United States Senate elections, 1960

United States Senate elections, 1960

November 8, 1960
35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate
Majority party Minority party   Leader Lyndon Johnson Everett Dirksen Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Texas Illinois Last election 65 seats 35 seats Seats won 64 36 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 18,547,250 14,894,867 Percentage 55.1% 44.2% Swing 0.1% 1.1%
Republican hold   Republican gain   Democratic hold   Democratic gain
Majority Leader before election Lyndon Johnson Democratic Elected Majority Leader Mike Mansfield Democratic

The U.S. Senate elections of 1960 coincided with the election of John F. Kennedy as president. The Republicans gained one seat at the expense of the Democrats. The Democrats nonetheless retained a commanding lead in the Senate with 64 seats to 36. As Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson was elected Vice President, Mike Mansfield became the new Majority Leader.

Change in Senate composition

Senate composition before the elections

D10	D9	D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18	D19	D20
D30	D29	D28	D27	D26	D25	D24	D23	D22	D21
D31	D32	D33	D34	D35	D36	D37	D38	D39	D40
D50	D49	D48	D47	D46	D45	D44	D43	D42	D41
D51	← Majority
	D52	D53	D54	D55	D56	D57	D58	D59	D60
R31	R32	R33	R34	R35	D65	D64	D63	D62	D61
R30	R29	R28	R27	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21
R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18	R19	R20
R10	R9	R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

Senate composition as a result of the elections

D10	D9	D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18	D19	D20
D30	D29	D28	D27	D26	D25	D24	D23	D22	D21
D31	D32	D33	D34	D35	D36	D37	D38	D39	D40
D50√	D49√	D48√	D47√	D46√	D45√	D44√	D43√	D42	D41
D51√	← Majority
	D52√	D53√	D54√	D55√	D56√	D57√	D58√	D59√	D60√
R31√	R32√	R33√	R34O	R35+	R36+	D64+	D63O	D62O	D61O
R30√	R29√	R28√	R27√	R26√	R25√	R24√	R23	R22	R21
R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18	R19	R20
R10	R9	R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

Senate composition at the beginning of the next Congress

D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D30 D29 D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D37 D38 D39 D40 D50 D49 D48 D47 D46 D45 D44 D43 D42 D41 D51 ← Majority D52 D53 D54 D55 D56 D57 D58 D59 D60 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 D65+ D64 D63 D62 D61 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1

D65 (Wyoming seat): The Republican Senator-elect died between the election and the next Congress. A Democrat was appointed in his place by the beginning of the next Congress.

Key:	D Democratic R Republican		nowrap | √ Incumbent re-elected or appointee elected to finish term O Party hold: New senator elected from same party + Party gain: New senator elected from different party

Retirements

Democratic seats held by Democrats

1. Montana: James E. Murray (D) was replaced by Lee Metcalf (D)
2. Oregon: Hall S. Lusk (D) was replaced by Maurine B. Neuberger (D)
3. Rhode Island: Theodore F. Green (D) was replaced by Claiborne Pell (D)

Democrats replaced by Republicans

1. Wyoming: Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D) was replaced by Edwin Keith Thomson (R). But Thomson died before the Congress began and was then replaced by a Democratic appointee.

Republican seats held by Republicans

1. Iowa: Thomas E. Martin (R) was replaced by Jack Miller (R)

Republicans replaced by Democrats

1. North Dakota (Class 1): Clarence N. Brunsdale (R) was replaced by Quentin N. Burdick (D)

Losing incumbents

Democrats lost to Republicans

1. Delaware: J. Allen Frear, Jr. (D) lost to J. Caleb Boggs (R)

Other changes

The Republicans' net gain of one seat was eliminated after the election.

1. Wyoming: Senator-elect Keith Thomson (R) died December 9, 1960, and was replaced by appointee John J. Hickey (D) at the beginning of the Congress.

Subsequent changes

The Republicans gained one seat during the next Congress.

1. Texas: Two-term Incumbent Lyndon Johnson (D) had been re-elected, but he resigned January 3, 1961 at the beginning of the term to become U.S. Vice President.
   • William A. Blakley (D) was appointed January 3, 1961 to begin and to continue the term.
   • John Tower (R) was elected June 14, 1961 to finish the term.

