1974 United States Senate elections

Alaska election
← 1968 1980 →
	Results by borough and census area; Gravel: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%; Lewis: 50–60%
U.S. senator before election; Mike Gravel; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; Mike Gravel; Democratic

1974 United States Senate elections
34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate; 51 seats needed for a majority
	Results of the elections:; Democratic gain Republican gain; Democratic hold Republican hold; No election
Majority Leader before election; Mike Mansfield; Democratic	Elected Majority Leader ; Mike Mansfield; Democratic

The 1974 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 34 seats of Class 3 contested in regular elections. They occurred in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon's resignation from the presidency, and Gerald Ford's subsequent pardon of Nixon. Economic issues, specifically inflation and stagnation, were also a factor that contributed to Republican losses.^[2] As an immediate result of the November 1974 elections, Democrats made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans, as they defeated Republican incumbents in Colorado and Kentucky and picked up open seats in Florida and Vermont, while Republicans won the open seat in Nevada. Following the elections, at the beginning of the 94th U.S. Congress, the Democratic caucus controlled 60 seats (as well as one independent), and the Republican caucus controlled 38 seats (as well as one Conservative).

Democrats gained an additional seat, bringing the net pick-up to four seats, in 1975, when Democrat John A. Durkin won a disputed election in New Hampshire that was unintentionally held after the 1974 election resulted in two recounts and an extended dispute in the Senate. Durkin's Senate term began in September 1975, following his victory in that election. As of 2023^[update], this is the most recent election in which a Democrat has been elected Senator from Idaho.

Several other Republican incumbents won very close races; Milton Young of North Dakota won reelection against Democrat William L. Guy by only 186 votes and Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma won reelection against Democrat Ed Edmondson by half a percent of the vote. Bob Dole of Kansas survived the closest election of his career against Democratic Rep. William Roy, a race undoubtedly made close due to Dole's close association with Nixon as chairman of the Republican National Committee. It was the closest the Democrats have come to winning a Senate election in Kansas since George McGill won re-election in 1932.

Results summary

↓
61	1	1	37
Democratic	I	C	Republican

Parties		Democratic	Republican	Conservative	Independent	Other	Total
Parties							Total
Last elections (1972)		56	42	1	1	0	100
Before these elections		57	41	1	1	0	100
Not up		41	23	1	1	—	66

Up Class 3 (1968→1974)		20	14	0	0	—	34

Incumbent retired		3	4	—	—	—	7
	Held by same party	2	1	—	—	—	3
	Replaced by other party	3 Republicans replaced by 3 Democrats^[a] 1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican		—	—	—	4
	Result	5	2	0	0	0	7
Incumbent ran		17^[d]	10	—	—	—	27
	Won re-election	15	8	—	—	—	23
	Lost re-election	2 Republicans replaced by 2 Democrats		—	—	—	2
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	2	0	—	—	—	2
	Result	19	8	0	0	0	27

Total elected		24	10	0	0	0	34
Net gain/loss		4	4				4
Nationwide vote		22,544,761	16,145,793^[b]	822,584	199,108	1,098,146	40,810,392
	Share	55.24%	39.56%	2.02%	0.49%	2.69%	100%
Result		61	37	1	1	0	100

Source: Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives^[1]

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

Four Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Florida	Edward Gurney	Richard Stone
Iowa	Harold Hughes	John Culver
Nevada	Alan Bible	Paul Laxalt
New Hampshire (later voided)	Norris Cotton	Louis C. Wyman
North Carolina	Sam Ervin	Robert Burren Morgan
Utah	Wallace F. Bennett	Jake Garn
Vermont	George Aiken	Patrick Leahy

Defeats

Two Republicans and two Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Arkansas	J. William Fulbright	Dale Bumpers
Colorado	Peter H. Dominick	Gary Hart
Kentucky	Marlow Cook	Wendell Ford
Ohio	Howard Metzenbaum	John Glenn

Post-election changes

One Republican appointee did not seek to finish the term following the contested election and one Democrat was elected on September 16, 1975.

State	Senator	Replaced by
New Hampshire (Class 3)	Norris Cotton	John A. Durkin

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the January 4, 1974 appointment in Ohio.

D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀
D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈	D₂₉	D₃₀
D₄₀ Ark. Ran	D₃₉ Alaska Ran	D₃₈ Ala. Ran	D₃₇	D₃₆	D₃₅	D₃₄	D₃₃	D₃₂	D₃₁
D₄₁ Calif. Ran	D₄₂ Conn. Ran	D₄₃ Ga. Ran	D₄₄ Hawaii Ran	D₄₅ Idaho Ran	D₄₆ Ill. Ran	D₄₇ Ind. Ran	D₄₈ Iowa Retired	D₄₉ La. Ran	D₅₀ Mo. Ran
Majority →									D₅₁ Nev. Retired
R₄₁ Vt. Retired	C₁	I₁	D₅₇ Wisc. Ran	D₅₆ Wash. Ran	D₅₅ S.D. Ran	D₅₄ S.C. Ran	D₅₃ Ohio Ran	D₅₂ N.C. Retired	D₅₁ Nev. Retired
R₄₀ Utah Retired	R₃₉ Pa. Ran	R₃₈ Ore. Ran	R₃₇ Okla. Ran	R₃₆ N.D. Ran	R₃₅ N.Y. Ran	R₃₄ N.H. Retired	R₃₃ Md. Ran	R₃₂ Ky. Ran	R₃₁ Kan. Ran
R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇	R₂₈ Ariz. Ran	R₂₉ Colo. Ran	R₃₀ Fla. Ran
R₂₀	R₁₉	R₁₈	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁
R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈	R₉	R₁₀

After the general elections

D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀
D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈	D₂₉	D₃₀
D₄₀ Ark. Hold	D₃₉ Alaska Re-elected	D₃₈ Ala. Re-elected	D₃₇	D₃₆	D₃₅	D₃₄	D₃₃	D₃₂	D₃₁
D₄₁ Calif. Re-elected	D₄₂ Conn. Re-elected	D₄₃ Ga. Re-elected	D₄₄ Hawaii Re-elected	D₄₅ Idaho Re-elected	D₄₆ Ill. Re-elected	D₄₇ Ind. Re-elected	D₄₈ Iowa Hold	D₄₉ La. Re-elected	D₅₀ Mo. Re-elected
Majority →									D₅₁ N.C. Hold
D₆₀ Vt. Gain	D₅₉ Ky. Gain	D₅₈ Fla. Gain	D₅₇ Colo. Gain	D₅₆ Wash. Re-elected	D₅₅ S.D. Re-elected	D₅₄ S.C. Re-elected	D₅₃ Ohio Hold	D₅₂ N.D. Re-elected	D₅₁ N.C. Hold
I₁	Vacant N.H. Annulled	C₁	R₃₇ Nev. Gain	R₃₆ Wisc. Re-elected	R₃₅ Utah Hold	R₃₄ Pa. Re-elected	R₃₃ Ore. Re-elected	R₃₂ Okla. Re-elected	R₃₁ N.Y. Re-elected
R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇	R₂₈ Ariz. Re-elected	R₂₉ Kan. Re-elected	R₃₀ Md. Re-elected
R₂₀	R₁₉	R₁₈	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁
R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈	R₉	R₁₀

Beginning of the next Congress

D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀
D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈	D₂₉	D₃₀
D₄₀	D₃₉	D₃₈	D₃₇	D₃₆	D₃₅	D₃₄	D₃₃	D₃₂	D₃₁
D₄₁	D₄₂	D₄₃	D₄₄	D₄₅	D₄₆	D₄₇	D₄₈	D₄₉	D₅₀
Majority →									D₅₁
D₆₀	D₅₉	D₅₈	D₅₇	D₅₆	D₅₅	D₅₄	D₅₃	D₅₂	D₅₁
D₆₁ N.H. Gain	I₁	C₁	R₃₇	R₃₆	R₃₅	R₃₄	R₃₃	R₃₂	R₃₁
R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇	R₂₈	R₂₉	R₃₀
R₂₀	R₁₉	R₁₈	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁
R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈	R₉	R₁₀

