1976 United States Senate elections
The 1976 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate that coincided with Democratic Jimmy Carter's presidential election and the United States Bicentennial celebration. Although almost half of the seats decided in this election changed parties, Carter's narrow victory did not provide coattails for the Democrats, and the balance of the chamber remained the same.
This was the first election in which the Libertarian Party competed, running candidates in 9 of the 33 contested seats. There were no special elections in this election cycle.
As of 2018 this is the first and so far only time both party leaders retired from the senate in the same election cycle since the creation of the positions.
Retirements
The leaders of both parties retired. Democrats had a net gain of one seat from retirements.Democratic holds
- Michigan: Philip Hart retired and was replaced by Donald Riegle.
- * Hart then died December 27, 1976 and Riegle was appointed to finish the term.
- Montana: Majority leader Mike Mansfield retired and was replaced by John Melcher.
Democratic gains
- Arizona: Paul Fannin retired and was replaced by Dennis DeConcini.
- Hawaii: Hiram Fong retired and was replaced by Spark Matsunaga.
- Nebraska: Roman Hruska retired and was replaced by Edward Zorinsky.
- * Hruska then resigned December 27, 1976 and Zorinsky was appointed in his place.
Republican hold
- Pennsylvania: Hugh Scott retired and was replaced by John Heinz.
Republican gains
- Missouri: Stuart Symington retired and was replaced by John Danforth.
- * Symington then resigned December 27, 1976 and Danforth was appointed to finish the term.
- Rhode Island: John Pastore retired and was replaced by John Chafee.
- * Pastore then resigned December 28, 1976 and Chafee was appointed to finish the term.
Incumbents who lost
Democratic gains
From Republicans
- Maryland: J. Glenn Beall Jr. lost re-election to Paul Sarbanes.
- Ohio: Robert Taft Jr. lost re-election to former senator Howard Metzenbaum.
- * Taft then resigned December 28, 1976. Metzenbaum was appointed to finish the term.
- Tennessee: Bill Brock lost re-election to Jim Sasser.
From Conservatives
- New York: James L. Buckley lost re-election as a Republican to Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Republican gains
- California: John V. Tunney lost re-election to S. I. Hayakawa.
- * Tunney then resigned January 1, 1977 and Hayakawa was appointed to finish the term.
- Indiana: Vance Hartke lost re-election to Richard Lugar.
- New Mexico: Joseph Montoya lost re-election to Harrison Schmitt.
- Utah: Frank Moss lost re-election to Orrin Hatch.
- Wyoming: Gale W. McGee lost re-election to Malcolm Wallop.
Results summary
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
After the general elections
Race summaries
Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1977; ordered by state.All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
Arizona
Incumbent Republican Paul Fannin retired instead of seeking a third term. Democratic attorney and businessman Dennis DeConcini won the open seat over Sam Steiger, U.S. Congressman of Arizona's 3rd congressional district.California
Incumbent Democrat John Tunney ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Republican Sam Hayakawa, President emeritus of San Francisco State University.Connecticut
Incumbent Republican Lowell Weicker won re-election to a second term over Gloria Schaffer, Connecticut Secretary of StateDelaware
Incumbent Republican William Roth won reelection to a second term over Thomas Maloney, Mayor of WilmingtonFlorida
Incumbent Democrat Lawton Chiles won re-election to a second term over John Grady, Mayor of Belle Glade[|Hawaii]
Incumbent Republican Hiram Fong retired instead of seeking re-election to a fourth term. Democrat Spark Matsunaga won the open seat over Republican William Quinn, Former Governor of Hawaii.Indiana
Incumbent Democrat Vance Hartke ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Republican challenger Richard Lugar, Mayor of Indianapolis.Maine
Incumbent Democrat Edmund Muskie won re-election to a fourth term over Republican Robert A. G. Monks, shareholder activist.Maryland
Incumbent Republican Glenn Beall Jr. ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democratic challenger Paul Sarbanes, member of the U.S. House of Representatives.Massachusetts
Incumbent Democrat Ted Kennedy won re-election to his third full term over Republican businessman, Michael RobertsonMichigan
