| ←1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 → Midterm elections | |
| Election day | November 6 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) |
| Next Congress | 74th |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | 36 of 96 seats (32 Class 1 seats + 5 special elections)[1] |
| Net seat change | Democratic +9 |
 | |
| 1934 Senate election results Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting seats |
| Net seat change | Democratic +9 |
 | |
| 1934 House of Representatives election results Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 34 |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
 | |
| 1934 gubernatorial election results Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
Elections were held on November 6, 1934. The election took place in the middle ofDemocraticPresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt's first term, during theGreat Depression. In a historic midterm election, the Democrats built on the majorities in both houses ofCongress they had won in the previous two elections.
In theHouse of Representatives, Roosevelt's party gained nine seats, mostly from theRepublican Party. The Democrats also gained nine seats in theU.S. Senate, thereby winning a supermajority. AProgressive also unseated a Republican in the Senate. This marked the first time that an incumbent president's party did not lose seats in both houses in a midterm election, followed by1998 and2002. The feat of a Democratic president seeing net gains in the governorships would not be observed again until2022.[2] This was also the last midterm until 2022 in which the president's party did not lose any state legislative chambers.
The election was perhaps the most successful midterm of the 20th century for the party in control of the presidency. Despite opposition from Republicans, business organizations such as theUnited States Chamber of Commerce, and disaffected Democrats who formed theAmerican Liberty League, Roosevelt'sNew Deal policies were bolstered and hisNew Deal coalition was solidified. The election was critical in re-centering the Democratic Party in Northern, urban areas, as opposed to the party's traditional base in the South. Conservative Republicans also suffered major losses across the country. Future presidentHarry S. Truman won election as senator from Missouri during this election.[3]
Also in 1934 Nebraska held a referendum about switching from a bicameral to a non-partisan unicameral legislature which voters approved.[4][5] With the referendum passing, it marked the first time in over 100 years that a state had a unicameral legislature and Nebraska continues to be the only state with a unicameral legislature.[6]
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