The 1946 United States Senate elections were held November 5, 1946, in the middle of DemocraticPresidentHarry S. Truman's first term after Roosevelt's passing. The 32 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections, and four special elections were held to fill vacancies. The Republicans took control of the Senate by picking up twelve seats, mostly from the Democrats. This was the first time since 1932 that the Republicans had held the Senate, recovering from a low of 16 seats following the 1936 Senate elections.
The vote was largely seen as a referendum on Truman, whose approval rating had sunk to 32%[1] over the president's controversial handling of a wave of post-war labor strikes, such as a nationwide railroad strike in May, at a time when Americans depended on train service for both commuter and long-distance travel. Just as damaging was Truman's back-and-forth over whether to end unpopular wartime price controls to handle shortages, particularly in foodstuffs. For example, price controls on beef had led to a "hamburger famine," but when Truman, in a surprise move, lifted the controls on October 14—just weeks before the election—meat prices shot up to record levels.[citation needed]
This is only one of two occasions in U.S. history that 10 or more Senate seats changed hands in a midterm election (the other being in 1958), and also one of five occasions where 10 or more Senate seats changed hands in any election, with the other occasions being in 1920, 1932, 1958, and 1980.
The president's lack of popular support is widely seen as the reason for the Democrats' congressional defeat, the largest since they were trounced in the 1928 pro-Republican wave that brought Herbert Hoover to power.[2][3] And for the first time since before the Great Depression, Republicans were seen as the party which could best handle the American economy.
However, the Republicans also benefited from what today would be called "a good map," meaning that of the one-third of Senate seats up for election, the majority were held by Democrats. Besides the Republicans being able to hold onto all of their seats, this was the party's largest senate gain since 1920.
Results summary
↓
45
51
Democratic
Republican
Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.
Interim appointee lost election. New senator elected. Republican gain. Incumbent resigned December 25, 1946. Winner appointed December 26, 1946, to finish term.
There were 2 elections for the same seat due to the January 16, 1945, death of Democrat Francis T. Maloney. Republican Thomas C. Hart was appointed February 15, 1945, to continue the term, pending a special election. Republican Governor of ConnecticutRaymond E. Baldwin won both elections, but resigned only three years after the election to become a state judge.
The New York state election was held on November 5, 1946.
The Socialist Labor state convention met on April 7 and nominated Eric Hass for the U.S.Senate.[14] The party filed a petition to nominate candidates under the name "Industrial Government Party."
The Liberal Party gathered 51,015 signatures and filed a petition to nominate candidates with the Secretary of State on September 2.[15]
The Democratic state convention met on September 4 at Albany, New York, and nominated Ex-Governor Herbert H. Lehman (in office 1933–1942) for the U.S. Senate.[17]
The American Labor state convention met on September 3 and endorsed Lehman.[18] Fielding, Chapman and Abt were withdrawn from the ticket on September 5, and Democrats Corning, Young and Epstein substituted on the ticket.[19]
The Industrial Government, Socialist and Socialist Workers tickets were not allowed on the ballot because of "defective nominating petitions." The Court of Appeals upheld the decisions of the lower courts.[20]
The whole Republican ticket was elected in a landslide.
Newly-elected Democrat John Moses had died March 3, 1945, and Republican state senator Milton Young was appointed March 12, 1945, to continue the term, pending a special election.
Young was elected June 25, 1946, to finish the term that would end in 1951.
1946 United States Senate special election in North Dakota[22]
There were 2 elections to the same seat due to the September 30, 1945, resignation of Republican Harold H. Burton.
Democrat James W. Huffman was appointed to continue the term, pending a special election in which Huffman was not a candidate. Huffman was, however, nominated to the regular election,[23] which he lost.
Incumbent Republican Ralph Flanders successfully ran for re-election to a full term in the United States Senate, defeating Democratic candidate Charles P. McDevitt.
Appointed Democrat Thomas G. Burch retired after filling the vacancy caused by the May 28, 1946, death of Democrat Carter Glass. Democrat Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Republican Robert H. Woods and was elected to finish Glass's term.
1946 United States Senate special election in Virginia[4]
^Leuchtenburg, William E. (November 2006). "New Faces of 1946: An unpopular president. A war-weary people. In the midterm elections of 60 years ago, voters took aim at incumbents". Smithsonian (magazine). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. p. 2 of 5. Retrieved May 12, 2009. "On October 14, scarcely more than three weeks before midterm elections, Truman bit the bullet. Even when his approval rating dropped to 32 percent, he had told reporters that controls were indispensable. On this night, however, speaking to the largest radio audience since the end of the war, Truman lashed out at "the few men in Congress who, in the service of selfish interests, have been determined for some time to wreck price controls no matter what the cost might be to our people." Then he stunned the nation by announcing that he was lifting controls on meat. With the lid off, prices skyrocketed. The New York Daily News headlined: PRICES SOAR, BUYERS SORE/STEERS JUMP OVER THE MOON. Brickbats flew at the president. "Brother," said Ohio's Clarence J. Brown, chair of the Republican Congressional Committee, "the tide is sweepin' our way.""