Key

C_#	Conservative
D_#	Democratic
R_#	Republican
I_#	Independent

Race summary

Elections leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1975; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State (linked to summaries below)	Incumbent			Result	Candidates
State (linked to summaries below)	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Result	Candidates
Alabama	James Allen	Democratic	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y James Allen (Democratic) 95.8% ▌Alvin Abercrombie (Prohibition) 4.2%
Alaska	Mike Gravel	Democratic	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Mike Gravel (Democratic) 58.3% ▌C. R. Lewis (Republican) 41.7%
Arizona	Barry Goldwater	Republican	1952 1958 1964 (retired) 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Barry Goldwater (Republican) 58.3% ▌Jonathan Marshall (Democratic) 41.7%
Arkansas	J. William Fulbright	Democratic	1944 1950 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent lost renomination. Democratic hold.	▌Y Dale Bumpers (Democratic) 84.9% ▌John H. Jones (Republican) 15.1%
California	Alan Cranston	Democratic	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Alan Cranston (Democratic) 60.5% ▌H. L. Richardson (Republican) 36.2% Others ▌Jack McCoy (American Independent) 1.7% ▌Gayle M. Justice (Peace and Freedom) 1.6%
Colorado	Peter H. Dominick	Republican	1968	Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain.	▌Y Gary Hart (Democratic) 57.2% ▌Peter H. Dominick (Republican) 39.5% Others ▌John McCandish King (Independent) 2.0% ▌Joseph Fred Hyskell (Prohibition) 1.0% ▌Henry John Olshaw (American) 0.3%
Connecticut	Abraham Ribicoff	Democratic	1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Abraham Ribicoff (Democratic) 63.7% ▌James H. Brannen III (Republican) 34.3%
Florida	Edward Gurney	Republican	1968	Incumbent retired. Democratic gain. Incumbent resigned December 31, 1974 to give successor preferential seniority. Winner appointed January 1, 1975.	▌Y Richard Stone (Democratic) 43.4% ▌Jack Eckerd (Republican) 40.9% ▌John Grady (American) 15.7%
Georgia	Herman Talmadge	Democratic	1956 1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Herman Talmadge (Democratic) 71.7% ▌Jerry Johnson (Republican) 28.2%
Hawaii	Daniel Inouye	Democratic	1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Daniel Inouye (Democratic) 82.9% ▌James D. Kimmel (Independent) 17.1%
Idaho	Frank Church	Democratic	1956 1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Frank Church (Democratic) 56.1% ▌Robert L. Smith (Republican) 42.1% ▌Jean Stoddard (American) 1.8%
Illinois	Adlai Stevenson III	Democratic	1970 (special)	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Adlai Stevenson III (Democratic) 62.2% ▌George Burditt (Republican) 37.2%
Indiana	Birch Bayh	Democratic	1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Birch Bayh (Democratic) 50.7% ▌Richard Lugar (Republican) 46.4% ▌Don L. Lee (American) 2.8%
Iowa	Harold Hughes	Democratic	1968	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	▌Y John Culver (Democratic) 52.0% ▌David M. Stanley (Republican) 47.3%
Kansas	Bob Dole	Republican	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Bob Dole (Republican) 50.9% ▌William R. Roy (Democratic) 49.1%
Kentucky	Marlow Cook	Republican	1968	Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain. Incumbent resigned December 27, 1974 to give successor preferential seniority. Winner appointed December 28, 1974.	▌Y Wendell Ford (Democratic) 53.5% ▌Marlow Cook (Republican) 44.1% ▌William E. Parker (American) 2.4%
Louisiana	Russell B. Long	Democratic	1948 (special) 1950 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Russell B. Long (Democratic) Unopposed
Maryland	Charles Mathias	Republican	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Charles Mathias (Republican) 57.3% ▌Barbara Mikulski (Democratic) 42.7%
Missouri	Thomas Eagleton	Democratic	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Thomas Eagleton (Democratic) 60.1% ▌Thomas B. Curtis (Republican) 39.3% ▌Cliff Talmage (Independent) 0.6%
Nevada	Alan Bible	Democratic	1954 (special) 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent retired. Republican gain. Incumbent resigned December 17, 1974 to give successor preferential seniority. Winner appointed December 18, 1974.	▌Y Paul Laxalt (Republican) 47.0% ▌Harry Reid (Democratic) 46.6%
New Hampshire	Norris Cotton	Republican	1954 (special) 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent retired. Republican hold. Incumbent resigned December 31, 1974 and successor was appointed the same day. Election was later contested and voided.	▌Y Louis C. Wyman (Republican) 49.7% ▌John A. Durkin (Democratic) 49.7%
New York	Jacob Javits	Republican	1956 1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Jacob Javits (Republican) 45.3% ▌Ramsey Clark (Democratic) 38.2% ▌Barbara A. Keating (Conservative) 15.9% Others ▌Rebecca Finch (Socialist Workers) 0.1% ▌William F. Dowling Jr. (Courage) 0.1% ▌Robert E. Massi (Socialist Labor) 0.1% ▌Mildred Edelman (Communist) 0.1% ▌Elijah Boyd Jr. (Labor) 0.1%
North Carolina	Sam Ervin	Democratic	1954 (special) 1954 (appointed) 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	▌Y Robert Burren Morgan (Democratic) 62.1% ▌William E. Stevens (Republican) 37.0%
North Dakota	Milton Young	Republican	1945 (appointed) 1946 (special) 1950 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Milton Young (Republican) 48.4% ▌William L. Guy (Democratic-NPL) 48.3%
Ohio	Howard Metzenbaum	Democratic	1974 (appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination. Democratic hold. Incumbent resigned December 23, 1974 to give successor preferential seniority. Winner appointed December 24, 1974.	▌Y John Glenn (Democratic) 64.6% ▌Ralph Perk (Republican) 30.7%
Oklahoma	Henry Bellmon	Republican	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Henry Bellmon (Republican) 49.4% ▌Ed Edmondson (Democratic) 48.9%
Oregon	Bob Packwood	Republican	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Bob Packwood (Republican) 54.9% ▌Betty Roberts (Democratic) 44.2%
Pennsylvania	Richard Schweiker	Republican	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Richard Schweiker (Republican) 53.0% ▌Peter F. Flaherty (Democratic) 45.9% ▌George W. Shankey (Constitution) 1.1%
South Carolina	Fritz Hollings	Democratic	1966 (special) 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Fritz Hollings (Democratic) 69.5% ▌Gwenyfred Bush (Republican) 28.6%
South Dakota	George McGovern	Democratic	1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y George McGovern (Democratic) 53.0% ▌Leo K. Thorsness (Republican) 47.0%
Utah	Wallace F. Bennett	Republican	1950 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent retired. Republican hold. Incumbent resigned December 20, 1974 to give successor preferential seniority. Winner appointed December 21, 1974.	▌Y Jake Garn (Republican) 50.0% ▌Wayne Owens (Democratic) 44.1%
Vermont	George Aiken	Republican	1940 (special) 1944 1950 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent retired. Democratic gain.	▌Y Patrick Leahy (Democratic) 49.5% ▌Richard W. Mallary (Republican) 46.4%
Washington	Warren Magnuson	Democratic	1944 1944 (appointed) 1950 1956 1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Warren Magnuson (Democratic) 60.7% ▌Jack Metcalf (Republican) 36.1% Others ▌Gene Goosman (American Independent) 2.0% ▌Clare Fraenzl (Socialist Workers) 0.8% ▌Pat Ruckert (U.S. Labor) 0.4%
Wisconsin	Gaylord Nelson	Democratic	1962 1968	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Gaylord Nelson (Democratic) 61.8% ▌Tom Petri (Republican) 35.8%

Closest races

In fourteen races the margin of victory was under 10%.

State	Party of winner	Margin
New Hampshire	Republican (later overturned)	0.0009%
North Dakota	Republican	0.07%
Nevada	Republican (flip)	0.37%
Oklahoma	Republican	0.48%
Kansas	Republican	1.70%
Vermont	Democratic (flip)	3.09%
Florida	Democratic (flip)	3.32%
Indiana	Democratic	4.29%
Iowa	Democratic	4.76%
Utah	Republican	5.92%
South Dakota	Democratic	6.08%
New York	Republican	7.09%
Pennsylvania	Republican	7.11%
Kentucky	Democratic (flip)	9.48%

Illinois was the tipping point state with a margin of 25%.

