1976 United States Senate elections

← 1974 November 2, 1976 1978 →
← 1970 Class 1 1982 →
33 of the 100 seats in theUnited States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Mike Mansfield (retired) Hugh Scott (retired) Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 1961 September 24, 1969 Leader's seat Montana Pennsylvania Seats before 61 37 Seats after 61 38 Seat change 1 Popular vote 31,790,526[1][a] 24,562,431[1][a] Percentage 53.7% 41.5% Seats up 21 10 Races won 21 11   Third party Fourth party   Party Independent Conservative Seats before 1 1 Seats after 1[b] 0 Seat change 1 Popular vote 890,778[1] 311,494[1] Seats up 1 1 Races won 1 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain     Republican gain      Democratic hold     Republican hold      Independent hold      No election
Majority Leader before election Mike Mansfield Democratic ElectedMajority Leader Robert Byrd Democratic

The1976 United States Senate elections was an election for theUnited States Senate. Held on November 2, the 33 seats ofClass 1 were contested in regular elections. They coincided withDemocratJimmy Carter'spresidential election and theUnited States Bicentennial celebration. Although almost half of the seats decided in this election changed parties, Carter's narrow victory did not providecoattails for the Democratic Party. Each party flipped seven Senate seats, although, one of the seats flipped by Democrats was previously held by aConservative.

This was the first election in which theLibertarian Party competed, running candidates in 9 of the 33 contested seats. As of 2026^[update] 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. This is the last time Democrats or any party won a 60% supermajority via direct elections (although Democrats briefly held one in the summer of 2009).

Parties						Total
		Democratic	Republican	Independent	Other
Last elections (1974) Before these elections		61	37	1	1	100
Not up		40	27	0	0	67
Up Class 1 (1970→1976)		21	10	1	1	33
Incumbent retired		5	3	0	0	8
	Held by same party	2	1	—	—	3
	Replaced by other party	3 Republicans replaced by 3 Democrats 2 Democrats replaced by 2 Republicans		—	—	5
	Result	6	2	—	—	8
Incumbent ran		16	7	1	1	25
	Won re-election	11	4	1	0	16
	Lost re-election	3 Republicans replaced by 3 Democrats 1 Conservative replaced by 1 Democrat 5 Democrats replaced by 5 Republicans				9
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	0	0	0	0	0
	Result	15	9	1	0	25
Total elected		21	11	1	0	33
Net gain/loss			1		1	1
Nationwide vote		31,790,526[a]	24,562,431[a]	1,173,414	1,647,636	59,174,007
	Share	53.72%	41.51%	1.98%	2.78%	100%
Result		61	38	1	0	100

Source:"Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1976"(PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2013.

Four Republicans and four Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

Three Republicans, five Democrats, and one Conservative sought re-election but lost in the general election.

Five Democrats either resigned or died between at the end of 93rd Congress and during the 94th Congress. All were initially replaced by Democratic appointees.

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.

9 races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Nevada was the tipping point state with a margin of 31.6%.

Arizona election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Dennis DeConcini Sam Steiger Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 400,334 321,236 Percentage 54.0% 43.3%

County results DeConcini:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Steiger:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Paul Fannin Republican Elected U.S. senator Dennis DeConcini Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanPaul Fannin retired instead of seeking a third term. Democraticattorney and businessmanDennis DeConcini won the open seat overSam Steiger,U.S. Congressman ofArizona's 3rd congressional district.

California election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee S. I. Hayakawa John V. Tunney Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 3,748,973 3,502,862 Percentage 50.1% 46.9%

County results Hayakawa:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Tunney:     40–50%     50–60%

U.S. senator before election John V. Tunney Democratic Elected U.S. senator S. I. Hayakawa Republican

Incumbent DemocratJohn Tunney ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by RepublicanSam Hayakawa, President emeritus ofSan Francisco State University.

