1964 United States Senate elections

← 1962 November 3, 1964 1966 →
← 1958 1970 →
35 of the 100 seats in theUnited States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Mike Mansfield Everett Dirksen Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 1961 January 3, 1959 Leader's seat Montana Illinois Seats before 66 34 Seats after 68 32 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 30,786,035[1][a] 23,171,991[1] Percentage 56.2% 42.3% Seats up 26 9 Races won 28 7
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain     Democratic hold      Republican gain     Republican hold      No election Rectangular inset (Tennessee): both seats up for election
Majority Leader before election Mike Mansfield Democratic ElectedMajority Leader Mike Mansfield Democratic

The1964 United States Senate elections were held on November 3. The 33 seats ofClass 1 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with theelection of PresidentLyndon B. Johnson by an overwhelming majority, to a full term. HisDemocratic Party picked up a net two seats from theRepublicans. As of 2023^[update], this was the last time either party has had atwo-thirds majority in the Senate, which allowed the Senate Democrats to override aveto,propose constitutional amendments, orconvict and expel certain officials without any votes from Senate Republicans. However, internal divisions would have prevented the Democrats from having done so. The Senate election cycle coincided with Democratic gains in the House in thesame year.

In a close race in Nevada, Democratic incumbentHoward Cannon won re-election over Republican Lieutenant GovernorPaul Laxalt by fewer than 100 votes. Laxalt joined Cannon in the Senate when he won Nevada's other seat in1974.Patrick V. McNamara (D–Michigan) later died on April 30, 1966, and was replaced on May 11, 1966, by appointeeRobert P. Griffin (R), reducing Democrats' majority to 67–33.

Notably, of the 35 seats up for election this year, 26 were held by Democrats, who managed to retain 25 of them. A party defending two-thirds of the seats up for election would not make net gains in the Senate again until2012. Coincidentally, it would be the same Senate class, class 1.

Parties					Total
		Democratic	Republican	Other
Last elections (1962)		67	33	0	100
Before these elections		66	34	0	100
Not up		40	25	0	65
Up		26	9	—	35
	Class 1 (1958→1964)	24	9	—	33
	Special: Class 2	2	0	—	2
Incumbent retired		1	1	—	2
	Held by same party	1	1	—	2
	Replaced by other party	0	0	—	0
	Result	1	1	0	2
Incumbent ran		25	8	—	33
	Won re-election	23	5	—	28
	Lost re-election	3 Republicans replaced by3 Democrats 1 Democrat replaced by1 Republican		—	4
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	1	0	—	1
	Result	27	6	0	33
Total elected		28	7	0	35
Net gain/loss		2	2		2
Nationwide vote		30,786,035[a]	23,171,991	848,082	54,806,108
	Share	56.17%	42.28%	1.55%	100%
Result		68	32	0	100

Source:^[1]

One Republican did not seek re-election and one Democrat did not seek election to finish an unexpired term.

One Democrat sought election to finish the unexpired term but lost in the primary election. One Democrat sought election to a full term but lost in the general election. One Republican sought election to finish the unexpired term and sought election to a full term but lost in both the special election and the regular election. Two Republicans sought re-election but lost in the general election.

One Democrat died on April 30, 1966, and was replaced on May 11, 1966, by a Republican appointee. Another Democrat died on April 18, 1965, and was replaced by a fellow Democrat. Another Democrat resigned on November 10, 1965, for health reasons and was replaced by a fellow Democrat.

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1964 or before January 3, 1965; ordered by election date, then state.

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1965; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Fifteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Michigan is the tipping point state with a margin of 29.1%.

1964 United States Senate election in Arizona

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Paul Fannin Roy Elson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 241,089 227,712 Percentage 51.43% 48.57%

County results Fannin:     50–60% Elson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Barry Goldwater Republican Elected U.S. Senator Paul Fannin Republican

IncumbentBarry Goldwater decided not to run for re-election to a third term, instead running forPresident of the United States as the Republican Party nominee againstLyndon B. Johnson.^[2] Governor of ArizonaPaul Fannin ran unopposed in the Republican primary, and defeated Democratic nomineeRoy Elson, who was a staff member for U.S. senatorCarl Hayden until Hayden's retirement in 1969. Despite a landslide loss throughout the country, and Goldwater only able to obtain50.45% of the vote in his home state of Arizona, Fannin managed to prevail in the state's Senate election. Goldwater would win the election for the other Senate seat in1968 when Hayden retired from the post and serving two more terms.

