1968 United States Senate elections

November 5, 1968
34 of the 100 seats in the United 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[lower-alpha 1] 42[lower-alpha 1] Seat change 5 5 Popular vote 24,976,660 23,588,832[lower-alpha 2] 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 Elected Majority Leader Mike Mansfield Democratic

The 1968 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate. Held on November 5, the 34 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year. The Republicans 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 Republican Ted Stevens was appointed to replace Democrat Bob Bartlett, reducing Democrats' majority to 57–43.

Results summary

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 by 1 Democrat 2 Democrats replaced by 2 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 by 4 Republicans		—	—	4
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	2	0	—	—	2
	Lost renomination, and party lost	1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat 1 Democrat replaced by 1 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[lower-alpha 2]	1,139,402	989,058	50,693,952
	Share	49.27%	46.53%	2.25%	1.95%	100%
Result		58[lower-alpha 1]	42	0	0	100

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

Gains, losses, and holds

Change in composition

Race summary

Closest races

Fifteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

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

Alabama

Alabama election

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

County results

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

Alaska

Alaska election

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%

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

Democrat Ernest Gruening lost renomination to fellow Democrat Mike Gravel. Gruening then ran as an Independent, but lost again to Gravel in the general election, thereby keeping the seat in Democratic hands.

Two months after the election, on December 11, 1968, the other Alaskan senator, Democrat Bob Bartlett, died. Republican Ted Stevens was then appointed to that other seat.

Arizona

Arizona election

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

U.S. Senate election results map. Red denotes counties won by Goldwater. Blue denotes those won by Elson.

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

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

Elson was defeated by a wide margin, however, by former U.S. senator and Republican presidential nominee Barry 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 until 2020. Elson had previously challenged U.S. senator Paul Fannin in 1964, when Goldwater vacated his seat to run for President against Lyndon B. Johnson.

Arkansas

Arkansas election

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

California

California election

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

Colorado

Colorado election

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

Connecticut

Connecticut election

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

County results Ribicoff:      50–60% May:      50-60%

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

Florida

Florida election

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

Georgia

Georgia election

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

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

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

Hawaii

Hawaii election

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

Idaho

Idaho election

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

County results

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

Illinois

Illinois election

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

County results

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

Incumbent Republican and Minority Leader Everett Dirksen won re-election to his fourth term over William G. Clark (D), the Illinois Attorney General.

Indiana

Indiana election

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

County results

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

Iowa

Senator Harold Hughes

Four-term Republican Bourke B. Hickenlooper retired. Two-term Democratic Governor of Iowa Harold Hughes was elected senator in a close race against Republican state senator David M. Stanley.

Kansas

Kansas election

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

County Results

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

Kentucky

Kentucky election

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

County results

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

Louisiana

Senator Russell B. Long

Maryland

Maryland election

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

Missouri

Senator Thomas Eagleton

Nevada

Senator Alan Bible

New Hampshire

Senator Norris Cotton

New York

New York election

November 5, 1968

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

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

Incumbent Republican Jacob Javits won against Democratic challenger Paul O'Dwyer and Conservative Party challenger James 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 the Liberal Party of New York's nomination.

North Carolina

North Carolina election

Nominee Sam Ervin Robert Somers Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 870,406 566,834 Percentage 60.6% 39.4%

County results

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

The general election was fought between the Democratic incumbent Sam Ervin and the Republican nominee Robert 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.^[12] The runoff for the Republican Party candidates took place on June 1.^[13]

North Dakota

North Dakota election

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

County results

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

North Dakota Republican Milton Young, sought and received re-election to his fifth term, defeating North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate Herschel Lashkowitz, the mayor of Fargo, North Dakota since 1954.^[1][14]

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

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

Ohio

Senator William B. Saxbe

Oklahoma

Oklahoma election

Nominee Henry Bellmon Mike Monroney Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 470,120 419,658 Percentage 51.7% 46.2%

U.S. senator before election Mike Monroney Democratic Elected U.S. senator Henry Bellmon Republican

Incumbent Democratic U.S. senator Mike Monroney was running for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Republican former Governor Henry Bellmon.

Oregon

Oregon election

Nominee Bob Packwood Wayne Morse Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 408,646 405,353 Percentage 50.2% 49.8%

County results

U.S. senator before election Wayne Morse Democratic Elected U.S. senator Bob Packwood Republican

Incumbent Democrat Wayne Morse was seeking a fifth term, but narrowly lost re-election to 36-year-old Republican State Representative Bob Packwood race.^[16]

The Democratic primary was held May 28, 1968.^[17] Morse defeated former Representative Robert B. Duncan, former U.S. Congressman from Oregon's 4th congressional district (1963–1967), and Phil McAlmond, millionaire and former aide to opponent Robert B. Duncan.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania election

November 5, 1968

Nominee Richard Schweiker Joseph Clark Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,399,762 2,117,662 Percentage 51.9% 45.8%

County results

U.S. senator before election Joseph Clark Democratic Elected U.S. senator Richard Schweiker Republican

Incumbent Democrat Joseph Clark sought re-election to another term, but was defeated by Republican nominee Richard Schweiker, member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

South Carolina

South Carolina election

Nominee Ernest Hollings Marshall Parker Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 404,060 248,780 Percentage 61.9% 38.1%

U.S. senator before election Ernest Hollings Democratic Elected U.S. senator Ernest Hollings Democratic

Incumbent Democrat Fritz Hollings easily defeated Republican state senator Marshall Parker in a rematch of the election two years earlier, to win his second (his first full) term.

Hollings faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats, and avoided a primary election. Marshall Parker, the state senator from Oconee County in the Upstate, was persuaded by South Carolina Republicans to enter the race, and he did not face a primary challenge.

After a close election loss to Fritz Hollings in 1966, the Republicans felt that Parker might have a chance at defeating Hollings by riding Nixon's coattails in the general election. However, the Republicans did not provide Parker with the financial resources to compete, and he subsequently lost by a bigger margin to Hollings than two years prior.

South Dakota

Senator George McGovern

Utah

Senator Wallace F. Bennett

Vermont

Vermont election

Nominee George Aiken Party Republican Popular vote 157,197 Percentage 99.9%

U.S. senator before election George Aiken Republican Elected U.S. senator George Aiken Republican

Incumbent Republican George Aiken ran successfully for re-election to another term in the United States Senate; he was unopposed.

Washington

Washington election

Nominee Warren Magnuson Jack Metcalf Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 796,183 435,894 Percentage 64.41% 35.26%

U.S. senator before election Warren G. Magnuson Democratic Elected U.S. senator Warren G. Magnuson Democratic