The U.S. Senate election, 1930 was an election for the United States Senate which occurred in the middle of Republican President Herbert Hoover's first term. With the Great Depression beginning to take hold, Republican incumbents became unpopular, and Democrats gained a net of eight seats, although Republicans retained control of the chamber.
The Republicans only gained one seat by defeating incumbent Daniel F. Steck (D-IA). The Democrats took open seats in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, and West Virginia, and defeated five incumbents:
This was the first of four consecutive Senate elections in the Depression in which Democrats made major gains, achieving a cumulative gain of 37 seats.
Senate contests in 1930
| State
| Incumbent
| Party
| Status
| Opposing Candidates
|
| Alabama
| J. Thomas Heflin
| Democrat
| Defeated in primary and as Independent, 59.7 - 40.3
| John H. Bankhead II (Democrat)
|
| Arkansas
| Joseph T. Robinson
| Democrat
| Re-elected, unopposed
|
|
| Colorado
| Lawrence C. Phipps
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 55.9 - 42.7
| Edward P. Costigan (Democrat)
George H. Shaw (Republican)
|
| Delaware
| Daniel O. Hastings
| Republican
| Re-elected, 54.5 - 45.4
| Thomas F. Bayard (Democrat)
|
| Georgia
| William J. Harris
| Democrat
| Re-elected, unopposed
|
|
| Idaho
| William E. Borah
| Republican
| Re-elected, 72.4 - 27.6
| Joseph M. Tyler (Democrat)
|
| Illinois
| Charles S. Deneen
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 64.0 - 30.7
| James H. Lewis (Democrat)
Ruth H. McCormack (Republican)
|
| Iowa
| Daniel F. Steck
| Democrat
| Defeated, 56.3 - 43.0
| Lester J. Dickinson (Republican)
|
| Kansas
| Arthur Capper
| Republican
| Re-elected, 61.1 - 38.9
| Jonathan M. Davis (Democrat)
|
| Kansas1
| Henry J. Allen
| Republican
| Defeated, 50.0 - 48.0
| George McGill (Democrat)
|
| Kentucky
| John M. Robsion
| Republican
| Defeated, 52.1 - 47.9
| Marvel M. Logan (Democrat)
|
| Louisiana
| Joseph E. Ransdell
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, unopposed
| Huey P. Long (Democrat)
|
| Maine
| Arthur J. Gould
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 60.9 - 39.1
| Wallace H. White, Jr. (Republican)
Frank W. Haskell (Democrat)
|
| Massachusetts
| Frederick H. Gillett
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 54.0 - 44.7
| Marcus A. Coolidge (Democrat)
William M. Butler (Republican)
|
| Michigan
| James Couzens
| Republican
| Re-elected, 78.2 - 20.9
| Thomas A. E. Weadock (Democrat)
|
| Minnesota
| Thomas D. Schall
| Republican
| Re-elected, 37.6 - 36.1 - 22.9
| Einar Holdale (Democrat)
Ernest Lundeen (Farmer-Labor)
|
| Mississippi
| Pat Harrison
| Democrat
| Re-elected, unopposed
|
|
| Montana
| Thomas J. Walsh
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.3 - 37.9
| Albert J. Galen (Republican)
|
| Nebraska
| George W. Norris
| Republican
| Re-elected, 56.8 - 39.7
| Gilbert M. Hitchcock (Democrat)
|
| New Hampshire
| Henry W. Keyes
| Republican
| Re-elected, 57.9 - 41.9
| Albert W. Noone (Democrat)
|
| New Jersey
| David Baird, Jr.
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 58.5 - 39.0
| Dwight W. Morrow (Republican)
Alexander Simpson (Democrat)
|
| New Mexico
| Sam G. Bratton
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 58.6 - 41.2
| Herbert B. Holt (Republican)
|
| North Carolina
| Furnifold M. Simmons
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 60.6 - 39.4
| Josiah W. Bailey (Democrat)
George M. Pritchard (Republican)
|
| Ohio2
| Roscoe C. McCulloch
| Republican
| Defeated, 54.8 - 45.2
| Robert J. Bulkley (Democrat)
|
| Oklahoma
| William B. Pine
| Republican
| Defeated, 52.3 - 47.5
| Thomas P. Gore (Democrat)
|
| Oregon
| Charles L. McNary
| Republican
| Re-elected, 58.1 - 27.9 - 7.4
| Elton Watkins (Democrat)
L. A. Banks (Independent)
|
| Pennsylvania3
| Joseph R. Grundy
| Republican
| Defeated in primary: Republican victory, 71.5 - 25.6
| James J. Davis (Republican)
Sedgwick Kistler (Democrat)
|
| Rhode Island
| Jesse H. Metcalf
| Republican
| Re-elected, 50.3 - 49.2
| Peter G. Gerry (Democrat)
|
| South Carolina
| Coleman L. Blease
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, unopposed
| James F. Byrnes (Democrat)
|
| South Dakota
| William H. McMaster
| Republican
| Defeated, 51.6 - 48.4
| William J. Bulow (Democrat)
|
| Tennessee
| William E. Brock
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 71.3 - 27.1
| Cordell Hull (Democrat)
Paul E. Divine (Republican)
|
| Texas
| Morris Sheppard
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 86.9 - 12.7
| D. J. Haesly (Republican)
|
| Virginia
| Carter Glass
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 76.7 - 17.9
| J. Cloyd Byars (Independent)
|
| West Virginia
| Guy D. Goff
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 61.9 - 37.9
| Matthew M. Neely (Democrat)
James E. Jones (Republican)
|
| Wyoming
| Patrick J. Sullivan
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 59.1 - 41.0
| Robert D. Carey (Republican)
Harry H. Schwartz (Democrat)
|
1 special election held due to resignation of Charles Curtis (R-KS) (who had been elected Vice President)
2 special election held due to death of Theodore E. Burton (R-OH)
3 special election held due to refusal by Senate to seat William S. Vare (R-PA), who was elected but accused of corruption and election fraud
See also
Senate composition before and after elections
Last updated: 06-04-2005 06:06:15
