Montana Illinois 68 32 30,217,130 22,654,661 Start date November 3, 1964 | 66 seats 34 seats 2 2 56.3% 42.2% | |
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Winner Mike Mansfield | ||
The United States Senate elections, 1964 coincided with the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson by an overwhelming majority, to a full term. His Democratic Party picked up a net two seats from the Republicans. As of 2016, this is the last time either party has had a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which would have hypothetically allowed the Senate Democrats to override a veto, convict and expel certain officials, or invoke cloture without any votes from Republicans. The Senate election coincided with Democratic gains in the House in the same year.
Contents
- Republicans replaced by Republicans
- Democrats replaced by Democrats
- Democrats lost to Republicans
- Democrats lost to Democrats
- Republicans lost to Democrats
- Other races
- Subsequent gains
- Complete list of races
- References
Notably, of the 34 seats up for election this year, 25 of were held by Democrats, who managed to retain 24 of them. A party defending 2/3 of the seats up for election would not make net gains in the Senate again until 2012. Coincidentally, with the same Senate Class, Class 1.
Future President George H. W. Bush ran for a seat in Texas, but lost.
Republicans replaced by Republicans
- Arizona: Barry Goldwater retired to run for President. He was replaced by Paul Fannin (R)
Democrats replaced by Democrats
- Tennessee (Class 2): Appointee Herbert S. Walters (D) was replaced by Ross Bass (D)
Democrats lost to Republicans
- California: Appointee Pierre Salinger (D) lost to George Murphy (R) for the next term
Democrats lost to Democrats
- Oklahoma (Class 2): Appointee J. Howard Edmondson (D) lost nomination to Fred R. Harris (D), who won the general election
Republicans lost to Democrats
- Maryland: James Glenn Beall (R) lost to Joseph D. Tydings (D)
- New Mexico: Edwin L. Mechem (R) lost to Joseph M. Montoya (D)
- New York: Kenneth B. Keating (R) lost to Robert F. Kennedy (D)
Other races
In a close race in Nevada, Democratic incumbent Howard Cannon won re-election over Republican Lieutenant Governor Paul Laxalt by fewer than 100 votes. Laxalt joined Cannon in the Senate when he won Nevada's other seat in 1974.
Subsequent gains
- Michigan: Patrick V. McNamara (D) died April 30, 1966, and was replaced May 11, 1966 by appointee Robert P. Griffin (R).
Complete list of races
Bold state indicates a separate article on that election.
Bold candidate indicates the winner.