1960 United States Senate elections

November 8, 1960
34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Lyndon Johnson (retired)[lower-alpha 1] Everett Dirksen Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 1953 January 3, 1959 Leader's seat Texas Illinois Seats before 66 34 Seats after 64 36 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 18,547,250[1] 14,894,867[1] Percentage 55.1% 44.2% Seats up 23 11 Races won 21 13
Results of the elections (excl. North Dakota):      Republican gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold      No election
Majority Leader before election Lyndon Johnson Democratic Elected Majority Leader Mike Mansfield[lower-alpha 1] Democratic

The 1960 United States Senate elections coincided with the election of John F. Kennedy as president on November 8, 1960. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. A special election was also held on June 28, 1960, for a mid-term vacancy in North Dakota where Democrats flipped a seat to expand their majority to 66–34. As Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson was elected Vice President, Mike Mansfield became the new majority leader.

The Republicans gained two seats at the expense of the Democrats. However, Republican Senator-elect Edwin Keith Thomson of Wyoming died December 9, 1960, and was replaced by appointee Democratic John J. Hickey at the beginning of the Congress, reducing Republican gains to one seat. However, this was canceled out by a 1961 special election where Republican John Tower flipped Johnson's Senate seat. The Democrats nonetheless retained a commanding lead in the Senate with 64 seats to 36.

Results summary

Parties					Total
		Democratic	Republican	Other
Last elections (1958)		64	34	0	98
Before these elections		66	34	0	100
Not up		43	23	0	66
Up		23	11	—	34
	Class 2 (1954→1960)	22	11	—	33
	Special: Class 3	1	0	—	1
Incumbent retired		4	1	—	5
	Held by same party	3	1	—	4
	Replaced by other party	1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican		—	1
	Result	3	2	0	5
Incumbent ran		19	10	—	29
	Won re-election	18	10	—	28
	Lost re-election	1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican		—	1
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	0	0	—	0
	Result	18	11	0	29
Total elected		21	13	0	34
Net gain/loss		2	2		2
Nationwide vote		18,547,250	14,894,867	218,893	33,661,010
	Share	55.10%	44.25%	0.65%	100%
Result		64	36	0	100

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives (1961). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1960" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 52.

Gains, losses, and holds

Change in composition

Race summaries

Closest races

Eleven races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Rhode Island was the tipping point state with a margin of 37.8%.

Alabama

Alabama election

Nominee John Sparkman Julian Elgin Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 389,196 164,868 Percentage 70.24% 29.76%

County results

U.S. senator before election John Sparkman Democratic Elected U.S. senator John Sparkman Democratic

Incumbent John J. Sparkman won re-election, having served since 1946. He faced nominal opposition from Republican Julian E. Elgin in the then-deeply Democratic state of Alabama. Sparkman served from 1946 to 1979 in the Senate before retiring and being succeeded by Howell Heflin.

Alaska

Alaska election

Nominee Bob Bartlett Lee McKinley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 38,041 21,937 Percentage 63.43% 36.58%

U.S. senator before election Bob Bartlett Democratic Elected U.S. senator Bob Bartlett Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Bob Bartlett was easily re-elected to his second (his first full) term in the U.S. Senate over Republican dentist Lee McKinley after originally being elected in 1958 upon Alaska's anticipated admission as a state into the United States. Bartlett had previously served as the last delegate from Alaska to Congress.

Arkansas

1960 United States Senate election in Arkansas

November 8, 1960

Nominee John L. McClellan Party Democratic Popular vote 337,036 Percentage 99.88%

U.S. senator before election John L. McClellan Democratic Elected U.S. Senator John L. McClellan Democratic

Incumbent senator John L. McClellan was re-elected to a fourth term with nominal opposition from write-in independent candidate Marvin Fuchs, who received just 449 of 377,485 votes.

