United States Senate election, 1970
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The U.S. Senate election, 1970 was an election for the United States Senate which was a midterm election in the term of President Richard M. Nixon. Nixon's "Southern strategy" was effective at taking several seats from the Democrats, in spite of this being a midterm election. The Democrats lost a net of three seats, while the Republicans and the Conservative Party of New York State picked up one net seat each, and Democratic Harry F. Byrd, Jr. was re-elected as an independent.
The Republicans picked up one open seat in Ohio, and defeated incumbents Albert Gore, Sr. (D-TN), Joseph D. Tydings (D-MD), and Thomas J. Dodd (D-CT) (who had been censured by the Senate for using campaign funds for personal use). Democrats picked up the seats of Ralph Tyler Smith (R-IL) and George Murphy (R-CA). Conservative James L. Buckley defeated Republican incumbent Charles E. Goodell (R-NY) and a Democratic challenger.
Senate contests in 1970
| State
| Incumbent
| Party
| Status
| Opposing Candidates
|
| Alaska1
| Ted Stevens
| Republican
| Re-elected, 59.6 - 40.4
| Wendell P. Kay (Democrat)
|
| Arizona
| Paul Fannin
| Republican
| Re-elected, 56.0 - 44.0
| Sam Grossman (Democrat)
|
| California
| George Murphy
| Republican
| Defeated, 53.9 - 44.3
| John V. Tunney (Democrat)
|
| Connecticut
| Thomas J. Dodd
| Democrat
| Defeated, 41.7 - 33.8 - 24.5
| Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. (Republican) Joseph D. Duffey (Democrat)
|
| Delaware
| John J. Williams
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 58.8 - 40.1
| William V. Roth, Jr. (Republican) Jacob Zimmerman (Democrat)
|
| Florida
| Spessard Holland
| Democrat
| Retired: Democratic victory, 53.9 - 46.1
| Lawton Chiles (Democrat) William C. Cramer (Republican)
|
| Hawaii
| Hiram L. Fong
| Republican
| Re-elected, 51.6 - 48.4
| Cecil Heftel (Democrat)
|
| Illinois2
| Ralph T. Smith
| Republican
| Defeated, 57.4 - 42.2
| Adlai E. Stevenson III (Democrat)
|
| Indiana
| Vance Hartke
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 50.1 - 49.9
| Richard L. Roudebush (Republican)
|
| Maine
| Edmund S. Muskie
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 61.9 - 38.3
| Neil S. Bishop (Republican)
|
| Maryland
| Joseph D. Tydings
| Democrat
| Defeated, 50.7 - 48.1
| John Glenn Beall, Jr. (Republican)
|
| Massachusetts
| Edward M. Kennedy
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 62.1 - 37.0
| Josiah A. Spaulding (Republican)
|
| Michigan
| Philip A. Hart
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 66.8 - 32.9
| Lenore Romney (Republican)
|
| Minnesota
| Eugene J. McCarthy
| Democrat
| Retired: Democratic victory, 57.8 - 41.6
| Hubert H. Humphrey (Democrat) Clark MacGregor (Republican)
|
| Mississippi
| John C. Stennis
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 88.4 - 11.6
| William R. Thompson (Independent)
|
| Missouri
| Stuart Symington
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 51.1 - 48.2
| John C. Danforth (Republican)
|
| Montana
| Mike Mansfield
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.5 - 39.5
| Harold E. Wallace (Republican)
|
| Nebraska
| Roman L. Hruska
| Republican
| Re-elected, 52.5 - 47.5
| Frank B. Morrison (Democrat)
|
| Nevada
| Howard W. Cannon
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 57.7 - 41.2
| William J. Raggio (Republican)
|
| New Jersey
| Harrison A. Williams, Jr.
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 54.0 - 42.2
| Nelson G. Gross (Republican)
|
| New Mexico
| Joseph M. Montoya
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 52.3 - 46.6
| Anderson Carter (Republican)
|
| New York
| Charles E. Goodell
| Republican
| Defeated: Conservative victory, 38.8 - 36.8 - 24.3
| James L. Buckley (Conservative) Richard L. Ottinger (Democrat)
|
| North Dakota
| Quentin N. Burdick
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 61.3 - 37.8
| Thomas S. Kleppe (Republican)
|
| Ohio
| Stephen M. Young
| Democrat
| Retired: Republican victory, 49.7 - 47.5
| Robert A. Taft, Jr. (Republican) Howard M. Metzenbaum (Democrat)
|
| Pennsylvania
| Hugh Scott
| Republican
| Re-elected, 51.4 - 45.4
| William G. Sesler (Democrat)
|
| Rhode Island
| John O. Pastore
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 67.5 - 31.5
| John McLaughlin (Republican)
|
| Tennessee
| Albert Gore, Sr.
| Democrat
| Defeated, 51.3 - 47.4
| Bill Brock (Republican)
|
| Texas
| Ralph Yarborough
| Democrat
| Defeated in primary: Democratic victory, 53.5 - 46.4
| Lloyd Bentsen (Democrat) George H. W. Bush (Republican)
|
| Utah
| Frank E. Moss
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 56.2 - 42.5
| Laurence J. Burton (Republican)
|
| Vermont
| Winston L. Prouty
| Republican
| Re-elected, 58.9 - 40.2
| Philip H. Hoff (Democrat)
|
| Virginia
| Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
| Independent
| Re-elected, 53.5 - 31.2 - 15.3
| George C. Rawlings, Jr. (Democrat) Ray Garland (Republican)
|
| Washington
| Henry M. Jackson
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 82.4 - 16.0
| Charles W. Elicker (Republican)
|
| West Virginia
| Robert C. Byrd
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 77.6 - 22.4
| Elmer H. Dodson (Republican)
|
| Wisconsin
| William Proxmire
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 70.8 - 28.5
| John E. Erickson (Republican)
|
| Wyoming
| Gale McGee
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 55.8 - 44.2
| John S. Wold (Republican)
|
1 special election held due to death of Bob Bartlett (D-AK)
2 special election held due to death of Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL)
See also
Senate composition before and after elections
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