Alabama

Democratic United States senator James Allen won re-election to a second term, faced no Republican opponent in the general election, defeating Prohibition Party nominee Alvin Abercrombie.

1974 United States Senate election in Alabama Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James Allen (Incumbent)	501,541	95.84
	Prohibition	Alvin Abercrombie	21,749	4.16
Majority			479,792	91.68
Turnout			523,290
	Democratic hold

Alaska

Incumbent Democrat Mike Gravel won re-election to a second term over Republican State Senator Clyde "C.R." Lewis.

1974 U.S. Senate election in Alaska^[1]^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Gravel (Incumbent)	54,361	58.28
	Republican	C. R. Lewis	38,914	41.72
Majority			15,447	16.56
Turnout			93,275
	Democratic hold

Arizona

Arizona election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Barry Goldwater	Jonathan Marshall
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	320,396	229,523
Percentage	58.26%	41.74%

County results
Goldwater: 50–60% 60–70%
Marshall: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Barry Goldwater
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Barry Goldwater
Republican

Incumbent Republican Barry Goldwater decided to run for reelection to a fourth term, after returning to the U.S. Senate in 1968 following his failed Presidential run in 1964 against Lyndon B. Johnson. Goldwater defeated Democratic Party nominee philanthropist Jonathan Marshall in the general election.

Democratic primary election^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	'Jonathan Marshall', philanthropist	79,225	53.55
	Democratic	George Oglesby, attorney	36,262	24.51
	Democratic	William Mathews Feighan	32,449	21.93
Total votes			147,936	100.00

1974 United States Senate election in Arizona^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Barry Goldwater (Incumbent)	320,396	58.26
	Democratic	Jonathan Marshall	229,523	41.74
Majority			90,873	16.52
Turnout			549,919
	Republican hold

Arkansas

Arkansas election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Dale Bumpers	John H. Jones
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	461,056	82,026
Percentage	84.90%	15.10%

County Results
Bumpers: 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%

U.S. senator before election

J. William Fulbright
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Dale Bumpers
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat J. William Fulbright lost renomination to Governor of Arkansas Dale Bumpers. Bumpers then won the general election easily.

1974 U.S. Senate Democratic primary election in Arkansas, May 28, 1974^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dale Bumpers	380,748	65.04
	Democratic	J. William Fulbright (Incumbent)	204,630	34.96
Turnout				30.44
Total votes			543,082

1974 U.S. Senate general election in Arkansas^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Dale Bumpers	461,056	84.90	25.75
	Republican	John H. Jones	82,026	15.10	25.75
Majority			379,030	69.80
Total votes			93,275	100.00
Turnout			543,082	28.24
	Democratic hold		Swing

California

California election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Alan Cranston	H. L. Richardson
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	3,693,160	2,210,267
Percentage	60.52%	36.22%

County results
Cranston: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Richardson: 40–50%

U.S. senator before election

Alan Cranston
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Alan Cranston
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston won re-election to a second term over Republican H. L. Richardson, California State Senator.

1974 United States Senate election in California Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alan Cranston (Incumbent)	3,639,334	60.54
	Republican	H. L. Richardson	2,176,315	36.20
	American Independent	Jack McCoy	100,111	1.67
	Peace and Freedom	Gayle M. Justice	95,394	1.59
Majority			1,463,019	24.34
Turnout			6,011,154
	Democratic hold

Colorado

Colorado election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Gary Hart	Peter Dominick
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	471,691	325,508
Percentage	57.23%	39.50%

County results

Hart: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%

Dominick: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Peter Dominick
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Gary Hart
Democratic

Incumbent Republican Peter H. Dominick ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Democratic challenger Gary Hart, the campaign manager for George McGovern in 1972.

1974 United States Senate election in Colorado Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gary Hart	471,688	57.23
	Republican	Peter H. Dominick (Incumbent)	325,526	39.50
	Independent	John M. King	16,131	1.96
	Prohibition	Joseph Fred Hyskell	8,404	1.02
	American	Henry John Olshaw	2,394	0.29
	None	Write-Ins	28	0.00
Majority			146,162	7.73
Turnout			824,171
	Democratic gain from Republican

Connecticut

Connecticut election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Abraham Ribicoff	James Brannen III
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	690,820	372,055
Percentage	63.68%	34.29%

Ribicoff: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Brannen: 40–50% 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Abraham Ribicoff
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Abraham Ribicoff
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Abraham Ribicoff won re-election to a third term over Republican challenger James Brannen III.

1974 United States Senate election in Connecticut Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Abraham A. Ribicoff (Incumbent)	690,820	63.67
	Republican	James H. Brannen III	372,055	34.29
	George Wallace Party	Arthur F. Capozzi Jr.	19,184	1.77
	American	Norman L. Rochon	2,682	0.25
	None	Write-Ins	177	0.02
Majority			318,765	29.38
Turnout			1,084,918
	Democratic hold

Florida

Florida election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Richard Stone	Jack Eckerd
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	781,031	736,674
Percentage	43.38%	40.91%


Nominee	John Grady
Party	American Independent
Popular vote	282,659
Percentage	15.70%

County results
Stone:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Eckerd:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Grady:      40–50%

U.S. senator before election

Edward Gurney
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Richard Stone
Democratic

Incumbent Republican Edward Gurney declined to seek a second term after being indicted for taking bribes in return for his influence with the Federal Housing Administration.

The primary for the Republican nomination pitted Eckerd drug store owner Jack Eckerd against Florida Public Service Commissioner Paula Hawkins. Eckerd won handily, receiving approximately 67.5% of the vote.

Republican primary results
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jack Eckerd	186,897	67.49
	Republican	Paula Hawkins	90,049	32.52
Total votes			276,946	100.00

The Democratic primary, however, was a crowded field with eleven candidates vying for the nomination. Because no candidate received a majority of the votes, U.S. Representative Bill Gunter and Secretary of State of Florida Richard Stone advanced to a run-off election. Stone won by a small margin of 1.68%.

Democratic primary results
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Stone	236,185	29.80
	Democratic	Bill Gunter	157,301	19.85
	Democratic	Richard A. Pettigrew	146,728	18.51
	Democratic	Mallory Horne	90,684	11.44
	Democratic	Glenn W. Turner	51,326	6.48
	Democratic	George Balmer	24,408	3.08
	Democratic	Burton Young	23,199	2.93
	Democratic	Bob Brewster	19,913	2.51
	Democratic	David B. Higginbottom	17,401	1.64
	Democratic	Duaine E. Macon	14,961	1.89
Total votes			782,106	100.00

Democratic primary runoff results
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Stone	321,683	50.84
	Democratic	Bill Gunter	311,044	49.16
Total votes			632,727	100.00

Thus, Eckerd and Stone faced off in the general election. John Grady, a family physician and member of George Wallace's American Independent Party, performed exceptionally well for a third party candidate. Grady may have split the conservative vote, allowing for Stone to win. On election day, Stone received 43.38% of the vote, Eckerd garnered 40.91% of the vote, and Grady acquired 15.7% of the vote.

General election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Stone	781,031	43.38%
	Republican	Jack Eckerd	736,674	40.91
	American Independent	John Grady	282,659	15.70
	Independent	Jim Fair	117	0.01
	Independent	Henry J. Matthew	35	<0.01
	Independent	Hortense L. Arvan	13	<0.01
	Independent	Timothy L. "Tim" Adams	10	<0.01
Majority			44,357	3.32
Turnout			1,800,539
	Democratic gain from Republican

Georgia

Georgia election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Herman Talmadge	Jerry R. Johnson
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	627,376	246,865
Percentage	71.76%	28.24%

County results
Talmadge: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%

U.S. senator before election

Herman Talmadge
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Herman Talmadge
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Herman Talmadge won re-election to a fourth term over Republican challenger Jerry Johnson.

1974 United States Senate election in Georgia Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Herman Talmadge (Incumbent)	627,376	71.74
	Republican	Jerry Johnson	246,866	28.23
	Write-in	Write-Ins	313	0.04
Majority			380,510	43.51
Turnout			874,555
	Democratic hold

Hawaii

Hawaii election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Daniel Inouye	James Kimmel
Party	Democratic	People's
Popular vote	207,454	42,767
Percentage	82.91%	17.09%

County results
Inouye: 80–90%

U.S. senator before election

Daniel Inouye
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Daniel Inouye
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Daniel Inouye won re-election to a third term over Populist challenger James D. Kimmel.