1964 United States Senate election in California

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee George Murphy Pierre Salinger Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 3,628,552 3,411,915 Percentage 51.54% 48.46%

County Results Murphy:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Salinger:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Pierre Salinger Democratic Elected U.S. Senator George Murphy Republican

Democratic incumbentPierre Salinger, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of SenatorClair Engle three months earlier, was defeated in his bid for a full term by Republican candidateGeorge Murphy, a retired actor.

1964 United States Senate election in Connecticut

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Thomas J. Dodd John Davis Lodge Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 781,008 426,939 Percentage 64.66% 35.34%

County results Municipality results County results Dodd:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Lodge:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Thomas J. Dodd Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Thomas J. Dodd Democratic

DemocratThomas J. Dodd was re-elected and served a second term.John Davis Lodge, grandson ofHenry Cabot Lodge was defeated by almost 30%.

1964 United States Senate election in Delaware

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee John J. Williams Elbert Carvel Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 103,782 96,850 Percentage 51.71% 48.26%

County Results Williams:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election John J. Williams Republican Elected U.S. Senator John J. Williams Republican

Republican incumbentJohn J. Williams was reelected to a fourth term, defeating Democratic GovernorElbert N. Carvel.

1964 United States Senate election in Florida

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Spessard Holland Claude R. Kirk Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 997,585 562,212 Percentage 63.93% 36.03%

County results Holland:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Kirk:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Spessard Holland Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Spessard Holland Democratic

Democratic incumbentSpessard Holland was reelected to a fourth term in a landslide, defeating the Republican candidate, future governorClaude R. Kirk Jr.

1964 United States Senate election in Hawaii

← 1959 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Hiram Fong Thomas Gill Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 110,747 96,789 Percentage 53.0% 46.4%

County results Fong:     50–60% Gill:     40–50%

U.S. senator before election Hiram Fong Republican Elected U.S. Senator Hiram Fong Republican

Republican incumbentHiram Fong was reelected to a second term, defeating Democratic CongressmanThomas Gill

1964 United States Senate election in Indiana

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Vance Hartke D. Russell Bontrager Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,128,505 941,519 Percentage 54.33% 45.33%

County results Hartke:     50–60%     60–70% Bontrager:     40-50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Vance Hartke Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Vance Hartke Democratic

Democratic incumbentVance Hartke was reelected to a second term, defeating RepublicanState Senator Russell Bontrager.

1964 United States Senate election in Maine

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Edmund Muskie Clifford McIntire Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 253,511 127,040 Percentage 66.62% 33.38%

County results Muskie:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% McIntire:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Edmund Muskie Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie Democratic

Democratic incumbentEdmund Muskie was reelected to a second term, defeating Republican CongressmanClifford McIntire in a landslide.

1964 United States Senate election in Maryland

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Joseph Tydings J. Glenn Beall Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 678,649 402,393 Percentage 62.78% 37.22%

County results Tydings:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Beall:     50-60%     60-70%

U.S. senator before election J. Glenn Beall Republican Elected U.S. Senator Joseph Tydings Democratic

Republican incumbentJ. Glenn Beall was defeated in his bid for a third term by Democratic candidateJoseph Tydings, the formerUnited States Attorney for the District of Maryland and son of former SenatorMillard Tydings.

Beall's own son,J. Glenn Beall Jr., would go on to defeat Tydingssix years later.

1964 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

← 1962 (special) November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Ted Kennedy Howard J. Whitmore Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,716,907 587,663 Percentage 74.26% 25.42%

County Results Municipality Results Kennedy   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%   90–100% Whitmore   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%

U.S. senator before election Ted Kennedy Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy Democratic

Incumbent DemocratTed Kennedy, who had won aspecial election two years earlier, defeated his challengers to win his second (his first full) Senate term. Much of the campaign-appearance burden on behalf of Ted Kennedy fell on his wife, Joan, because of Ted's serious back injury in a plane crash.