Colorado

Colorado election

Nominee Gordon Allott Robert Lee Knous Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 389,428 334,854 Percentage 53.52% 46.02%

County results Allott:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70% Knous:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Gordon Allott Republican Elected U.S. senator Gordon Allott Republican

Incumbent Gordon Allott was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating lieutenant governor Robert Knous by just under eight percentage points. He would wind up winning re-election in 1966 before retiring in 1973, replaced by Democrat Floyd Haskell.

Delaware

Delaware election

Nominee J. Caleb Boggs J. Allen Frear Jr. Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 98,874 96,090 Percentage 50.71% 49.29%

County Results Boggs:      50-60% Frear:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election J. Allen Frear Jr. Democratic Elected U.S. senator J. Caleb Boggs Republican

J. Allen Frear ran for re-election to a third term, but he was defeated by Republican governor J. Caleb Boggs by a narrow 1% margin. Boggs would be re-elected in 1966, but he would lose re-election to a third term in 1972 to future U.S. President Joe Biden.

Georgia

Georgia election

September 14, 1960

Nominee Richard Russell Jr. Party Democratic Electoral vote 410 Popular vote 560,256 Percentage 100.00%

U.S. senator before election Richard Russell Jr. Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Richard Russell Jr. Democratic

Incumbent Richard B. Russell Jr. was re-elected to a sixth term in office, running unopposed in the tantamount Democratic primary and facing nominal opposition in the deeply-Democratic Georgia.

Idaho

Henry Dworshak ran for re-election to a third term, defeating R.F. McLaughlin by just under five percentage points.

Idaho election

Nominee Henry Dworshak R.F. McLaughlin Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 152,648 139,448 Percentage 52.26% 47.74%

U.S. senator before election Henry Dworshak Republican Elected U.S. senator Henry Dworshak Republican

Illinois

Illinois election

Turnout	84.24%
Nominee Paul Douglas Samuel W. Witwer Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,530,945 2,093,846 Percentage 54.63% 45.20%
County results
U.S. senator before election Paul Douglas Democratic Elected U.S. senator Paul Douglas Democratic

Incumbent Paul H. Douglas successfully ran for re-election to a third term, defeating Republican Samuel Witwer.

Iowa

Iowa election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Jack Miller Herschel Loveless Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 642,643 595,119 Percentage 51.9% 48.1%

County results Miller:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Loveless:      50-60%      60-70%

U.S. senator before election Thomas E. Martin Republican Elected U.S. Senator Jack Miller Republican

Incumbent Republican Thomas Martin decided to retire, leaving this seat open. Republican Jack Miller won the open seat, defeating Democrat Herschel C. Loveless and riding the coattails of Richard Nixon's victory in the state.

Kansas

Incumbent Andrew Schoeppel ran for re-election to a third term, defeating Frank Theis. He would die before his term expired, and he was replaced by James B. Pearson.

Kansas election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Andrew F. Schoeppel Frank Theis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 485,499 388,895 Percentage 54.64% 43.77%

U.S. senator before election Andrew F. Schoeppel Republican Elected U.S. Senator Andrew F. Schoeppel Republican

Kentucky

Kentucky election

November 8, 1960

Nominee John Sherman Cooper Keen Johnson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 644,087 444,830 Percentage 59.15% 40.85%

County results Cooper:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80–90%      >90% Johnson:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election John Sherman Cooper Republican Elected U.S. Senator John Sherman Cooper Republican

Incumbent John Sherman Cooper ran for re-election, defeating Keen Johnson by nearly 20%. This was the first time Cooper had won an election to a full Senate term, though he had previously served two partial terms.

Louisiana

Incumbent Democrat Allen J. Ellender ran for re-election, having served since his election in 1936. In the deeply Democratic state of Louisiana, he was easily re-elected to another term.