1974 United States Senate election in Hawaii Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Daniel Inouye (Incumbent)	207,454	82.91
	People's	James D. Kimmel	42,767	17.09
Majority			164,687	65.82
Turnout			250,221
	Democratic hold

Idaho

Idaho election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Frank Church	Robert L. Smith
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	145,140	109,072
Percentage	56.07%	42.14%

County results
Church: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Smith: 50-60% 60-70%

U.S. senator before election

Frank Church
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Frank Church
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Frank Church won re-election to a fourth term in office, defeating Republican Bob Smith.

1974 United States Senate election in Idaho Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank Church (Incumbent)	145,140	56.07
	Republican	Robert L. Smith	109,072	42.14
	American	Jean Stoddard	4,635	1.79
Majority			36,068	13.93
Turnout			258,847
	Democratic hold

Illinois

Illinois election

← 1970 (special)

1980 →

Turnout

49.35%


Nominee	Adlai Stevenson III	George Burditt
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	1,811,496	1,084,884
Percentage	62.15%	37.22%

County Results
Stevenson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Burditt: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Adlai Stevenson III
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Adlai Stevenson III
Democratic

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III, who was first elected in a special election in 1970, was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Republican George Burditt by a large margin of nearly 800,000 votes.

1974 United States Senate election in Illinois Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Adlai Stevenson III (Incumbent)	1,811,496	62.15
	Republican	George M. Burditt	1,084,884	37.22
	Socialist Workers	Edward Thomas Heisler	12,413	0.43
	Communist	Ishmael Flory	5,873	0.20
Majority			726,612	24.93
Turnout			2,914,666
	Democratic hold

Indiana

Indiana election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Birch Bayh	Richard Lugar
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	889,269	814,117
Percentage	50.73%	46.44%

Results by county
Bayh: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70%
Lugar: 40–50% 50–60% 60-70%

U.S. senator before election

Birch Bayh
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Birch Bayh
Democratic

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Birch Bayh was re-elected to a third consecutive term in office, defeating Mayor of Indianapolis Richard Lugar.

1974 United States Senate election in Indiana Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Birch Bayh (Incumbent)	889,269	50.73
	Republican	Richard Lugar	814,117	46.44
	American	Don L. Lee	49,592	2.83
Majority			75,152	4.29
Turnout			1,752,978
	Democratic hold

Iowa

Iowa election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	John Culver	David M. Stanley
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	462,947	420,546
Percentage	52.04%	47.28%

County results
Culver: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Stanley: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%

U.S. senator before election

Harold E. Hughes
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

John C. Culver
Democratic

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Harold E. Hughes retired instead of seeking a second term. This open seat was won by five-term U.S. Representative John C. Culver, defeating Republican State Representative David M. Stanley. Culver defeated Stanley by a margin of nearly five points.

1974 United States Senate election in Iowa Results^[8]^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Culver	462,947	52.04
	Republican	David M. Stanley	420,546	47.28
	American	Lorin E. Oxley	6,028	0.68
	Write-ins		40	0.00
Majority			42,401	4.76
Turnout
	Democratic hold

Kansas

Kansas election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Bob Dole	William R. Roy
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	403,983	390,451
Percentage	50.85%	49.15%

County results
Dole: 50–60% 60–70%
Roy: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Bob Dole
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Bob Dole
Republican

U.S. Senator Bob Dole was first elected in 1968 after Frank Carlson retired by a margin of 60-39% over his Democratic opponent. However, in 1974 he faced a closer challenge as he sought a second term. Dole was closely associated with Richard Nixon as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1971-1972. Dole himself even admitted he was "prepared to lose" the election to William R. Roy, a Topeka physician and two-term Representative from Kansas's 2nd Congressional District. Roy's advertisements contrasted Dole, "who put loyalty to Nixon and his party ahead of loyalty to his state," with Roy, a moderate and former Republican whom they described as "a respected voice for Kansas." Roy's campaign to be the first Democratic Senator from Kansas in decades received an enthusiastic response, and he led in polling for months. "I could go to any event and feel like Caesar coming back to Rome," Roy said. Still, Dole's campaign capitalized on the issue of abortion rights, which was fresh on voters minds in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision. Roy himself had performed abortions as a physician, and Dole used this to build momentum and overtake Roy in polling.^[10]

In the end, Dole narrowly prevailed over Roy by 15,533 votes in the closest election of his 35-year Congressional career.

1974 United States Senate election in Kansas Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bob Dole (Incumbent)	403,983	50.85
	Democratic	William R. Roy	390,451	49.15
	None	Write-Ins	3	0.00
Majority			13,532	1.70
Turnout			794,437
	Republican hold

Kentucky

Kentucky election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Wendell Ford	Marlow Cook
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	398,887	328,260
Percentage	53.56%	44.08%

County results
Ford: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Cook: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%

U.S. senator before election

Marlow Cook
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Wendell Ford
Democratic

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Marlow Cook ran for a second term in office but was defeated by Democratic Governor of Kentucky Wendell Ford.

1974 United States Senate election in Kentucky Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Wendell Ford	398,887	53.56
	Republican	Marlow Cook (Incumbent)	328,260	44.08
	American	William E. Parker	17,551	2.36
Majority			70,627	9.48
Turnout			744,698
	Democratic gain from Republican

Louisiana

1974 Democratic Senate primary election in Louisiana

← 1968

August 17, 1974

1980 →


Nominee	Russell B. Long	Sherman A. Bernard	Annie Smart
Party	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic
Popular vote	520,606	131,540	44,341
Percentage	74.75%	18.89%	6.37%

Parish results
Long: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%

U.S. senator before election

Russell Long
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Russell Long
Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Senator Russell B. Long was unopposed for re-election to a sixth term in office.

Democratic primary^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Russell Long (Incumbent)	520,606	74.75
	Democratic	Sherman A. Bernard	131,540	18.89
	Democratic	Annie Smart	44,341	6.37
Total votes			696,487	100.00

1974 United States Senate election in Louisiana Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Russell B. Long (Incumbent)	434,643	100.00
	Democratic hold

Maryland

Maryland election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Charles Mathias	Barbara Mikulski
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	503,223	374,663
Percentage	57.32%	42.68%

County results
Mathias: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Mikulski: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Charles Mathias
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Charles Mathias
Republican

Incumbent Republican Charles Mathias won re-election to a second term. As a Republican representing heavily-Democratic Maryland, Mathias faced a potentially difficult re-election bid for the 1974 election. State Democrats nominated Barbara Mikulski, then a Baltimore City Councilwoman who was well-known to residents in her city as a social activist, but with limited name recognition in the rest of the state.^[12] Mathias was renominated by Republicans, fending off a primary election challenge from conservative doctor Ross Pierpont. Pierpont was never a substantial threat to Mathias, whose lack of competition was due in part to fallout from the Watergate scandal.^[13]^[14]

As an advocate for campaign finance reform, Mathias refused to accept any contribution over $100 to "avoid the curse of big money that has led to so much trouble in the last year".^[15] However, he still managed to raise over $250,000, nearly five times Mikulski's total. Ideologically, Mikulski and Mathias agreed on many issues, such as closing tax loopholes and easing taxes on the middle class. On two issues, however, Mathias argued to reform Congress and the U.S. tax system to address inflation and corporate price fixing, contrary to Mikulski.^[12] In retrospect, The Washington Post felt the election was "an intelligent discussion of state, national, and foreign affairs by two smart, well-informed people".^[16]

1974 United States Senate election in Maryland^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charles Mathias (Incumbent)	503,223	57.3
	Democratic	Barbara A. Mikulski	374,663	42.7
Total votes			877,886	100.00
Majority			129,560	14.6
	Republican hold

Missouri

Missouri election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Thomas Eagleton	Thomas B. Curtis
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	735,433	480,900
Percentage	60.07%	39.28%

County Results
Eagleton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Curtis: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70%

U.S. senator before election

Thomas Eagleton
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Thomas Eagleton
Democratic

Thomas Eagleton was first elected in 1968, defeating incumbent U.S. senator Edward V. Long in an upset three-way primary victory. He then defeated Republican Representative Thomas B. Curtis by just over two percentage points. Eagleton served as the initial vice presidential nominee for George McGovern's campaign against incumbent Richard Nixon in 1972. However, Eagleton resigned from the ticket and was replaced by Sargent Shriver after reports surfaced that Eagleton had received electroshock therapy for clinical depression. McGovern, who was trailing Nixon badly in the polls, requested Eagleton's resignation.^[18]

Despite negative publicity from his vice presidential nomination withdrawal, Eagleton cruised to re-election in a rematch over Curtis, taking over 60% of the vote. This would be Eagleton's largest victory margin for U.S. Senate. In 1980, he faced a close re-election battle against Gene McNary, winning by only about 5 percentage points.