Candidates:

• Ted Kennedy - Incumbent senator elected in1962 to the unexpired term of John F. Kennedy.
• Howard J. Whitmore Jr. - Member ofMassachusetts House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953, and mayor ofNewton, Massachusetts, from 1954 to 1960. Served in theUnited States Army Air Forces inWorld War II.^[6]
• Lawrence Gilfedder - Candidate for Lt. Governor in 1948. Ran for Governor in 1952 and 1954. Ran for Senate in 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, and 1970.^[7]
• Grace F. Luder - Candidate forMassachusetts's 9th congressional district seat in 1950 andMassachusetts's 14th congressional district seat in 1952.^[8]

1964 United States Senate election in Michigan

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Philip Hart Elly Peterson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,996,912 1,096,272 Percentage 64.38% 35.35%

County results Hart:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Peterson:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Philip Hart Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Philip Hart Democratic

Democratic incumbentPhilip Hart was easily reelected to a second term over Republican challengerElly M. Peterson.

1964 United States Senate election in Minnesota

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Eugene McCarthy Wheelock Whitney Jr. Party Democratic (DFL) Republican Popular vote 931,363 605,933 Percentage 60.34% 39.26%

County results McCarthy:     40-50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Whitney:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election Eugene McCarthy Democratic (DFL) Elected U.S. senator Eugene McCarthy Democratic (DFL)

Incumbent DemocratEugene McCarthy defeated Republican challengerWheelock Whitney Jr. to win a second term.

1964 U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Mississippi

← 1958 June 2, 1964 1970 →

Nominee John C. Stennis Victoria Gray Adams Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 173,764 4,703 Percentage 97.37% 2.64%

County results Stennis:     >90%

U.S. senator before election John C. Stennis Democratic Elected U.S. Senator John C. Stennis Democratic

Democratic incumbentJohn C. Stennis was reelected virtually unopposed to a fourth term, even as Republican candidateBarry Goldwater carried Mississippi in thepresidential election. Stennis received 97% of the vote in the Democratic primary and faced no Republican challenger in the general election.

1964 United States Senate election in Missouri

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Stuart Symington Jean Paul Bradshaw Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,186,666 596,377 Percentage 66.55% 33.45%

County results Symington:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Bradshaw:     50-60%     60-70%

U.S. senator before election Stuart Symington Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Stuart Symington Democratic

Democratic incumbentStuart Symington was reelected to a third term in a landslide, defeating Republican candidate Jean Paul Bradshaw.

1964 United States Senate election in Montana

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Mike Mansfield Alex Blewett Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 180,643 99,367 Percentage 64.51% 35.49%

County results Mansfield:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Blewett:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election Mike Mansfield Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Mike Mansfield Democratic

Incumbent DemocratMike Mansfield, who was first elected to the Senate in1952 and was re-elected in1958, ran for re-election. Mansfield won the Democratic primary in a landslide, and advanced to the general election, where he faced Alex Blewett, the Majority Leader of theMontana House of Representatives and the Republican nominee. Though Mansfield's margin was significantly reduced from 1958, he still overwhelmingly defeated Blewett and won his third term in the Senate.

1964 United States Senate election in Nebraska

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Roman Hruska Raymond W. Arndt Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 345,772 217,605 Percentage 61.37% 38.62%

County results Hruska:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Arndt:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Roman Hruska Republican Elected U.S. Senator Roman Hruska Republican

Republican incumbentRoman Hruska was reelected in a landslide over Democratic challenger Raymond Arndt.

1964 United States Senate election in Nevada

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Howard Cannon Paul Laxalt Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 67,336 67,288 Percentage 50.02% 49.98%

County results Cannon:     50–60%     60–70% Laxalt:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Howard Cannon Democratic Elected U.S. senator Howard Cannon Democratic

Incumbent Democratic U.S. SenatorHoward Cannon won re-election to a second term by a razor-thin margin of only 48 votes over Republican Lieutenant GovernorPaul Laxalt.