Incumbent Democrat Philip Hart retired instead of seeking a fourth term. Democrat Donald Riegle, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, won the open seat over fellow congressman Republican Marvin Esch.Minnesota
Incumbent Democrat Hubert Humphrey won re-election to a fifth term over Republican Gerald Brekke, college professorMississippi
Incumbent Democrat John C. Stennis won re-election to his sixth term.[|Missouri]
Incumbent Democrat Stuart Symington retired, instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican John Danforth, Attorney General of Missouri, won the open seat, defeating Democrat Warren Hearnes, former Governor of Missouri.[|Montana]
Rather than seek a fifth term, Democratic incumbent Mike Mansfield opted to retire, creating an open seat. United States Congressman John Melcher, who had represented Montana's 2nd congressional district from 1969 to 1977, won the Democratic nomination and defeated Stanley C. Burger, the Republican nominee and former Executive Officer of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, by a wide margin in the general election.Nebraska
Incumbent Republican Roman Hruska retired instead of seeking another term. Democrat Edward Zorinsky, Mayor of Omaha, won the open seat over Republican John Y. McCollister, U.S. Congressman of Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.Nevada
Incumbent Democrat Howard Cannon won re-election to a fourth term over Republican David Towell, U.S. Representative from Nevada's At-large congressional district.In the Senate, Cannon was known as a moderate in the Democratic Party. He served as chairman of several committees, including the rules committee and the inaugural arrangements committee. Cannon was nearly defeated for re-election in 1964 by Republican Lieutenant Governor Paul Laxalt in one of the closest election in history. However, he became more popular over the next few years and won re-election in 1970 with nearly 58% of the vote. In 1976, he faced U.S. Representative David Towell, who served just one term in the U.S. House of Representatives before running for the U.S. Senate. Cannon won re-election with 63% of the vote, one of his best election performances of his career. He won every county in the state, except for Eureka County, which Towell won with just 51% of the vote.
New Jersey
New Mexico
Incumbent Democrat Joseph Montoya ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Republican former Astronaut Harrison Schmitt.New York
Incumbent Conservative James Buckley ran for re-election to a second term as a Republican, but was defeated by Pat Moynihan.North Dakota
Incumbent North Dakota Democratic NPL Party Democrat Quentin Burdick, sought and received re-election to his fourth term to the United States Senate, defeating Republican candidate Robert Stroup. Only Burdick filed as a Dem-NPLer, and the endorsed Republican candidate was Robert Stroup, as state senator from Hazen, North Dakota. Burdick and Stroup won the primary elections for their respective parties. One independent candidate, Clarence Haggard, also filed before the deadline under the American Party.Ohio
Incumbent Republican Robert Taft Jr. ran for re-election to second term, but was defeated by Democratic former senator Howard Metzenbaum.Pennsylvania
Incumbent Republican and Minority Leader Hugh Scott retired. Republican John Heinz won the open seat over Democrat Bill Green, United States RepresentativeIn December 1975, U.S. senator Hugh Scott announced that he would not seek re-election in 1976 at the age of 75 after serving in Congress for 33 years. Scott listed personal reasons and several "well-qualified potential candidates" for the seat among the reasons of his decision to retire. Other reasons, including his support for Richard Nixon and accusations that he had illegally obtained contributions from Gulf Oil were alleged to have contributed to the decision.
Heinz was the victor in all but nine counties, defeating opponent William Green, who had a 300,000 vote advantage in his native Philadelphia area. Heinz and Green spend $2.5 million and $900,000, respectively, during the ten-month campaign. Much of the money Heinz spent on his campaign was his own, leading to accusations from Green that he was "buying the seat". Heinz replied to this by claiming that the spending was necessary to overcome the Democratic voter registration advantage.