1974 United States Senate election in Missouri Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Thomas Eagleton (Incumbent)	735,433	60.07
	Republican	Thomas B. Curtis	480,900	39.28
	Independent	Cliff Talmage	7,970	0.65
Majority			254,533	20.79
Turnout			1,224,303
	Democratic hold

Nevada

Nevada election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Paul Laxalt	Harry Reid
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	79,605	78,981
Percentage	47.0%	46.6%


Nominee	Jack C. Doyle
Party	Independent American Party (Nevada)
Popular vote	10,887
Percentage	6.42%

County results
Laxalt: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Reid: 40–50% 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Alan Bible
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Paul Laxalt
Republican

Incumbent Democrat Alan Bible decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican nominee Paul Laxalt won the open seat.

Former Governor Paul Laxalt won by less than 700 votes, becoming one of the few bright spots in a bad year for Republicans. He beat Lieutenant Governor Harry Reid. Reid would succeed Laxalt twelve years later.

General election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Paul Laxalt	79,605	46.97	+1.73%
	Democratic	Harry Reid	78,981	46.60	−8.16%
	Independent American Party (Nevada)	Jack C. Doyle	10,887	6.42
Majority			624	0.37	−9.15%
Turnout			169,473
	Republican gain from Democratic

New Hampshire

New Hampshire election

← 1968

1975 (special) →


Nominee	Louis C. Wyman	John A. Durkin
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	110,926	110,924
Percentage	49.66%	49.66%

Wyman:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Durkin:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      90-100%
No Data/Vote:

U.S. senator before election

Norris Cotton
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Louis C. Wyman
(Disputed)
Republican

The New Hampshire election resulted in the longest contested election for the U.S. Congress in United States history.

In 1973, then-incumbent senator Norris Cotton announced he would not seek re-election. Republican strategists admitted that it would be tough for their party to hold on to the seat.^[19]

The campaign of 1974 pitted Democrat John A. Durkin, who had served as New Hampshire's Insurance Commissioner and as Attorney General, against Republican Louis C. Wyman, a conservative, widely known member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. As Wyman was the more experienced politician, he was predicted by many to win handily.^[20]

On election day, Wyman won with a margin of just 355 votes.^{[citation needed]} Durkin immediately demanded a recount, which, completed November 27, 1974, declared Durkin the winner by a margin of 10 votes. Republican Governor Meldrim Thomson Jr. awarded Durkin a provisional certificate of election. However, Wyman demanded another recount in which he prevailed by two votes.

New Hampshire United States Senate Election, 1974: Second Recount
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Louis Wyman	110,926	49.6618
	Democratic	John A. Durkin	110,924	49.6609
	American Independent	Carmen C. Chimento	1,513	0.68
Plurality			2	0.0009
Turnout			223,363

Wyman promptly appealed to the New Hampshire State Ballot Law Commission. Durkin tried to defeat the appeal in the New Hampshire courts. The state ballot commission conducted its own partial recount and announced on December 24, 1974, that Wyman had won by just two votes. Governor Thomson rescinded Durkin’s certificate, and awarded a new credential to Wyman.

Senator Cotton resigned on December 31, 1974, and Governor Thomson appointed Wyman to fill the remainder of the term, which would expire January 3, 1975.

The election contest was not settled, however, and eventually a new election would be called in 1975.

New York

New York election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Jacob Javits	Ramsey Clark	Barbara A. Keating
Party	Republican	Democratic	Conservative
Alliance	Liberal
Popular vote	2,340,188	1,973,781	822,584
Percentage	45.32%	38.23%	15.93%

County results
Javits: 40–50% 50–60%
Clark: 40–50% 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Jacob Javits
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jacob Javits
Republican

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jacob Javits won against Democratic challenger Ramsey Clark in a three way election.

1974 United States Senate election in Alabama Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jacob Javits (Incumbent)	2,340,188	45.32
	Democratic	Ramsey Clark	1,973,781	38.23
	Conservative	Barbara A. Keating	822,584	15.93
	Socialist Workers	Rebecca Finch	7,727	0.15
	Courage	William F Dowling Jr.	7,459	0.14
	Socialist Labor	Robert E. Massi	4,037	0.08
	Communist	Mildred Edelman	3,876	0.08
	U.S. Labor	Elijah C. Boyd Jr.	3,798	0.07
Majority			366,407	7.09
Turnout			5,163,450
	Republican hold

North Carolina

North Carolina election

← 1968

November 5, 1974

1980 →


Nominee	Robert Morgan	William Stevens
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	633,647	386,720
Percentage	61.6%	37.6%

County results
Morgan: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
Stevens: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Sam Ervin
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Robert Morgan
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Sam Ervin chose to retire. The general election was fought between the Democratic nominee Robert Morgan and the Republican nominee William Stevens.

Democratic primary^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert Morgan	294,986	50.40
	Democratic	Nick Galifianakis	189,815	32.43
	Democratic	Henry Wilson	67,247	11.49
	Democratic	James Johnson	6,138	1.05
	Democratic	Others	27,140	4.64
Turnout			585,326

Republican primary ^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William Stevens	62,419	65.12
	Republican	Wood Hall Young	26,918	28.08
	Republican	B. E. Sweatt	6,520	6.80
Turnout			95,857

General election^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Robert Morgan	633,647	61.56	+1.00%
	Republican	William Stevens	386,720	37.57	−1.87%
	Independent		8,974	0.87	N/A
Turnout			1,029,341
Majority			246,927	23.99
	Democratic hold		Swing

North Dakota

North Dakota election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Milton R. Young	William L. Guy
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	114,852	114,675
Percentage	48.45%	48.37%

County results
Young: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Guy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Milton R. Young
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Milton R. Young
Republican

Incumbent Republican Milton Young was re-elected to his sixth term, defeating North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate William L. Guy, a former Governor of North Dakota.^[1]

Only Young filed as a Republican, and the endorsed Democratic candidate was William L. Guy of Bismarck, North Dakota, who had served as Governor of the state from 1961 to 1973; and had presumably left the office to seek the senate seat. Young and Guy won the primary elections for their respective parties. Guy, who was very popular as governor throughout the state, and Young, who had a high approval rating as senator for the state, created the closest ever election for one of North Dakota's senate seats. Young won the election by only 177 votes, and Guy retired from politics.

Two independent candidates, James R. Jungroth and Kenneth C. Gardner, also filed before the deadline. Jungroth's platform was based on his opposition to strip mining the state's coal reserves.^[22] Gardner would later run for the state's other seat in 1988 against then incumbent Quentin Burdick.

1974 United States Senate election in North Dakota
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Milton R. Young (Incumbent)	114,852	48.45
	Democratic	William L. Guy	114,675	48.37
	Independent	James R. Jungroth	6,679	2.82
	Independent	Kenneth C. Gardiner	853	0.36
Majority			177	0.07
Turnout			237,059
	Republican hold

Ohio

Ohio election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	John Glenn	Ralph Perk
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	1,930,670	918,133
Percentage	64.6%	30.7%

County results
Glenn: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Howard Metzenbaum
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

John Glenn
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Howard Metzenbaum was running for election to a full term after he was appointed in 1974 by Ohio governor John J. Gilligan to fill out the Senate term of William B. Saxbe, who had resigned to become United States Attorney General. Metzenbaum lost the primary election to retired astronaut John Glenn, who went on to win the general election and win every county in the state over Republican Ralph Perk, Mayor of Cleveland.