1964 United States Senate election in New Jersey

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Harrison A. Williams Bernard M. Shanley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,677,515 1,011,280 Percentage 61.91% 37.32%

County results Williams:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Shanley:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election Harrison A. Williams Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Harrison A. Williams Democratic

Democratic incumbentHarrison A. Williams was reelected to a second term over Republican candidateBernard M. Shanley, a former white house staffer during theEisenhower administration.

1964 United States Senate election in New Mexico

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Joseph Montoya Edwin L. Mechem Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 178,209 147,562 Percentage 54.7% 45.3%

County results Montoya:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Mechem:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election Edwin L. Mechem Republican Elected U.S. senator Joseph Montoya Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanEdwin L. Mechem, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of DemocratDennis Chávez two years earlier, sought election to a full term, but was defeated by DemocratJoseph Montoya.

Montoya wasLieutenant Governor of New Mexico (1947–1951 and 1955–1957) and a four-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1957–1964).

Montoya was also elected to finish the term ending January 3, 1965.

1964 United States Senate election in New York

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Robert F. Kennedy Kenneth Keating Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,823,749 3,104,056 Percentage 53.5% 43.4%

County results Kennedy:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Keating:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%

U.S. senator before election Kenneth Keating Republican Elected U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy Democratic

Incumbent Republican U.S. SenatorKenneth Keating ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated byRobert F. Kennedy, the formerUnited States Attorney General and brother of former PresidentJohn F. Kennedy and Massachusetts SenatorTed Kennedy.

TheSocialist Labor state convention met on March 29, and nominated John Emanuel.^[15] TheRepublican state convention met on August 31, and re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Kenneth B. Keating.^[16] TheConservative state convention met on August 31 atSaratoga Springs, New York, and nominated Prof. Henry Paolucci.^[17] TheDemocratic state convention met on September 1, and nominatedU.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy on the first ballot, with 968 votes against 153 for CongressmanSamuel S. Stratton.^[18] TheLiberal Party met on September 1, and endorsed the Democratic nominee,U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.^[19] TheSocialist Workers Party filed a petition to nominate candidates on September 7. Richard Garza was nominated.^[20]

John English, aNassau County leader who helpedJohn F. Kennedy during the1960 presidential election, encouraged Robert Kennedy to oppose Keating. At the time,Samuel S. Stratton, a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromNew York's 35th congressional district, was considered the most likely Democratic candidate. At first, Kennedy resisted. After President Kennedy's assassination, Robert Kennedy remained as Attorney General forLyndon B. Johnson. However, Johnson and Kennedy feuded. Kennedy decided to run for the Senate in New York in August, and resigned from the Cabinet on September 3, 1964. While many reform Democrats resisted Kennedy, support fromRobert F. Wagner Jr., and party bosses likeCharles A. Buckley, ofThe Bronx, and Peter J. Crotty,^[d] ofBuffalo, helped Kennedy win the nomination at the party convention.^[22]

During the campaign, Kennedy was frequently met by large crowds. Keating accused Kennedy of being acarpetbagger fromMassachusetts. Kennedy responded to these charges in a televised town meeting by saying, "If the senator of the state of New York is going be selected on who's lived here the longest, then I think people are going vote for my opponent. If it's going be selected on who's got the best New York accent, then I think I'm probably out too. But I think if it's going be selected on the basis of who can make the best United States senator, I think I'm still in the contest."^[23]

The Democratic/Liberal candidate was elected. Campaign help from PresidentLyndon B. Johnson, as well as the Democratic landslide after the assassination ofJohn F. Kennedy, helped carry Kennedy into office, as Kennedy polled about 1.1 million votes less in New York than Johnson did. The incumbent Keating was defeated.

