1968 United States Senate elections

← 1966 November 5, 1968 1970 →
← 1962 Class 3 1974 →
34 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 63 37 Seats after 58[a] 42[a] Seat change 5 5 Popular vote 24,976,660 23,588,832[b] Percentage 49.3% 46.5% Seats up 23 11 Races won 18 16
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain     Democratic hold      Republican gain     Republican hold      No election
Majority Leader before election Mike Mansfield Democratic ElectedMajority Leader Mike Mansfield Democratic

The1968 United States Senate elections were elections for theUnited States Senate. Held on November 5, the 34 seats ofClass 3 were contested in regular elections. They coincided with thepresidential election of the same year. TheRepublicans picked up five net seats in the Senate. This saw Republicans win a Senate seat in Florida for the first time since Reconstruction.

Republicans would gain another seat after the election when Alaska RepublicanTed Stevens was appointed to replace DemocratBob Bartlett, reducing Democrats' majority to 57–43.

This is the earliest round of Senate elections in which a first-elected member is still alive (Bob Packwood, R-OR).

Parties						Total
		Democratic	Republican	Conservative	Other
Last elections (1966)		64	36	0	0	100
Before these elections		63	37	0	0	100
Not up		40	26	0	0	66
Up Class 3 (1962→1968)		23	11	0	0	34
Incumbent retired		3	3	—	—	6
	Held by same party	1	2	—	—	3
	Replaced by other party	1 Republican replaced by1 Democrat 2 Democrats replaced by2 Republicans		—	—	3
	Result	2	4	0	0	6
Incumbent ran		20	8	—	—	28
	Won re-election	13	7	—	—	20
	Lost re-election	4 Democrats replaced by4 Republicans		—	—	4
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	2	0	—	—	2
	Lost renomination, and party lost	1 Republican replaced by1 Democrat 1 Democrat replaced by1 Republican		—	—	2
	Result	16	12	0	0	28
Total elected		18	16	0	0	34
Net gain/loss		5	5			5
Nationwide vote		24,976,660	23,588,832[b]	1,139,402	989,058	50,693,952
	Share	49.27%	46.53%	2.25%	1.95%	100%
Result		58[a]	42	0	0	100

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives^[1]

Three Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

One Republican and seven Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

One Democrat died on December 11, 1968, and a Republican was appointed on December 24, 1968.

After the September 10, 1968 appointment in New York.

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1969; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

Fifteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

Arkansas was the tipping point state with a margin of 18.3%.

Alabama election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee James B. Allen Perry O. Hooper Sr. Robert P. Schwenn Party Democratic Republican NDPA Popular vote 638,744 201,227 72,699 Percentage 69.99% 22.05% 7.97%

County results Allen:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Hooper:     40-50% Schwenn:     40–50%

U.S. senator before election J. Lister Hill Democratic Elected U.S. Senator James B. Allen Democratic

After electing Republicans during Reconstruction, Alabama had historically voted Democratic in local, state, and presidential elections from the 1870s until the 1960s with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. However, in 1948 Alabama did not support the Democratic ticket for the first time in nearly 100 years, voting forStrom Thurmond, who ran a third-party campaign. Democrats lost ground due to the unpopularity of the Civil Rights Act among white voters, who at the time comprised nearly the entire electorate. In 1964,Barry Goldwater became the first Republican to win the state of Alabama since Ulysses Grant, while the state elected Republicans to its congressional delegation for the first time since the turn of the century. Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act, which boosted his popularity in Southern states.

In 1962,J. Lister Hill ran for re-election to this seat to a fifth term but faced an unusually close race against RepublicanJames D. Martin, who came within 1% of unseating the incumbent. In 1968, Republicans looked to build upon their momentum but faced a challenge when Lieutenant GovernorJames B. Allen, a staunch conservative, was nominated by the Democratic Party. Republicans also failed to capitalize on the candidacy of liberal DemocratHubert H. Humphrey due to the third-party candidacy of GovernorGeorge Wallace limiting Republican support. Allen defeated Republican Perry Hooper by a wide margin in the general election and faced little opposition in 1978.