Connecticut election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Lowell Weicker Gloria Schaffer Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 785,683 561,018 Percentage 57.7% 41.2%

County results Municipality results Weicker:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Schaffer:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Lowell Weicker Republican Elected U.S. senator Lowell Weicker Republican

Incumbent RepublicanLowell Weicker won re-election to a second term overGloria Schaffer,Connecticut Secretary of State^[2]

Delaware election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee William Roth Thomas Maloney Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 125,454 98,042 Percentage 55.8% 43.6%

County results State House district results County results Roth:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Maloney:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election William Roth Republican Elected U.S. senator William Roth Republican

Incumbent RepublicanWilliam Roth won reelection to a second term over Thomas Maloney, Mayor ofWilmington^[3]

Florida election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Lawton Chiles John Grady Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,799,518 1,057,886 Percentage 63.0% 37.0%

County results Chiles:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Grady:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Lawton Chiles Democratic Elected U.S. senator Lawton Chiles Democratic

Incumbent DemocratLawton Chiles won re-election to a second term over John Grady, Mayor ofBelle Glade^[4]

Hawaii election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Spark Matsunaga William Quinn Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 162,305 122,724 Percentage 53.7% 40.6%

County results Matsunaga:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Hiram Fong Republican Elected U.S. senator Spark Matsunaga Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanHiram Fong retired instead of seeking re-election to a fourth term. DemocratSpark Matsunaga won the open seat over RepublicanWilliam Quinn, FormerGovernor of Hawaii.

Indiana election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Richard Lugar Vance Hartke Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,275,833 878,522 Percentage 58.8% 40.5%

County results Lugar:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Hartke:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Vance Hartke Democratic Elected U.S. senator Richard Lugar Republican

Incumbent DemocratVance Hartke ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Republican challengerRichard Lugar,Mayor of Indianapolis.

Maine election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Edmund Muskie Robert A. G. Monks Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 292,704 193,489 Percentage 60.2% 39.8%

County results Muskie:     50–60%     60–70% Monks:     50–60%

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

Incumbent DemocratEdmund Muskie won re-election to a fourth term over RepublicanRobert A. G. Monks,shareholder activist.

Maryland election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Paul Sarbanes J. Glenn Beall Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 772,101 530,439 Percentage 56.6% 38.9%

County results Sarbanes:     40–50%     50–60%     70–80% Beall:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election J. Glenn Beall Jr. Republican Elected U.S. senator Paul Sarbanes Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanJ. Glenn Beall Jr. ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democratic challengerPaul Sarbanes, member of theU.S. House of Representatives.

Massachusetts election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Ted Kennedy Michael Robertson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,726,657 722,641 Percentage 69.3% 29.0%

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

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

Incumbent DemocratTed Kennedy won re-election to his fourth (his third full) term over Republican businessman, Michael Robertson.^[7]

Michigan election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Donald Riegle Marvin Esch Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,831,031 1,635,087 Percentage 52.5% 46.9%

County results Riegle:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Esch:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%

U.S. senator before election Philip Hart Democratic Elected U.S. senator Donald Riegle Democratic

Incumbent DemocratPhilip Hart retired instead of seeking a fourth term. DemocratDonald Riegle, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, won the open seat over fellow congressman RepublicanMarvin Esch.

Minnesota election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Hubert Humphrey Gerald Brekke Party Democratic (DFL) Ind.-Republican Popular vote 1,290,736 478,602 Percentage 67.5% 25.0%   Nominee Paul Helm Party American Popular vote 125,612 Percentage 6.6%

County results Humphrey:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

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

Incumbent DemocratHubert Humphrey won re-election to a fifth term over RepublicanGerald Brekke, college professor^[9]

Mississippi election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee John C. Stennis Party Democratic Popular vote 554,433 Percentage 100.0%

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

Incumbent DemocratJohn C. Stennis won re-election to his sixth term.

Missouri election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee John Danforth Warren E. Hearnes Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,090,067 813,571 Percentage 56.9% 42.5%

County results Danforth:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% Hearnes:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Stuart Symington Democratic Elected U.S. senator John Danforth Republican

Incumbent DemocratStuart Symington retired, instead of seeking a fifth term. RepublicanJohn Danforth,Attorney General of Missouri, won the open seat, defeating DemocratWarren Hearnes, formerGovernor of Missouri. (Jerry Litton had won the Democratic nomination earlier, but was killed in a plane crash, and Hearnes was chosen by the party committee.)