1974 OH United States Senate election^[23]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Glenn	1,930,670	64.6
	Republican	Ralph Perk	918,133	30.7
	Independent	Kathleen G. Harroff	76,882	2.6
	Independent	Richard B. Kay	61,921	2.1
	Independent	John O'Neill	257	0.0
	Independent	Ronald E. Girkins	88	0.0
Majority			1,012,357	33.9
Turnout			2,987,606
	Democratic hold

Oklahoma

Oklahoma election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Henry Bellmon	Ed Edmondson
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	390,997	387,162
Percentage	49.4%	48.9%

County results

Bellmon: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%

Edmondson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Henry Bellmon
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Henry Bellmon
Republican

Incumbent Republican Henry Bellmon narrowly won re-election to a second term, beating Representative Ed Edmondson by nearly 4,000 votes.

General election^[24]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henry Bellmon (Incumbent)	390,997	49.4
	Democratic	Ed Edmondson	387,162	48.9
	Independent	Paul E. Trent	13,650	1.7
Majority			3,835	0.5
Turnout			791,809
	Republican hold

Oregon

Oregon election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Bob Packwood	Betty Roberts
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	420,964	338,591
Percentage	54.9%	44.2%

County results

Packwood: 50-60% 60-70%

Roberts: 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Bob Packwood
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Bob Packwood
Republican

Incumbent Republican Bob Packwood won re-election to a second term. Betty Roberts was chosen to replace former U.S. senator Wayne Morse, who won the Democratic primary but died before the general election.^[25]^[26]

The Democratic primaries were held on May 28, 1974. Incumbent senator Bob Packwood was running for re-election after his upset victory against popular incumbent Democrat Wayne Morse in 1968 made him the youngest member of the Senate.^[27]

In the Democratic primary, former senator Morse, trying to win back the seat he had for 24 years before losing to Packwood six years earlier, faced Oregon State Senate President Jason Boe and several other candidates for a chance to take back his Senate seat.^[28] Boe, who was 45, made Morse's age, 73, an issue in the race while Morse said his experience in the Senate made him a stronger candidate.^[29] Boe called for a series of debates around the state, but Morse refused. He went on to defeat Boe 49% to 39%, and planned to use the same strategy in the general election against Packwood, whose narrow victory over Morse 6 years earlier was attributed to Packwood's superior performance at a debate in Portland late in the campaign.^[25]

Democratic primary for the United States Senate from Oregon, 1974^[30]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Wayne Morse	155,729	48.98
	Democratic	Jason Boe	125,055	39.33
	Democratic	Robert T. Daly	21,881	6.88
	Democratic	Robert E. O'Connor	14,984	4.71
	Democratic	(Scattering)	319	0.10
Total votes			396,204	100.00

In July, Morse was hospitalized in Portland with what was originally described as a serious urinary tract infection. His condition deteriorated and he died on July 22.^[26] The death was originally reported to have been caused by kidney failure, but it was later revealed that Morse died of leukemia; Boe apparently knew of the diagnosis during the campaign but did not make it a campaign issue.^[31]

The Oregon Democratic State Central Committee met on August 11, two days after Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency. They chose State senator Betty Roberts over Boe to replace Morse as the Democratic nominee.^[32] Roberts, an Oregon State Senator, had run for the Democratic nomination for Governor that year, but lost in the May primary to eventual general election winner Robert W. Straub.^[32]

Outgoing Oregon governor Tom McCall, who had decided not to run in 1968, had pledged to Packwood a year earlier that he would not challenge him in 1974.^[33] But as his term as governor ended, McCall began reconsidering his decision, believing he would bring more integrity to the job. In March 1974, at a dinner party held at Packwood's Washington D.C. home in McCall's honor, McCall informed Packwood that he would challenge him.^[33] The news of McCall's change of plans soon reached the media. Eventually, McCall decided that he had little chance against Packwood, who had similar positions to his own and had a reputation for ruthless campaigning that McCall did not share.^[33]^[34] McCall did not run, and Packwood was unopposed in the Republican primary.^[28]

Strong Democratic gains were predicted, giving Roberts a good chance at an upset. In addition, the Senate had no female members and Roberts was one of three women (along with Barbara Mikulski in Maryland and Gwenyfred Bush in South Carolina) seeking a Senate seat.^[35] But on the issues, Packwood and Roberts shared many positions, such as on abortion, military spending, and the environment.^[36] Moreover, Packwood had distanced himself from Watergate, calling for Nixon's impeachment and denouncing Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon.^[36]^[37] Roberts was also at a financial disadvantage, having entered the race late and facing debt from her failed gubernatorial run; Packwood was able to use money he had raised for a primary challenge that never materialized, and led in most polls by a double-digit margin.^[36]

Roberts lost the election to Packwood 54% to 44%.^[38] Packwood was the only Oregon Republican up for re-election to keep his seat: Democrats won every other available seat. In the Governor's race, Bob Straub, who beat Roberts in the Democratic primary, defeated Vic Atiyeh to become the first elected Democratic governor since 1956; in the U. S. House of Representatives races, Les AuCoin won an open seat in the 1st district and in the 4th district, Jim Weaver upset incumbent John Dellenback.^[39]

After the election, Roberts, whose criticism of Packwood's ethics was a theme in her campaign, considered filing a lawsuit against Packwood for misrepresenting her positions on gun control, abortion, and Social Security in campaign advertisements, but later dropped the idea.^[40]

1974 United States Senate election in Oregon^[41]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bob Packwood (Incumbent)	420,984	54.93
	Democratic	Betty Roberts	338,591	44.18
	Write-In	Jason Boe	5,072	0.66
	Write-In	Misc.	1,767	0.23
Total votes			766,414	100.00
	Republican hold

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Richard Schweiker	Peter Flaherty
Party	Republican	Democratic
Popular vote	1,843,317	1,596,121
Percentage	53.0%	45.9%

County results

Schweiker: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

Flaherty: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Richard Schweiker
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Richard Schweiker
Republican

Incumbent Republican Richard Schweiker won re-election, defeating Democratic nominee Peter F. Flaherty, Mayor of Pittsburgh.

In the general election campaign, Schweiker faced popular Pittsburgh mayor Peter Flaherty. Both candidates, as highlighted by a New York Times article, "[took] firm stands against inflation, recession, big spending by the Federal Government and abortion on demand."^[42] Schweiker, who was endorsed by the AFL–CIO, distanced himself from the Richard Nixon administration, specifically the Watergate scandal, by emphasizing his early calls for Nixon's resignation and the fact that he was on Nixon's "enemies list."^[42]

In the end, Schweiker won re-election with 53% of the popular vote, with Flaherty winning 45.9%. Schweiker carried 53 of Pennsylvania's counties, a decrease from the 59 counties he carried in the 1968 election. Flaherty had a strong showing in Allegheny County, which contains his home town of Pittsburgh, which Schweiker had won in 1968. The final election results represented a political divide between the eastern and western portions of the state, Schweiker in the east and Flaherty in the west, with the exception of Flaherty's slim 4,491 vote victory in Philadelphia.^[42]

Pennsylvania United States Senate Election, 1974^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard Schweiker (Incumbent)	1,843,317	53.00
	Democratic	Peter F. Flaherty	1,596,121	45.89
	Constitution	George W. Shankey	38,004	1.09
	Write-in	Other	370	0.01
Majority			247,196	7.11
Turnout			3,477,812
	Republican hold

South Carolina

South Carolina election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Ernest Hollings	Gwen Bush
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	355,107	146,649
Percentage	69.4%	28.7%

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

U.S. senator before election

Ernest Hollings
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Ernest Hollings
Democratic

The 1974 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 5, 1974 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic senator Fritz Hollings easily defeated Republican challenger Gwen Bush to win his third term. Both Hollings and Bush faced no opposition in their party's primaries which allowed both candidates to concentrate solely on the general election. The Watergate scandal caused the Republicans to perform poorly nationwide in 1974 and Gwen Bush was little more than a sacrificial lamb. The main focus of the voters in South Carolina was on the competitive gubernatorial contest and Hollings easily cruised to a comfortable re-election.