Louisiana election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Allen J. Ellender George W. Reese Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 432,228 109,698 Percentage 79.77% 20.24%

U.S. senator before election Allen J. Ellender Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Allen J. Ellender Democratic

Maine

Maine election

Nominee Margaret Chase Smith Lucia Cormier Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 256,890 159,809 Percentage 61.65% 38.35%

County Results Smith:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Cormier:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Margaret Chase Smith Republican Elected U.S. senator Margaret Chase Smith Republican

Incumbent Republican Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress, was overwhelmingly re-elected to a third term, defeating Lucia Cormier. This was the first election in which a woman was nominated by both major parties for the office of U.S. Senate, meaning a woman was going to be elected regardless of who won.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts election

Nominee Leverett Saltonstall Thomas J. O'Connor Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,358,556 1,050,725 Percentage 56.19% 43.46%

Municipal results

U.S. senator before election Leverett Saltonstall Republican Elected U.S. senator Leverett Saltonstall Republican

Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected to another term after being elected in 1944 in a special election. He defeated Democrat Thomas O'Connor Jr.

Michigan

Michigan election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Patrick V. McNamara Alvin M. Bentley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,669,179 1,548,873 Percentage 51.73% 48.00%

County results McNamara:      50–60%      60–70% Bentley:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Patrick V. McNamara Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Patrick V. McNamara Democratic

Democrat Patrick V. McNamara was narrowly re-elected against Republican Alvin Bentley, having served one full term prior.

Minnesota

Minnesota election

Nominee Hubert H. Humphrey P. Kenneth Peterson Party Democratic (DFL) Republican Popular vote 884,168 648,586 Percentage 57.53% 42.20%

County results Humphrey:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Peterson:      50-60%      60-70%

U.S. senator before election Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic (DFL) Elected U.S. senator Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic (DFL)

Democrat Hubert Humphrey, who would later become vice president, was re-elected over Republican challenger P. Kenneth Peterson. He had served since 1949.

Mississippi

Mississippi election

Nominee James Eastland Joe Moore Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 244,341 21,807 Percentage 91.8% 8.2%

County results Eastland:      80-90%      90-100%

U.S. senator before election James Eastland Democratic Elected U.S. senator James Eastland Democratic

Incumbent James Eastland, who had represented Mississippi in the Senate since 1943, was elected to another term in a landslide with 92% of the vote.

Missouri (special)

Following the death of incumbent Thomas C. Hennings, Democrat Edward V. Long, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, ran against Republican Lon Hocker for the open seat. Long defeated Hocker by just under seven percentage points.

1960 United States Senate special election in Missouri

Nominee Edward V. Long Lon Hocker Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 999,656 880,576 Percentage 53.17% 46.83%

County results Long:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Hocker:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Edward V. Long Democratic Elected U.S. senator Edward V. Long Democratic

Montana

Montana election

Nominee Lee Metcalf Orvin B. Fjare Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 140,331 136,281 Percentage 50.73% 49.27%

County results

U.S. senator before election James E. Murray Democratic Elected U.S. senator Lee Metcalf Democratic

After the retirement of incumbent Democrat James E. Murray, Democrat and representative Lee Metcalf and Republican Orvin Fjare ran for the open seat. Metcalf kept the seat Democratic, winning by just over 1%. This was despite Richard Nixon winning Montana in the concurrent presidential election.

Nebraska

Nebraska election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Carl Curtis Robert B. Conrad Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 352,748 245,807 Percentage 58.93% 41.07%

County results Curtis:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Conrad:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Carl Curtis Republican Elected U.S. Senator Carl Curtis Republican

Republican Carl Curtis, who had served since 1955, was re-elected to a second term over Democrat Robert Conrad by nearly 17 percentage points. Curtis won all but four counties in the state.

New Hampshire

Incumbent Republican Styles Bridges was re-elected to the Senate for a fifth term, defeating Democratic challenger Herbert W. Hill.

New Hampshire election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Styles Bridges Herbert W. Hill Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 173,521 114,024 Percentage 60.35% 39.65%

U.S. senator before election Styles Bridges Republican Elected U.S. Senator Styles Bridges Republican

Bridges died less than a year into his fifth term. With New Hampshire's other Senator Norris Cotton up for re-election in 1962 and following Bridges death. Both of New Hampshire's Senate seats would be up in the 1962 midterms.