Montana election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee John Melcher Stanley Burger Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 206,232 115,213 Percentage 64.16% 35.84%

County results Melcher:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Burger:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election Mike Mansfield Democratic Elected U.S. senator John Melcher Democratic

Rather than seek a fifth term, Democratic incumbentMike Mansfield opted to retire, creating an open seat. United States CongressmanJohn Melcher, who had representedMontana'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 election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Edward Zorinsky John Y. McCollister Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 313,805 279,284 Percentage 52.89% 47.07%

County results Zorinsky:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     >90% McCollister:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%

U.S. senator before election Roman Hruska Republican Elected U.S. senator Edward Zorinsky Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanRoman Hruska retired instead of seeking another term. DemocratEdward Zorinsky,Mayor of Omaha, won the open seat over RepublicanJohn Y. McCollister,U.S. Congressman ofNebraska's 2nd congressional district.

Nevada election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Howard Cannon David Towell Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 127,214 63,471 Percentage 63.0% 31.4%

County results Cannon:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Towell:     40–50%

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

Incumbent DemocratHoward Cannon won re-election to a fourth term over RepublicanDavid Towell, U.S. Representative fromNevada'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 GovernorPaul 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. RepresentativeDavid Towell, who served just one term in theU.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 forEureka County, which Towell won with just 51% of the vote.

New Jersey election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Harrison A. Williams David A. Norcross Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,681,140 1,054,508 Percentage 60.66% 38.05%

County Results Williams:     50–60%     60–70%

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

Harrison A. Williams, the incumbent originally elected in1958, elected to run for a fourth term. He defeated anti-abortion activist Stephen J. Foley handily in the Democratic primary with 85% of the vote.David A. Norcross won the Republican primary with the endorsement of theNew Jersey Republican Party with 68% of the vote.

In the general election, Williams soundly won re-election to a fourth term over Norcross. He won 60% of the vote, winning every county in the state. This would be Williams' last election to the U.S. Senate, as he would resign in 1981 following his involvement in theAbscam scandal.

New Mexico election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Harrison Schmitt Joseph Montoya Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 234,681 176,382 Percentage 56.8% 42.7%

County results Schmitt:     50–60%     60–70% Montoya:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Joseph Montoya Democratic Elected U.S. senator Harrison Schmitt Republican

Incumbent DemocratJoseph Montoya ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Republican formerAstronautHarrison Schmitt.

New York election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Daniel Patrick Moynihan James Buckley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,422,594 2,836,633 Percentage 54.1% 44.9%

County results Moynihan:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Buckley:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election James Buckley Republican Elected U.S. senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan Democratic

Incumbent ConservativeJames Buckley ran for re-election to a second term as a Republican, but was defeated byDaniel Patrick Moynihan.

North Dakota election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Quentin Burdick Robert Stroup Party Democratic–NPL Republican Popular vote 175,772 103,466 Percentage 62.10% 36.55%

County results Burdick:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Stroup:     50–60%

U.S. Senator before election Quentin Burdick Democratic ElectedU.S. Senator Quentin Burdick Democratic

IncumbentNorth Dakota Democratic NPL Party DemocratQuentin Burdick, sought and received re-election to his fourth term to theUnited States Senate, defeatingRepublican candidateRobert Stroup.^[1] Only Burdick filed as a Dem-NPLer, and the endorsed Republican candidate was Robert Stroup, asstate senator fromHazen, North Dakota. Burdick and Stroup won the primary elections for their respective parties. Oneindependent candidate,Clarence Haggard, also filed before the deadline under theAmerican Party.

Ohio election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee Howard Metzenbaum Robert Taft Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,941,113 1,823,774 Percentage 49.51% 46.52%

County results Metzenbaum:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Taft:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Robert Taft Jr. Republican Elected U.S. senator Howard Metzenbaum Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanRobert Taft Jr. ran for re-election to second term, but was defeated by Democratic former senatorHoward Metzenbaum.

Pennsylvania election

← 1970 1982 →

Nominee John Heinz Bill Green Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,381,891 2,126,977 Percentage 52.4% 46.8%

County results Heinz:     50–60%     60–70% Green:     40–50%     50–60%     70–80%

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

Incumbent Republican andMinority LeaderHugh Scott retired. RepublicanJohn Heinz won the open seat over DemocratBill Green, United States Representative^[16][1]

In December 1975, U.S. senatorHugh 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 forRichard Nixon and accusations that he had illegally obtained contributions fromGulf Oil were alleged to have contributed to the decision.^[17]

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.^[20]