1954 United States Senate elections
The 1954 United States Senate elections was a midterm election in the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. Eisenhower's Republican party lost a net of two seats to the Democratic opposition. This small change was just enough to give Democrats control of the chamber with the support of an Independent who caucused with them.
The elections resulted in a divided government that continued to the end of Eisenhower's presidency and a Democratic majority that would last until 1981.
Incumbents defeated
Democrats defeated incumbents John S. Cooper, Homer Ferguson, Ernest S. Brown, and Guy Cordon.Republicans took the seats of incumbents Guy M. Gillette and Thomas A. Burke.
Open seat gains
Democrats took an open seat in Wyoming.Republicans took an open seat in Colorado.
Change in composition
Before the elections
Results of the elections
| Key: | Race summariesSpecial elections during the 83rd CongressIn these special elections, the winners were seated during 1954 or before January 3, 1955; ordered by election date, then state, then class.Races leading to the 83rd CongressIn these general elections, the winner was seated on January 3, 1953; ordered by state.All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats. AlabamaArkansasCalifornia (Special)ColoradoDelawareGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMassachusettsIn Massachusetts, Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall defeated his challengers.Democrat Foster Furcolo beat John I. Fitzgerald and Joseph L. Murphy. Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall was renominated. Other nominees included Socialist Workers Thelma Ingersoll and Prohibition Harold J. Ireland. MichiganMinnesotaMississippiMontanaIn Montana incumbent senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936, 1942, and 1948, ran for re-election.Murray won the Democratic primary against trivial opponents. Republican Wesley A. D'Ewart United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district beat Robert Yellowtail, former Superintendent of the Crow Indian Reservation, for the GOP nomination. A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate. NebraskaNebraska had three Senate elections on the ballot. Both incumbents had died in the span of three months, leading to appointments and special elections.
Nebraska (Special Class 1)Nebraska (Special Class 2)Nevada (Special)New HampshireNew Hampshire (General)New Hampshire (Special)New JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaLike Nebraska, North Carolina had three Senate elections on the ballot. Both Senators had died during the 83rd Congress, leading to appointments and special elections.
North Carolina (Special Class 2)North Carolina (Special Class 3)Ohio (Special)OklahomaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaIn South Carolina, Senator Burnet R. Maybank did not face a primary challenge in the summer and was therefore renominated as the Democratic Party's nominee for the election in the fall. However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A. Brown as their candidate for the election. Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate. He easily won the election and became the first U.S. senator to be elected by a write-in vote.Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election. His unexpected death on September 1 caused panic and confusion within the hierarchy of the state Democratic party because the state law required that a party's nominee be certified by September 3. Hours after Maybank's funeral, the state Democratic executive committee met in secret and chose state Senator Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell County as the party's nominee for the general election. Not only was Brown a part of the "Barnwell Ring", but he was also a member of the executive committee. The state Democratic Party's decision to choose a candidate without holding a special primary election drew widespread criticism across the state. On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit. At least six county Democratic committees repudiated the action by the state committee and called for a primary election. Despite repeated calls for a primary, the state executive committee voted against holding a primary because they did not think that there was enough time before the general election to hold a primary election. Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates. Thurmond and his supporters stated that the executive committee had several legal alternatives as opposed to the outright appointment of state Senator Brown. In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term. Thurmond received support from Governor James F. Byrnes and from those who backed his Presidential bid as a Dixiecrat in the 1948 Presidential election. Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule" and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson. For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote. Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown. On the other hand, Brown was supported by the Democratic party regulars and he also gained the endorsement of Senator Olin D. Johnston. Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952. Marcus A. Stone, a lumberman in Florence and Dillon, was a candidate in previous Democratic primaries for governor and senator. He did very little campaigning for the general election. South DakotaTennesseeTexasVirginiaIn Virginia, Democratic incumbent Senator Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Independent Democrat Charles Lewis and Social Democrat Clarke Robb and was re-elected to a second term in office.West VirginiaWyomingWyoming (General)Wyoming (Special) |