D30 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D37 D38
D48+ D47+ D46+ D45O D44O D43O D42O D41 D40 D39
D49+ ← Majority
D50+ D51+ D52+ D53+ D54+ R42O R41O R40O R39O
R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R36 R37 R38
R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19
R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18
R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1
Key:
D Democratic
R Republican
 
Incumbent re-elected
O Party hold: New senator elected from same party
+ Party gain: New senator elected from different party

Gains and losses

In addition to gaining an open seat in Oklahoma, the Democrats defeated the following eight Republican incumbents:

Notable freshmen were future President Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) and future Vice President Hubert Humphrey (D-MN).

Complete list of races

Special elections during the previous Congress

State Incumbent Party Result Candidates
Louisiana
Special (class 3)
William C. Feazel Democratic Interim appointee retired.
Winner elected to finish the term ending January 3, 1951.
Democratic hold.
Russell B. Long (Democratic) 74.9%
Clem S. Clarke (Republican) 25.1%
South Dakota Vera C. Bushfield Republican Interim appointee retired.
Republican hold.
Winner also elected to the next term, see below.
Karl E. Mundt (Republican) 59.3%
John A. Engel (Democratic) 40.7%

Elections leading to the next Congress

State Incumbent Party Result Candidates
Alabama John Sparkman Democratic Incumbent re-elected. John Sparkman (Democratic) 84.0%
Paul G. Parsons (Republican) 16.0%
Arkansas John L. McClellan Democratic Incumbent re-elected. John L. McClellan (Democratic) 93.3%
R. Walter Tucker (Independent) 6.7%
Colorado Edwin C. Johnson Democratic Incumbent re-elected. Edwin C. Johnson (Democratic) 66.8%
Will F. Nicholson (Republican) 32.4%
Delaware Clayton D. Buck Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
J. Allen Frear, Jr. (Democratic) 50.9%
Clayton D. Buck (Republican) 48.3%
Georgia Richard Russell, Jr. Democratic Incumbent re-elected. Richard Russell, Jr. Unopposed
Idaho Henry C. Dworshak Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Bert H. Miller (Democratic) 50.0%
Henry C. Dworshak (Republican) 48.5%
Illinois C. Wayland Brooks Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Paul Douglas (Democratic) 55.1%
C. Wayland Brooks (Republican) 44.6%
Iowa George A. Wilson Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Guy M. Gillette (Democratic) 57.8%
George A. Wilson (Republican) 41.6%
Kansas Arthur Capper Republican Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.
Andrew F. Schoeppel (Republican) 54.9%
George McGill (Democratic) 42.7%
Kentucky John S. Cooper Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Virgil Chapman (Democratic) 51.4%
John S. Cooper (Republican) 48.3%
Louisiana Allen J. Ellender Democratic Incumbent re-elected. Allen J. Ellender Unopposed
Maine Wallace H. White, Jr. Republican Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.
Margaret C. Smith (Republican) 71.3%
Adrian H. Scolten (Democratic) 28.7%
Massachusetts Leverett Saltonstall Republican Incumbent re-elected. Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 53.0%
John I. Fitzgerald (Democratic) 46.4%
Michigan Homer Ferguson Republican Incumbent re-elected. Homer Ferguson (Republican) 50.7%
Frank E. Hook (Democratic) 48.5%
Minnesota Joseph H. Ball Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Hubert Humphrey (Democratic) 59.9%
Joseph H. Ball (Republican) 39.7%
Mississippi James O. Eastland Democratic Incumbent re-elected. James O. Eastland Unopposed
Montana James E. Murray Democratic Incumbent re-elected. James E. Murray (Democratic) 56.7%
Tom J. Davis (Republican) 42.7%
Nebraska Kenneth S. Wherry Republican Incumbent re-elected. Kenneth S. Wherry (Republican) 56.7%
Terry Carpenter (Democratic) 43.3%
New Hampshire Styles Bridges Republican Incumbent re-elected. Styles Bridges (Republican) 58.1%
Alfred E. Fortin (Democratic) 41.2%
New Jersey Albert W. Hawkes Republican Incumbent retired.
Republican hold.
Robert C. Hendrickson (Republican) 50.0%
Archibald S. Alexander (Democratic) 47.3%
New Mexico Carl A. Hatch Democratic Incumbent retired.
Democratic hold.
Clinton P. Anderson (Democratic) 57.2%
Patrick J. Hurley (Republican) 42.4%
North Carolina J. Melville Broughton Democratic Incumbent re-elected. J. Melville Broughton (Democratic) 70.7%
John A. Wilkinson (Republican) 28.8%
Oklahoma Edward H. Moore Republican Incumbent retired.
Democratic gain.
Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 62.3%
Ross Rizley (Republican) 37.4%
Oregon Guy Cordon Republican Incumbent re-elected. Guy Cordon (Republican) 60.0%
Manley J. Wilson (Democratic) 40.0%
Rhode Island Theodore F. Green Democratic Incumbent re-elected. Theodore F. Green (Democratic) 59.3%
Thomas P. Hazard (Republican) 40.7%
South Carolina Burnet R. Maybank Democratic Incumbent re-elected. Burnet R. Maybank Unopposed
South Dakota Vera C. Bushfield Republican Interim appointee retired.
Republican hold.
Karl E. Mundt (Republican) 59.3%
John A. Engel (Democratic) 40.7%
Tennessee A. Thomas Stewart Democratic Incumbent lost re-nomination
Democratic hold.
Estes Kefauver (Democratic) 65.3%
B. Carroll Reece (Republican) 33.5%
Texas W. Lee O'Daniel Democratic Incumbent retired.
Democratic hold.
Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) 66.2%
Jack Porter (Republican) 32.9%
Samuel N. Morris (Prohibition) 0.8%
Virginia A. Willis Robertson Democratic Incumbent re-elected. A. Willis Robertson (Democratic) 65.6%
Robert H. Woods (Republican) 30.8%
West Virginia Chapman Revercomb Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) 57.0%
Chapman Revercomb (Republican) 43.0%
Wyoming Edward V. Robertson Republican Incumbent lost re-election
Democratic gain.
Lester C. Hunt (Democratic) 57.1%
Edward V. Robertson (Republican) 42.9%

See also

References

  1. September 13, 1948 in Maine
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Further reading

  • Hartley, Robert E. Battleground 1948: Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History (Southern Illinois University Press; 2013)