Complete list of races

State	Incumbent Senator	Incumbent party	Result	Candidates
Alabama	John Sparkman	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ John Sparkman (Democratic) 70.2% Julian Elgin (Republican) 29.8%
Alaska	Bob Bartlett	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Bob Bartlett (Democratic) 63.4% Lee L. McKinley (Republican) 36.6%
Arkansas	John L. McClellan	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ John L. McClellan (Democratic) Unopposed
Colorado	Gordon Allott	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Gordon Allott (Republican) 53.5% Robert L. Knous (Democratic) 46.0%
Delaware	J. Allen Frear, Jr.	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain.	√ J. Caleb Boggs (Republican) 50.7% J. Allen Frear, Jr. (Democratic) 49.3%
Georgia	Richard Russell, Jr.	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Richard Russell, Jr. (Democratic) Unopposed
Idaho	Henry C. Dworshak	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Henry C. Dworshak (Republican) 52.3% R. F. Bob McLaughlin (Democratic) 47.7%
Illinois	Paul Douglas	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Paul Douglas (Democratic) 54.6% Samuel W. Witwer (Republican) 45.2%
Iowa	Thomas E. Martin	Republican	Retired Republican hold.	√ Jack Miller (Republican) 51.9% Herschel C. Loveless (Democratic) 48.1%
Kansas	Andrew F. Schoeppel	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Andrew F. Schoeppel (Republican) 54.6% Frank Theis (Democratic) 43.8%
Kentucky	John S. Cooper	Republican	Re-elected.	√ John S. Cooper (Republican) 59.2% Keen Johnson (Democratic) 40.8%
Louisiana	Allen J. Ellender	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Allen J. Ellender (Democratic) 79.8% George W. Reese, Jr. (Republican) 20.2%
Maine	Margaret Chase Smith	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Margaret Chase Smith (Republican) 61.7% Lucia M. Cormier (Democratic) 38.4%
Massachusetts	Leverett Saltonstall	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) 56.2% Thomas J. O'Connor, Jr. (Democratic) 43.5%
Michigan	Patrick V. McNamara	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Patrick V. McNamara (Democratic) 51.7% Alvin M. Bentley (Republican) 48.0%
Minnesota	Hubert Humphrey	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Hubert Humphrey (Democratic) 57.5% P. Kenneth Peterson (Republican) 42.2%
Mississippi	James O. Eastland	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ James O. Eastland (Democratic) 91.8% Joe A. Moore (Republican) 8.2%
Missouri Special: Class 3	Edward V. Long	Democratic	Appointee elected to finish term ending January 3, 1963.	√ Edward V. Long (Democratic) 53.2% Lon Hocker (Republican) 46.8%
Montana	James E. Murray	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold.	√ Lee Metcalf (Democratic) 50.7% Orvin B. Fjare (Republican) 49.3%
Nebraska	Carl T. Curtis	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Carl T. Curtis (Republican) 58.9% Robert B. Conrad (Democratic) 41.1%
New Hampshire	Styles Bridges	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Styles Bridges (Republican) 60.4% Herbert W. Hill (Democratic) 39.7%
New Jersey	Clifford P. Case	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Clifford P. Case (Republican) 55.7% Thorn Lord (Democratic) 43.2%
New Mexico	Clinton P. Anderson	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Clinton P. Anderson (Democratic) 63.4% William Colwes (Republican) 36.6%
North Carolina	B. Everett Jordan	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ B. Everett Jordan (Democratic) 61.4% Kyle Hayes (Republican) 38.6%
North Dakota Special: Class 1	Clarence N. Brunsdale	Republican	Appointee retired Winner elected to finish term ending January 3, 1965 Democratic gain.	√ Quentin N. Burdick (Democratic) 49.7% John E. Davis (Republican) 49.2%
Oklahoma	Robert S. Kerr	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) 54.8% B. Hayden Crawford (Republican) 44.6%
Oregon	Hall S. Lusk	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold.	√ Maurine B. Neuberger (Democratic) 54.6% Elmo Smith (Republican) 45.4%
Rhode Island	Theodore F. Green	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold.	√ Claiborne Pell (Democratic) 68.9% Raoul Archambault (Republican) 31.1%
South Carolina	Strom Thurmond	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Strom Thurmond (Democratic) Unopposed
South Dakota	Karl E. Mundt	Republican	Re-elected.	√ Karl E. Mundt (Republican) 52.4% George S. McGovern (Democratic) 47.6%
Tennessee	Estes Kefauver	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Estes Kefauver (Democratic) 71.8% A. Bradley Frazier (Republican) 28.3%
Texas	Lyndon B. Johnson	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) 58.0% John G. Tower (Republican) 41.1% Bard A. Logan (Constitution) 0.9%
Virginia	A. Willis Robertson	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ A. Willis Robertson (Democratic) 81.3% Stuart D. Baker (Independent) 14.2%
West Virginia	Jennings Randolph	Democratic	Re-elected.	√ Jennings Randolph (Democratic) 55.3% Cecil H. Underwood (Republican) 44.7%
Wyoming	Joseph C. O'Mahoney	Democratic	Retired Republican gain. Winner then died before the Congress began and was replaced by a Democratic appointee.	√ Edwin Keith Thomson (Republican) 56.4% Raymond B. Whitaker (Democratic) 43.6%

See also

• United States presidential election, 1960
• United States House elections, 1960