Alaska election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Mike Gravel Elmer Rasmuson Ernest Gruening (write-in) Party Democratic Republican Democratic Popular vote 36,527 30,286 14,118 Percentage 45.13% 37.42% 17.44%

Results by state house district Gravel:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Gruening:     30–40%

U.S. senator before election Ernest Gruening Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Mike Gravel Democratic

DemocratErnest Gruening had served as one of the state's inaugural senators alongside DemocratBob Bartlett since 1959. He was re-elected in a landslide victory in 1962. In 1968, he was challenged by former Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives,Mike Gravel, who ran on a campaign of youth.^[3] Gravel upset Gruening in the Democratic primary with just under 53% of the vote to 47% for Gruening.

Gravel faced former Anchorage Mayor RepublicanElmer E. Rasmuson in the general election, while Gruening ran a write-in campaign. Gravel won a three-way race with 45% of the vote to 37% for Rasmuson, with incumbent Gruening scoring 17%.

Two months after the election, on December 11, 1968, the other Alaskan senator, DemocratBob Bartlett, died. RepublicanTed Stevens, who lost the Republican primary to Rasmuson for this seat, was then appointed to that other seat.

Arizona election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Barry Goldwater Roy Elson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 274,607 205,338 Percentage 57.22% 42.78%

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

U.S. senator before election Carl Hayden Democratic Elected U.S. senator Barry Goldwater Republican

Incumbent DemocratCarl Hayden did not run for re-election to an eighth term, with his long-time staff memberRoy Elson running as the Democratic Party nominee to replace him. Elson beatState Treasurer of Arizona Bob Kennedy in the primary.

Elson was defeated by a wide margin, however, by former U.S. senator and Republican presidential nomineeBarry Goldwater. Prior to Goldwater's election, the seat had been held for decades by the Democratic Party under Carl Hayden, and would remain under Republican Party control until2020. Elson had previously challenged U.S. senatorPaul Fannin in1964, when Goldwater vacated his seat torun for President againstLyndon B. Johnson.

Arkansas election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee J. William Fulbright Charles T. Bernard Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 349,965 241,731 Percentage 59.15% 40.85%

County Results Fulbright:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Bernard:     50–60%     60-70%

U.S. senator before election J. William Fulbright Democratic Elected U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright Democratic

J. William Fulbright was first elected in 1944 against token Republican opposition. He ran unopposed in 1950 and won by large margins in 1956 and 1962, but he saw his vote percentage slip in the latter. In the wake of Civil Rights legislation, which many southern whites opposed, Fulbright was re-elected in 1968 but by the smallest margin of his career. He facedCharles T. Bernard and won with just over 59% of the vote. Arkansas would not elect a Republican to this seat until 2010 withJohn Boozman's election.

California election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Alan Cranston Max Rafferty Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,680,352 3,329,148 Percentage 51.82% 46.87%

County Results Cranston:     40-50%     50–60%     60–70% Rafferty:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Thomas Kuchel Republican Elected U.S. senator Alan Cranston Democratic

California was generally considered to be a Republican stronghold throughout the early 1900s. Until 1959, Republicans controlled most government offices as well as both houses of state government. However,Pat Brown was elected governor in 1958 and ushered in a wave of Democratic success.

Along withCalifornia Secretary of StateFrank M. Jordan, incumbent U.S. SenatorThomas Kuchel was one of the last Republicans elected from California at the state or U.S. Senate level. Kuchel had been re-elected by a wide margin in 1962, winning every county in the state, and was the Minority Whip for the Republican Party.

However, in 1968 he faced a primary challenge from California Superintendent of Public InstructionMax Rafferty, who ran to the right of moderate Kuchel. In an upset, Rafferty defeated Kuchel in the primary, 50-47%.

In the Democratic primary, former California State ControllerAlan Cranston won the primary with 58% of the vote.

Despite Richard Nixon's concurrent win in the presidential election (as well as in the state of California), Cranston defeated Rafferty on election day with just under 52% of the vote, flipping the state's other senate seat to the Democrats. Rafferty took just under 47% of the vote. Cranston would serve until 1993 in the senate.