South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1974
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Fritz Hollings (Incumbent)	355,107	69.4	+7.5%
	Republican	Gwen Bush	146,649	28.7	−9.4%
	Independent	Harold Hough	9,624	1.9	+1.9%
Majority			208,458	40.7	+16.9%
Turnout			511,380	51.3	−25.2%
	Democratic hold

South Dakota

1974 South Dakota Senate election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	George McGovern	Leo K. Thorsness
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	147,929	130,955
Percentage	53.04%	46.96%

County results
McGovern: 50–60% 60–70%
Thorsness: 50–60% 60-70% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

George McGovern
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

George McGovern
Democratic

1974 United States Senate election in South Dakota Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George McGovern (Incumbent)	147,929	53.04
	Republican	Leo K. Thorsness	130,955	46.96
Majority			16,974	6.08
Turnout			278,884
	Democratic hold

Utah

Utah election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Jake Garn	Wayne Owens	Bruce Bangerter
Party	Republican	Democratic	American
Popular vote	210,299	185,377	24,966
Percentage	49.99%	44.07%	5.94%

County results
Garn: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Owens: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Wallace F. Bennett
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jake Garn
Republican

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Wallace F. Bennett did not run for re-election to a fifth term, but retired. Salt Lake City mayor Jake Garn won the Republican nomination, while U.S. representative Wayne Owens won the Democratic nomination. Garn defeated Owens, 50% to 44%, with third-party candidate Bruce Bangerter winning 6% of the vote.

1974 United States Senate election in Utah Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jake Garn	210,299	49.99
	Democratic	Wayne Owens	185,377	44.07
	American	Bruce Bangerter	24,966	5.94
Majority			24,922	5.92
Turnout			420,642
	Republican hold

Vermont

Vermont election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Patrick Leahy	Richard W. Mallary
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	70,629	66,223
Percentage	49.5%	46.4%

Leahy: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80%
Mallary: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90%

U.S. senator before election

George Aiken
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Patrick Leahy
Democratic

Incumbent Republican George Aiken did not run for re-election to another term in the United States Senate. Democratic candidate, attorney and prosecutor Patrick Leahy defeated the Republican candidate, congressman Richard W. Mallary to succeed him. Leahy was the first Democrat ever elected to the senate from Vermont.

Republican primary election^[43]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard W. Mallary	27,221	59.1
	Republican	Charles R. Ross	16,479	35.8
	Republican	T. Serse Ambrosini	2,265	4.9
	Republican	Other	61	0.1
Total votes			46,026	100.0

Democratic primary election^[43]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patrick Leahy	19,801	83.9
	Democratic	Nathaniel Frothingham	3,703	15.7
	Democratic	Other	97	0.4
Total votes			23,601	100.0

1974 United States Senate election in Vermont^[44]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patrick Leahy	70,629	49.47
	Republican	Richard W. Mallary	66,223	46.38
	Liberty Union	Bernie Sanders	5,901	4.13
	Write-in	Other	19	0.0
Total votes			142,772	100.0
Majority			4,406	3.09
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing

Washington

Washington Election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Warren Magnuson	Jack Metcalf
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	611,811	363,626
Percentage	60.70%	36.08%

County results
Magnuson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Metcalf: 40–50% 50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Warren G. Magnuson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Warren G. Magnuson
Democratic

1974 United States Senate election in Washington Results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Warren Magnuson (Incumbent)	611,811	60.70
	Republican	Jack Metcalf	363,626	36.08
	American Independent	Gene Goosman	19,871	1.97
	Socialist Workers	Clare Fraenzl	8,176	0.81
	U.S. Labor	Pat Ruckert	4,363	0.43
Majority			248,185	24.62
Turnout			1,007,847
	Democratic hold

Wisconsin

Wisconsin election

← 1968

1980 →


Nominee	Gaylord Nelson	Tom Petri
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	740,700	429,327
Percentage	61.8%	35.8%

County results
Nelson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Petri: 50–60% 60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Gaylord Nelson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Gaylord Nelson
Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Gaylord Nelson won re-election to a third term over Tom Petri, State senator since 1973.

General election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gaylord Nelson (Incumbent)	740,700	61.8
	Republican	Tom Petri	429,327	35.8
	American	Gerald L. McFarren	24,003	2.0
	Lowering the Property Tax	Roman Blenski	5,396	0.6
	Write-in	Write-Ins	69	0.0
Majority			311,373	26.0
Turnout			1,199,426
	Democratic hold

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Includes New Hampshire, where the result of the November election was voided; in the ensuing Special Election of September 1975, where the same two major party candidates as that of the November election stood, a Democratic pickup occurred. The Clerk of the House of Representatives considers the immediate results of these elections to have resulted in a 61–37–2 majority, which would include this pickup in New Hampshire.^[1]
^ ^a ^b The Liberal Party in New York endorsed Jacob Javits, but the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives did not tabulate their votes, totaling 241,659, into the national Republican total.^[1]
^ Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (VA), was an Independent who caucused with the Democrats. In some circles, he is called an "Independent Democrat", but his actual registration was listed as "Independent". See, e. g., United States Congress. "Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. (id: B001209)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
^ The two senators, J. William Fulbright of Arkansas and Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio, both lost renomination and nomination to the full term, respectively, Dale Bumpers and John Glenn became the party's new nominees in each state.

^ ^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 "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1974 [sic]" (PDF). Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House. August 1, 1975. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
^ James M. Naughton (November 6, 1974). "Senate and House Margins Are Substantially Enlarged". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
^ "Our Campaigns - AK US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com.
^ "AZ US Senate - D Primary Race - Sep 10, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ "AZ US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ "Our Campaigns - AR US Senate - D Primary Race - May 28, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com.
^ "Our Campaigns - AR US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com.
^ Synhorst, Melvin. "SUMMARY OF OFFICIAL CANVASS OF VOTES CAST IN IOWA GENERAL ELECTION November 5, 1974" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. State of Iowa. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
^ Leip, David. "1974 Senatorial General Election Results - Iowa". US Election Atlas. David Leip's Election Atlas. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
^ "Abortion, Dole's Sword in '74, Returns to Confront Him in '96". The New York Times. July 8, 1996. p. A1. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
^ "LA US Senate – D Primary". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Barker, Karlyn (November 6, 1974). "Mathias Is Elected To a Second Term". The Washington Post. p. A12.
^ Watson, Douglas (August 15, 1974). "Mathias Purge Threat Ends: White House Scandals Boost Senator's Re-election Bid". The Washington Post. p. C1.
^ Barker, Karlyn (September 11, 1974). "Mathias Wins GOP Md. Race". The Washington Post. p. A24.
^ Richards, Bill (February 3, 1974). "Sen. Mathias Re-Election Drive Opens". The Washington Post. p. B1.
^ "U.S. Senate Choice in Maryland". The Washington Post. October 22, 1980. p. A22.
^ "1974 Senatorial General Election Results - Maryland".
^ McGovern, George S. (1977). Grassroots: The Autobiography of George McGovern. New York: Random House. pp. 214–215.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
^ Lydon, Christopher (December 17, 1973). "Republican Strategists See Major 1974 Election Losses for G.O.P.; Most Incredible'". The New York Times.
^ "Message from New Hampshire". Time. September 29, 1975. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c "North Carolina DataNet #46" (PDF). University of North Carolina. April 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - James R. Jungroth". www.ourcampaigns.com.
^ "OH US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ "OK US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "No debate". The Register-Guard. April 9, 1974. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Death claims ex-Sen. Wayne Morse". The Bulletin (Bend). July 22, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "From political obscurity, Packwood defeated veteran". The Bulletin (Bend). November 12, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b "Packwood, unopposed, spent most in Senate primary". The Bulletin (Bend). June 28, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Willis, Henny (May 26, 1974). "Four want to battle Packwood". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
^ "Oregon US Senate Democratic Primary Race, May 28, 1974". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
^ "Leukemia claimed Wayne Morse". The Bulletin (Bend). May 28, 1975. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b "State Sen. Betty Roberts chosen to oppose Packwood". Tri City Herald. August 12, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b ^c Walth, Brent (November 24, 1994). "McCall wanted Senate seat, despite pledge to Packwood". The Register-Guard. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "He won't run for Senate, says McCall". Tri City Herald. March 14, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "All-male ballots may soon become unusual". The Tuscaloosa News. September 19, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c Aarons, Leroy F. (October 24, 1974). "Packwood faces strong challenge from a woman". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Packwood believes many Republicans want Nixon to quit". The Bulletin (Bend). March 27, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
^ Robinson, Sue (November 6, 1974). "Packwood survives dark night". The Register-Guard. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Willis, Henny (November 6, 1974). "Weaver wins stunning upset". The Register-Guard. Retrieved February 2, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Election suit idea dropped by Roberts". The Register-Guard. November 16, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Oregon US Senate Race, Nov 5, 1974". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sundquist, Renée M. Lamis ; with a foreword by James L. (2009). The realignment of Pennsylvania politics since 1960 : two-party competition in a battleground state. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. pp. 100–102. ISBN 978-0271034195.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ^a ^b "Primary Election Results" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
^ "General Election Results - U.S. senator - 1914-2014" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

