The 1948 United States Senate elections were elections which coincided with the
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operat ...
of
Democratic President
Harry S. Truman for a full term. Truman had campaigned against an "obstructionist" Congress that had blocked many of his initiatives, and in addition the U.S. economy recovered from the postwar recession of 1946–47 by election day. Thus Truman was rewarded with a Democratic gain of nine seats in the Senate, enough to give them control of the chamber.
This was the last time until 2020 that Democrats flipped a chamber of Congress in a Presidential election cycle.
Results summary
''Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.''
Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
Gains and losses
In addition to gaining an open seat in
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, the Democrats defeated eight
Republican incumbents:
#
C. Douglass Buck
Clayton Douglass Buck (March 21, 1890 – January 27, 1965) was an American engineer and politician from New Castle Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of World War I and a member of the Republican Party, who served two t ...
(R-DE)
#
Henry Dworshak (R-ID)
#
Charles W. Brooks
Charles Wayland Brooks (March 8, 1897 – January 14, 1957) was a Republican U.S. Senator from Illinois from 1940 to 1949.
Early life
Born in West Bureau, Illinois, Brooks served in the Marines during World War I as a first lieutenant f ...
(R-IL)
#
George A. Wilson (R-IA)
#
John Sherman Cooper
John Sherman Cooper (August 23, 1901 – February 21, 1991) was an American politician, jurist, and diplomat from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He served three non-consecutive, partial terms in the United States Senate before being elect ...
(R-KY)
#
Joseph H. Ball
Joseph Hurst Ball (November 3, 1905December 18, 1993) was an American journalist, politician and businessman. Ball served as a Republican senator from Minnesota from 1940 to 1949. He was a conservative in domestic policy and a leading foe of l ...
(R-MN)
#
Chapman Revercomb
William Chapman Revercomb (July 20, 1895 – October 6, 1979) was an American politician and lawyer. A Republican, he served two separate terms in the United States Senate representing the state of West Virginia.
Life and career
Revercomb wa ...
(R-WV)
#
Edward V. Robertson (R-WY)
Change in composition
Before the elections
Election results
Race summaries
Special elections during the 80th Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1948 or before January 3, 1949; ordered by election date.
Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1949; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
Alabama
Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
Georgia
Idaho
Democrat Bert H. Miller defeated incumbent
Republican Henry Dworshak. As of 2020, this remains the last time that a Democrat would win Idaho’s Class 2 Senate seat.
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Louisiana (Regular)
Louisiana (Special)
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Montana
Incumbent United States Senator
James E. Murray
James Edward Murray (May 3, 1876March 23, 1961) was an American politician and United States Senator from Montana, and a liberal leader of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Senate from 1934 until 1961.
Background
Born on a fa ...
, who was first elected to the Senate in a
special election in 1934 and was
re-elected in 1936 and
1942
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...
, ran for re-election. After winning the
Democratic primary, he faced Tom J. Davis, an attorney and the
Republican nominee, in the general election. Following a narrow re-election in 1936, Murray significantly expanded his margin of victory and comfortably won re-election over Davis, winning his fourth term and his third full term in the Senate.
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
There were 2 elections to the same seat, due to the December 15, 1946 death of three-term Democrat
Josiah Bailey. Democratic former congressman
William B. Umstead was appointed December 18, 1946 to continue Bailey's term, pending a special election.
Umstead supported the conservative
Taft–Hartley Act
The Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, better known as the Taft–Hartley Act, is a Law of the United States, United States federal law that restricts the activities and power of trade union, labor unions. It was enacted by the 80th United S ...
. The Democratic former
Governor of North Carolina
The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...
J. Melville Broughton
Joseph Melville Broughton Jr. (November 17, 1888March 6, 1949) was an American politician who served as the 60th governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945. He later briefly served as a United States Senator from January 3, 1949 until his dea ...
was seen as a "rather liberal alternative" to Umstead. Broughton beat Umstead in the Democratic primaries and then won the general elections.
North Carolina (Special)
North Carolina (Regular)
Broughton was seated December 31, 1948 to finish the current term but died March 6, 1949, just after the new term began. His death lead to another appointment (Democrat
Frank Graham) in 1949 and
another special election in 1950 of Democrat
Willis Smith. Smith also died during the term, leading to yet another appointment (Democrat
Alton A. Lennon) and
1954 special election (of Democrat
W. Kerr Scott
William Kerr Scott (April 17, 1896April 16, 1958) was an American Democratic Party politician from North Carolina. He was the 62nd governor of North Carolina from 1949 until 1953 and a United States Senator from 1954 until 1958.
A native of ...
). In all, five senators held the seat during the 1949–1955 term.
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Senator
Burnet R. Maybank was opposed in the Democratic
primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
...
by U.S. Representative
William Jennings Bryan Dorn
William Jennings Bryan Dorn (April 14, 1916 – August 13, 2005) was a United States politician from South Carolina who represented the western part of the state in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1949 and from 1951 to 197 ...
and three other candidates. Maybank obtained over 50% in the primary election on August 10 to avoid a
runoff election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...
.
Since the end of
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
* Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
in 1877, the
Democratic Party dominated the
politics of South Carolina and its statewide candidates were never seriously challenged. Maybank did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat.
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Incumbent Democrat
W. Lee O'Daniel
Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel (March 11, 1890May 11, 1969) was an American Democratic Party politician from Texas, who came to prominence by hosting a popular radio program. Known for his populist appeal and support of Texas's business communi ...
decided to retire rather than seek a second full term. Congressman
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
won the highly contested Democratic primary against former governor
Coke Stevenson
Coke Robert Stevenson (March 20, 1888 – June 28, 1975) was an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Texas from 1941 to 1947. He was the first Texan politician to hold its three highest offices (Speaker of the Texas House ...
. Johnson went on to win the general election against Republican
Jack Porter, but by a closer margin than usual for Texas Democrats.
Virginia
Incumbent Democrat
Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Republican Robert H. Woods and was re-elected to his first full term in office.
West Virginia
Wyoming
See also
*
1948 United States elections
The 1948 United States elections were held on November 2, 1948. The election took place during the beginning stages of the Cold War. Democratic incumbent President Harry S. Truman was elected to a full term, defeating Republican nominee New Yo ...
**
1948 United States presidential election
The 1948 United States presidential election was the 41st quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 1948. In one of the greatest election upsets in American history, incumbent President Harry S. Truman, the Democr ...
**
1948 United States House of Representatives elections
The 1948 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives in 1948 which coincided with President Harry S. Truman's election to a full term. Truman had campaigned against a "do-nothing ...
*
80th United States Congress
The 80th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 194 ...
*
81st United States Congress
The 81st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 19 ...
References
Further reading
* Hartley, Robert E. ''Battleground 1948: Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History'' (Southern Illinois University Press; 2013)
{{1948 United States elections
Senate elections