New Jersey

New Jersey election

Nominee Clifford P. Case Thorn Lord Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,483,832 1,151,385 Percentage 55.69% 43.21%

County results Case:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Lord:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Clifford P. Case Republican Elected U.S. senator Clifford P. Case Republican

Incumbent Republican Clifford P. Case won re-election against Democrat Thorn Lord. Case would win re-election a few more times in 1966 and 1972, before losing in the 1978 Republican primary.

New Mexico

Incumbent Democrat Clinton Anderson was re-elected to a third term in a landslide, defeating Republican William Colwes.

New Mexico election

Nominee Clinton Anderson William Colwes Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 190,654 109,897 Percentage 63.43% 36.57%

U.S. senator before election Clinton Anderson Democratic Elected U.S. senator Clinton Anderson Democratic

North Carolina

North Carolina election

November 8, 1960

Nominee B. Everett Jordan R. Kyle Hayes Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 793,521 497,964 Percentage 61.44% 38.56%

County results Jordan:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Hayes:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%

Senator before election B. Everett Jordan Democratic Elected Senator B. Everett Jordan Democratic

Incumbent Democrat B. Everett Jordan was re-elected to his first full term after winning a special election in 1958. He defeated Republican Kyle Hayes by a slightly slimmer margin than he defeated his Republican challenger in 1958.

North Dakota (special)

North Dakota special election

June 28, 1960

Nominee Quentin Burdick John E. Davis Party Democratic–NPL Republican Popular vote 104,593 103,475 Percentage 49.72% 49.19%

Blue denotes counties won by Burdick. Red denotes those won by Davis.   Burdick: 40-50%   Burdick: 50-60%   Burdick: 60-70%   Davis: 40-50%   Davis: 50-60%   Davis: 60-70%

U.S. senator before election Norman Brunsdale Republican Elected U.S. senator Quentin Burdick Democratic–NPL

A special election was held June 28, 1960, to fill the seat vacated by William Langer, who died November 8, 1959. Clarence Norman Brunsdale, a former Governor of North Dakota, was temporarily appointed to the seat on November 19 of that year until the special election was held. North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate Quentin N. Burdick faced Republican John E. Davis for election to the seat. Davis had been serving as Governor of the state since 1957.^[7]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Robert S. Kerr B. Hayden Crawford Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 474,116 385,646 Percentage 54.84% 44.61%

County results Kerr:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Crawford:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Robert S. Kerr Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Robert S. Kerr Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Robert Kerr won re-election to a third term, though he would die before the term was up and would be replaced by J. Democrat Howard Edmondson.

Oregon

1960 United States Senate election in Oregon

November 8, 1960

Nominee Maurine Neuberger Elmo Smith Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 412,757 343,009 Percentage 54.61% 45.38%

U.S. senator before election Hall S. Lusk Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Maurine Neuberger Democratic

First-term Democrat Richard L. Neuberger had been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1958 that became terminal by 1960 — but was kept from the public. Neuberger remained at home in early 1960, reportedly battling the flu. Though still publicly seeking re-election, he told his campaign chair, attorney Jack Beatty, "Remember, there's always another Neuberger," referring to his wife. The comment, combined with Neuberger's reluctance to meet in public and weak voice on the phone, led Beatty to believe that Neuberger's condition was grave, a suspicion confirmed by the Senator's physician shortly before Neuberger died at Good Samaritan Hospital on March 9, 1960.^[8][9]

Democratic Oregon Supreme Court judge Hall S. Lusk was appointed March 16, 1960, to continue the term, pending a special election in which he was not a candidate.

Primaries were held May 20, 1960, in which Neuberger's widow, Democrat Maurine B. Neuberger and the Republican former-Governor of Oregon Elmo Smith easily won nomination.^[10][11]

Maurine Brown Neuberger was elected November 8, 1960, both to finish the term and to the next term.

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Senator Strom Thurmond

South Dakota

South Dakota election

November 8, 1960

Nominee Karl E. Mundt George McGovern Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 160,181 145,261 Percentage 52.44% 47.56%

U.S. senator before election Karl E. Mundt Republican Elected U.S. Senator Karl E. Mundt Republican