This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "1968 United States Senate elections" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Colorado election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Peter Dominick Stephen McNichols Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 459,952 325,584 Percentage 58.55% 41.45%

County results Dominick:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% McNichols:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Peter Dominick Republican Elected U.S. Senator Peter Dominick Republican

Incumbent RepublicanPeter Dominick won election in 1962 over Democratic incumbentJohn A. Carroll by eight percentage points. In 1968, he increased his margin of victory against Stephen McNichols in what would be his last U.S. Senate victory. He would lose in 1974 toGary Hart.

This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "1968 United States Senate elections" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Connecticut election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Abraham Ribicoff Edwin H. May Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 655,043 551,455 Percentage 54.29% 45.71%

County results Municipality results Ribicoff:     50–60%     60-70%     70-80% May:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%

U.S. senator before election Abraham Ribicoff Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Abraham Ribicoff Democratic

IncumbentAbraham Ribicoff was elected in 1962 after the retirement ofPrescott Bush by a razor-thin 51–49 margin. He increased his margin of victory in 1968 over Republican RepresentativeEdwin H. May Jr.

Florida election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Edward Gurney LeRoy Collins Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,131,499 892,637 Percentage 55.9% 44.1%

County Results Gurney:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Collins:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election George Smathers Democratic Elected U.S. senator Edward Gurney Republican

Incumbent DemocratGeorge Smathers retired. After supporting Republicans during Reconstruction, Florida supported almost only Democrats down-ballot until the 1940s, when the state voted for Eisenhower.Claude R. Kirk Jr. was elected governor in 1966 as Republicans gained ground in the South due to Democrats shifting leftward and Republicans rightward.

Popular DemocratLeRoy Collins defeated State Attorney GeneralEarl Faircloth in the Democratic primary, while Republican RepresentativeEdward Gurney won the Republican primary. Despite less name recognition in the state, Gurney defeated Collins by 11 points and won all but five counties.

Georgia election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Herman Talmadge E. Earl Patton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 885,093 246,865 Percentage 77.51% 22.49%

County results Talmadge:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Patton:     50-60%

U.S. senator before election Herman Talmadge Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge Democratic

DemocratHerman Talmadge handily won re-election over RepublicanE. Earl Patton, who won the first-ever Republican primary in Georgia for U.S. Senate.

Talmadge sought another term to the Senate and was easily re-elected. The election was notable for theGeorgia Republican Party, as it marked the firstU.S. Senate election where it fielded a candidate. Patton lost by over 50% to Talmadge.

Hawaii election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Daniel Inouye Wayne Thiessen Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 189,248 42,767 Percentage 83.40% 14.99%

County results Inouye:     80–90%

U.S. senator before election Daniel Inouye Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye Democratic

IncumbentDaniel Inouye handily won re-election against Republican Wayne C. Thiessen with 83% of the vote.

Idaho election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Frank Church George V. Hansen Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 173,482 114,394 Percentage 60.26% 39.74%

County results Church:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Hansen:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Frank Church Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Frank Church Democratic

Incumbent DemocratFrank Church won re-election by a wide margin againstGeorge V. Hansen despite the state's overall Republican trend.

Illinois election

← 1962 1970 (special) →

Nominee Everett Dirksen William G. Clark Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,358,947 2,073,242 Percentage 53.01% 46.59%

County results Dirksen:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% Clark:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Everett Dirksen Republican Elected U.S. senator Everett Dirksen Republican

Incumbent Republican and Minority LeaderEverett Dirksen won re-election to his fourth term overWilliam G. Clark (D), theIllinois Attorney General. He would not serve the entirety of his term as he would die in 1970.

Indiana election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Birch Bayh William Ruckelshaus Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,060,456 988,571 Percentage 51.65% 48.15%

County results Bayh:     50–60%     60–70% Ruckelshaus:     40–50%     50–60%     60-70%

U.S. senator before election Birch Bayh Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Birch Bayh Democratic

Incumbent DemocratBirch Bayh was elected in 1962, defeating incumbent RepublicanHomer E. Capehart by around 11,000 votes. In 1970, he ran for re-election and faced Republican State RepresentativeWilliam Ruckelshaus in the general election.