1964 state election result

Ticket	U.S. Senator
Democratic	YRobert F. Kennedy	3,539,746
Liberal	YRobert F Kennedy	284,646
Republican	Kenneth B. Keating	3,104,056
Conservative	Henry Paolucci[e]	212,216
Socialist Labor	John Emanuel[f]	7,358
Socialist Workers	Richard Garza[g]	4,202

(For Total Votes, the Democratic and Liberal votes for Kennedy are combined.)

1964 United States Senate election in North Dakota

← 1960(special) November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Quentin Burdick Thomas Kleppe Party Democratic–NPL Republican Popular vote 149,264 109,681 Percentage 57.64% 42.36%

County results Burdick:   50-60%   60-70%   70-80% Kleppe:   50-60%   60-70%

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

IncumbentDemocratic-NPL SenatorQuentin Burdick sought and received re-election to his second term, defeatingRepublican candidateThomas S. Kleppe, who later became theUnited States Secretary of the Interior.^[1]

Only Burdick filed as a Democratic-NPLer, and the endorsed Republican candidate was Thomas S. Kleppe, who would go on to serve two terms as aRepresentative forNorth Dakota's second congressional district from 1967 to 1971. Burdick and Kleppe won the primary elections for their respective parties.

1964 United States Senate election in Ohio

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Stephen M. Young Robert Taft Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,923,608 1,906,781 Percentage 50.22% 49.78%

County results Young:     50–60%     60–70% Taft:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Stephen M. Young Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Stephen M. Young Democratic

Democratic incumbentStephen M. Young narrowly won reelection to a second term over Republican CongressmanRobert Taft Jr., the son of former SenatorRobert A. Taft and grandson of former PresidentWilliam Howard Taft.

Taft would go on to win the seat in thenext election, serving one term in the Senate.

1964 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma

← 1960 November 3, 1964 1966 →

Nominee Fred R. Harris Bud Wilkinson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 466,782 445,392 Percentage 51.17% 48.83%

County results Harris:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Wilkinson:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election J. Howard Edmondson Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Fred R. Harris Democratic

This election was to determine who would serve for the final two years of the term to whichRobert S. Kerr had been elected in 1960. Kerr had died in January 1963, and outgoing GovernorJ. Howard Edmondson was appointed to take his place. Edmondson hoped to win the special election, but lost the Democratic primary to formerstate senatorFred R. Harris, who then won the general election overUniversity of Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson.

1964 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

← 1958 1970 →

Nominee Hugh Scott Genevieve Blatt Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,429,858 2,359,223 Percentage 50.6% 49.1%

County results Scott:     50-60%     60-70%     80–90% Blatt:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Hugh Scott Republican Elected U.S. senator Hugh Scott Republican

Incumbent Republican U.S. SenatorHugh Scott successfully sought re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Genevieve Blatt.

1964 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee John Pastore Ronald Legueux Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 319,607 66,715 Percentage 82.73% 17.27%

County results Pastore:     70–80%     80–90%

U.S. senator before election John Pastore Democratic Elected U.S. Senator John Pastore Democratic

Democratic incumbentJohn Pastore won reelection to a third full term (and fourth overall), defeating Republican candidateRonald Lagueux by more than 65 percentage points.

1964 United States Senate election in Tennessee

← 1958 November 3, 1964 1970 →

Nominee Albert Gore Sr. Dan Kuykendall Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 570,542 493,475 Percentage 53.62% 46.38%

County results Gore:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Kuykendall:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Albert Gore Sr. Democratic Elected U.S. senator Albert Gore Sr. Democratic

Incumbent DemocratAlbert Gore Sr. was re-elected to a third term over Republican candidateDan Kuykendall.

1964 United States Senate special election in Tennessee

← 1960 November 3, 1964 1966 →

Nominee Ross Bass Howard Baker Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 568,905 517,330 Percentage 52.14% 47.41%

County results Bass:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Baker:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

U.S. senator before election Herbert S. Walters Democratic Elected U.S. senator Ross Bass Democratic

Democratic CongressmanRoss Bass won the special election to serve the remaining 26 months of the term to which the lateEstes Kefauver had been elected in1960. He defeated Republican candidateHoward Baker, who would go on to win the seat in the regular electiontwo years later.