References

Butler, Anne M.; Wolff, Wendy (1995). United States Senate Election, Expulsion and Censure Cases, 1793-1990. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office.
Tibbetts, Donn. The Closest U.S. Senate Race in History, Durkin v. Wyman. [Manchester, N.H.]: J.W. Cummings Enterprises, 1976.
Minnesota Senate race echoes N.H. election in 1974 - EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA, March 10, 2009, archived from the original on March 10, 2009, retrieved December 6, 2019
U.S. Senate: Art & History Home > Historical Minutes > 1964-Present > Closest Election in Senate History, May 29, 2009, archived from the original on May 29, 2009, retrieved December 6, 2019
U.S. Senate: Art & History Home > The Election Case of John A. Durkin v. Louis C. Wyman of New Hampshire (1975), July 13, 2009, archived from the original on July 13, 2009, retrieved December 6, 2019
Committee on Rules and Administration (May 22, 1975). Senator from New Hampshire (PDF) (Report). United States Government Printing Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
"The Bryan Times - Google News Archive Search". September 15, 1975. Retrieved December 6, 2019.^{[permanent dead link]}
State Election Commission (1975). Report of the South Carolina State Election Commission. Columbia, SC: State Election Commission. p. 37.
"12 Men, One Woman Aspire to Post In Washington". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. September 1, 1974. pp. 4–6. Retrieved September 6, 2017.

[NH-1] Includes New Hampshire, where the result of the November election was voided; in the ensuing Special Election of September 1975, where the same two major party candidates as that of the November election stood, a Democratic pickup occurred. The Clerk of the House of Representatives considers the immediate results of these elections to have resulted in a 61–37–2 majority, which would include this pickup in New Hampshire.^[1]

[NY_alliance-3] The Liberal Party in New York endorsed Jacob Javits, but the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives did not tabulate their votes, totaling 241,659, into the national Republican total.^[1]

[Byrd_VA-4] Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (VA), was an Independent who caucused with the Democrats. In some circles, he is called an "Independent Democrat", but his actual registration was listed as "Independent". See, e. g., United States Congress. "Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. (id: B001209)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

[6] The two senators, J. William Fulbright of Arkansas and Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio, both lost renomination and nomination to the full term, respectively, Dale Bumpers and John Glenn became the party's new nominees in each 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 "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1974 [sic]" (PDF). Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House. August 1, 1975. Retrieved December 3, 2020.

[5] James M. Naughton (November 6, 1974). "Senate and House Margins Are Substantially Enlarged". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2014.

[7] "Our Campaigns - AK US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com.

[8] "AZ US Senate - D Primary Race - Sep 10, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.

[9] "AZ US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.

[10] "Our Campaigns - AR US Senate - D Primary Race - May 28, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com.

[11] "Our Campaigns - AR US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". www.ourcampaigns.com.

[12] Synhorst, Melvin. "SUMMARY OF OFFICIAL CANVASS OF VOTES CAST IN IOWA GENERAL ELECTION November 5, 1974" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. State of Iowa. Retrieved October 5, 2024.

[13] Leip, David. "1974 Senatorial General Election Results - Iowa". US Election Atlas. David Leip's Election Atlas. Retrieved October 5, 2024.

[nyt7.8.96-14] "Abortion, Dole's Sword in '74, Returns to Confront Him in '96". The New York Times. July 8, 1996. p. A1. Retrieved September 8, 2023.

[15] "LA US Senate – D Primary". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 24, 2020.

[Barker-6Nov1974-16] Barker, Karlyn (November 6, 1974). "Mathias Is Elected To a Second Term". The Washington Post. p. A12.

[Watson-15Aug1974-17] Watson, Douglas (August 15, 1974). "Mathias Purge Threat Ends: White House Scandals Boost Senator's Re-election Bid". The Washington Post. p. C1.

[Barker-11Sep1974-18] Barker, Karlyn (September 11, 1974). "Mathias Wins GOP Md. Race". The Washington Post. p. A24.

[Richards-3Feb1974-19] Richards, Bill (February 3, 1974). "Sen. Mathias Re-Election Drive Opens". The Washington Post. p. B1.

[WaPo-22Oct1980-20] "U.S. Senate Choice in Maryland". The Washington Post. October 22, 1980. p. A22.

[21] "1974 Senatorial General Election Results - Maryland".

[22] McGovern, George S. (1977). Grassroots: The Autobiography of George McGovern. New York: Random House. pp. 214–215.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

[23] Lydon, Christopher (December 17, 1973). "Republican Strategists See Major 1974 Election Losses for G.O.P.; Most Incredible'". The New York Times.

[time-24] "Message from New Hampshire". Time. September 29, 1975. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009.

[SouthNow_46-25] "North Carolina DataNet #46" (PDF). University of North Carolina. April 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.

[26] "Our Campaigns - Candidate - James R. Jungroth". www.ourcampaigns.com.

[27] "OH US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.

[28] "OK US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1974". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.

[nodebate-29] "No debate". The Register-Guard. April 9, 1974. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2010.

[claim-30] "Death claims ex-Sen. Wayne Morse". The Bulletin (Bend). July 22, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010. ^{[dead link]}

[31] "From political obscurity, Packwood defeated veteran". The Bulletin (Bend). November 12, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[ORprimary-32] "Packwood, unopposed, spent most in Senate primary". The Bulletin (Bend). June 28, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[33] Willis, Henny (May 26, 1974). "Four want to battle Packwood". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2010.

[74dp-34] "Oregon US Senate Democratic Primary Race, May 28, 1974". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 29, 2010.

[35] "Leukemia claimed Wayne Morse". The Bulletin (Bend). May 28, 1975. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[odcc-36] "State Sen. Betty Roberts chosen to oppose Packwood". Tri City Herald. August 12, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[walth-37] Walth, Brent (November 24, 1994). "McCall wanted Senate seat, despite pledge to Packwood". The Register-Guard. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[mccall-38] "He won't run for Senate, says McCall". Tri City Herald. March 14, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[39] "All-male ballots may soon become unusual". The Tuscaloosa News. September 19, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.

[aarons-40] Aarons, Leroy F. (October 24, 1974). "Packwood faces strong challenge from a woman". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved February 1, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[41] "Packwood believes many Republicans want Nixon to quit". The Bulletin (Bend). March 27, 1974. Retrieved February 1, 2010.

[ge-42] Robinson, Sue (November 6, 1974). "Packwood survives dark night". The Register-Guard. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[43] Willis, Henny (November 6, 1974). "Weaver wins stunning upset". The Register-Guard. Retrieved February 2, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[suit-44] "Election suit idea dropped by Roberts". The Register-Guard. November 16, 1974. Retrieved January 29, 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}

[74gen-45] "Oregon US Senate Race, Nov 5, 1974". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 29, 2010.

[lamis-46] Sundquist, Renée M. Lamis ; with a foreword by James L. (2009). The realignment of Pennsylvania politics since 1960 : two-party competition in a battleground state. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. pp. 100–102. ISBN 978-0271034195.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[primary-47] "Primary Election Results" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

[results-48] "General Election Results - U.S. senator - 1914-2014" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

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Results summary

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

Defeats

Post-election changes

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the general elections

Beginning of the next Congress

Race summary

Elections leading to the next Congress

Closest races

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Missouri

Nevada

New Hampshire

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Utah

Vermont

Washington

Wisconsin

See also

Notes

References