Ruckelshaus ran a close race but Bayh was ultimately re-elected by a two-point margin. This would actually be Bayh's largest vote percentage in an election to the U.S. Senate. In 1974, he won a narrow majority of the vote over RepublicanRichard Lugar though he did increase his margin of victory. He was defeated in his re-election bid in 1980 by futureVice PresidentDan Quayle.

Birch Bayh's son Evan Bayh would also serve in the U.S. Senate from 1999 to 2011.

1968 United States Senate election in Iowa

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Harold E. Hughes David M. Stanley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 574,884 568,469 Percentage 50.25% 49.69%

County results Hughes:     50–60%     60–70% Stanley:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%

U.S. senator before election Bourke B. Hickenlooper Republican Elected U.S. Senator Harold E. Hughes Democratic

Four-term RepublicanBourke B. Hickenlooper retired. Two-term DemocraticGovernor of IowaHarold Hughes was elected senator in a close race against Republicanstate senatorDavid M. Stanley.

Kansas election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Bob Dole William I. Robinson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 490,911 315,911 Percentage 60.08% 38.66%

County results Dole:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% Robinson:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Frank Carlson Republican Elected U.S. senator Bob Dole Republican

Incumbent RepublicanFrank Carlson chose to retire rather than seek re-election. RepublicanBob Dole defeated Democrat William Robinson with 60% of the vote and won all but one county in the state. Still, this would be his second-worst U.S. Senate election performance after 1974 in the wake of Watergate.

Kentucky election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Marlow Cook Katherine Peden Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 484,260 448,960 Percentage 51.36% 47.62%

County results Cook:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80–90% Peden:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Thruston Morton Republican Elected U.S. senator Marlow Cook Republican

Though originally voting strongly Democratic like the rest of the South after Reconstruction, Kentucky began electing Republicans in the 1890s but still leaned Democratic. Still, Republicans found success with the elections to U.S. Senate ofThruston Ballard Morton andJohn Sherman Cooper. Morton decided to retire in 1968, creating an open seat. RepublicanMarlow Cook narrowly defeated DemocratKatherine Peden by a 51–48 margin.

1968 Democratic Senate primary election in Louisiana

← 1962 August 17, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Russell B. Long Maurice Blache Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 494,467 73,791 Percentage 87.02% 12.99%

Parish results Long:     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Blache:     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Russell Long Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Russell Long Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Russell B. Long ran unopposed for U.S. Senate and was re-elected.

Maryland election

← 1962 1974 →

Nominee Charles Mathias Daniel Brewster George P. Mahoney Party Republican Democratic American Independent Popular vote 541,893 443,667 148,467 Percentage 47.79% 39.12% 13.09%

County results Mathias:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Brewster:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Daniel Brewster Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Charles Mathias Jr. Republican

Incumbent DemocratDaniel Brewster was originally elected in 1962 over Republican RepresentativeEdward Tylor Miller. He won the Democratic primary and faced Republican RepresentativeCharles Mathias in the general election. However, DemocratGeorge P. Mahoney ran in the election under theAmerican Independent Party. Mahoney, who ran against the Civil Rights movement, had previously been the Democratic nominee for governor in 1966 losing toSpiro Agnew.Hyman A. Pressman ran an independent campaign which allowed Republican Agnew to carry the heavily Democratic state with 49.5% of the vote.

Similarly, Mahoney ran a well-funded campaign in 1968 and Brewster was defeated in the general election. Mathias won just 48% of the vote to 39% for Brewster (and 13% for Mahoney), similarly elected to Agnew. Mathias would nonetheless have no trouble being re-elected in 1974 and 1980 (when he won the city of Baltimore). Mathias is the last Republican to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.

1968 United States Senate election in Missouri

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Thomas Eagleton Thomas B. Curtis Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 887,414 850,544 Percentage 51.06% 48.94%

County results Eagleton:     50–60%     60–70% Curtis:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Edward V. Long Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Thomas Eagleton Democratic

Incumbent U.S. SenatorEdward V. Long ran for re-election but faced two primary challengers in Lieutenant GovernorThomas Eagleton and former Assistant Secretary of the TreasuryW. True Davis Jr., who each ran strong campaigns. Eagleton won the primary with 37% of the vote.

In the general election, Eagleton faced Republican RepresentativeThomas B. Curtis and won a close-fought election with 51% of the vote to 49% for Curtis. Eagleton would be re-elected over Curtis again in 1974.

1968 United States Senate election in Nevada

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Alan Bible Edward Fike Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 83,622 69,083 Percentage 54.76% 45.24%

County results Bible:     50–60%     60–70% Fike:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Alan Bible Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Alan Bible Democratic

IncumbentAlan Bible was originally elected in 1954 in a special election over RepublicanErnest S. Brown. He narrowly defeated RepublicanClarence Clifton Young in 1956 and won by a landslide in 1962. He defeated RepublicanEdward Fike by a smaller margin of 55–45 in 1968 in what would be his last term.

1968 United States Senate election in New Hampshire

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Norris Cotton John W. King Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 170,163 116,816 Percentage 59.29% 40.70%

County results Cotton:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% King:     50–60%

U.S. senator before election Norris Cotton Republican Elected U.S. Senator Norris Cotton Republican

IncumbentNorris Cotton handily won re-election against incumbent GovernorJohn W. King in what would be his final term.

New York election

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Jacob Javits Paul O'Dwyer James L. Buckley Party Republican Democratic Conservative Popular vote 3,269,772 2,150,695 1,139,402 Percentage 49.68% 32.68% 17.31%

County results Javits:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% O'Dwyer:     40–50%

U.S. senator before election Jacob Javits Republican Elected U.S. senator Jacob Javits Republican

Incumbent RepublicanJacob Javits won against Democratic challengerPaul O'Dwyer and Conservative Party challengerJames L. Buckley in a three-way election.

While Javits did not face any challengers for the Republican nomination, he did face a minor one when seeking theLiberal Party of New York's nomination.

1968 United States Senate election in North Carolina

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Sam Ervin Robert Somers Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 870,406 566,834 Percentage 60.56% 39.44%

County results Ervin:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Somers:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election Sam Ervin Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Sam Ervin Democratic

The general election was fought between theDemocratic incumbentSam Ervin and theRepublican nomineeRobert Somers. Ervin won re-election to a third full term, with over 60% of the vote.

The first round of the Primary Election was held on May 4, 1968.^[13] The runoff for the Republican Party candidates took place on June 1.^[14]

1968 United States Senate election in North Dakota

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Milton Young Herschel Lashkowitz Party Republican Democratic–NPL Popular vote 154,968 80,815 Percentage 64.79% 33.79%

County results Young:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%

U.S. senator before election Milton Young Republican Elected U.S. Senator Milton Young Republican

North Dakota RepublicanMilton Young, sought and received re-election to his fifth term, defeatingNorth Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidateHerschel Lashkowitz, the mayor ofFargo, North Dakota since 1954.^[1][15]

Only Young filed as a Republican, and the endorsed Democratic candidate wasHerschel Lashkowitz ofFargo, North Dakota, who was serving as the mayor of the city since 1954. Young and Lashkowitz won the primary elections for their respective parties.

Oneindependent candidate,Duane Mutch ofLarimore, North Dakota, also filed before the deadline. Mutch was later astate senator for theNorth Dakota Republican Party in theNorth Dakota Senate from 1959 to 2006 for District 19. He ran as an independent when he did not receive his party's nomination.

1968 United States Senate election in Ohio

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee William B. Saxbe John J. Gilligan Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,928,964 1,814,152 Percentage 51.53% 48.47%

County results Saxbe:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Gilligan:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Frank J. Lausche Democratic Elected U.S. Senator William Saxbe Republican

Incumbent DemocratFrank J. Lausche ran for re-election but was defeated in the primary by RepresentativeJohn J. Gilligan, who criticized Lausche's conservative voting record. Republican State Attorney General of OhioWilliam Saxbe won the Republican primary and defeated Gilligan in the general election by a 51–48 margin. He would not serve out his term after resigning to become United States Attorney general in 1974.