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U.S. Senate election, 1976
U.S. Senate election, 1976 was an election for the United States Senate that coincided with Democrat Jimmy Carter 's election to the presidency. Carter's narrow victory did not produce decisive gains for the Democrats, and the balance of the chamber shifted only slightly with one fewer Conservative seat and one more Republican .
Democrats took open seats in Arizona , Hawaii , Nebraska , and defeated incumbents John Glenn Beall, Jr. (R-MD), James L. Buckley (C-NY) (running for re-election as Republican), Robert Taft, Jr. (R-OH), and William Brock (R-TN). Republicans took open seats in Missouri and Rhode Island , and defeated five incumbents: John V. Tunney (D-CA), Vance Hartke (D-IN), Joseph Montoya (D-NM), Frank Moss (D-UT), and Gale McGee (D-WY).
Senate contests in 1976
State
Incumbent
Party
Status
Opposing Candidates
Arizona
Paul Fannin
Republican
Retired: Democrat victory, 54.0 - 43.3
Dennis DeConcini (Democrat )Republican )
California
John V. Tunney
Democrat
Defeated, 50.2 - 46.9
Samuel I. Hayakawa (Republican )
Connecticut
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Republican
Re-elected, 57.7 - 41.2
Gloria Schaffer (Democrat )
Delaware
William V. Roth, Jr.
Republican
Re-elected, 55.8 - 43.6
Thomas C. Maloney (Democrat )
Florida
Lawton Chiles
Democrat
Re-elected, 63.0 - 37.0
John Grady (Republican )
Hawaii
Hiram L. Fong
Republican
Retired: Democrat victory, 53.7 - 40.6
Spark Matsunaga (Democrat )William F. Quinn (Republican )
Indiana
Vance Hartke
Democrat
Defeated, 58.8 - 40.5
Richard G. Lugar (Republican )
Maine
Edmund S. Muskie
Democrat
Re-elected, 60.2 - 39.8
Robert A. G. Monks (Republican )
Maryland
John Glenn Beall, Jr.
Republican
Defeated, 56.5 - 38.8
Paul S. Sarbanes (Democrat )
Massachusetts
Edward M. Kennedy
Democrat
Re-elected, 69.3 - 29.0
Michael Robertson (Republican )
Michigan
Philip A. Hart
Democrat
Retired: Democrat victory, 52.5 - 46.8
Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (Democrat )Republican )
Minnesota
Hubert H. Humphrey
Democrat
Re-elected, 67.5 - 25.0 - 6.6
Gerald W. Brekke (Republican )Independent )
Mississippi
John C. Stennis
Democrat
Re-elected, unopposed
Missouri
Stuart Symington
Democrat
Retired: Republican victory, 56.9 - 42.5
John C. Danforth (Republican )Warren E. Hearnes (Democrat )
Montana
Mike Mansfield
Democrat
Retired: Democrat victory, 64.2 - 35.8
John Melcher (Democrat )Republican )
Nebraska
Roman L. Hruska
Republican
Retired: Democrat victory, 52.4 - 47.5
Edward Zorinsky (Democrat )Republican )
Nevada
Howard W. Cannon
Democrat
Re-elected, 63.0 - 31.4
David Towell (Republican )
New Jersey
Harrison A. Williams, Jr.
Democrat
Re-elected, 60.7 - 38.0
David F. Norcross (Republican )
New Mexico
Joseph M. Montoya
Democrat
Defeated, 56.8 - 42.7
Harrison Schmitt (Republican )
New York
James L. Buckley
Conservative
Defeated, 54.2 - 44.9
Daniel P. Moynihan (Democrat )
North Dakota
Quentin N. Burdick
Democrat
Re-elected, 62.1 - 36.6
Richard Stroup (Republican )
Ohio
Robert A. Taft, Jr.
Republican
Defeated, 49.5 - 46.5
Howard M. Metzenbaum (Democrat )
Pennsylvania
Hugh Scott
Republican
Retired: Republican victory, 59.3 - 46.8
John Heinz (Republican )Democrat )
Rhode Island
John O. Pastore
Democrat
Retired: Republican victory, 57.7 - 42.0
John H. Chafee (Republican )Democrat )
Tennessee
William Brock
Republican
Defeated, 52.5 - 47.0
Jim Sasser (Democrat )
Texas
Lloyd Bentsen
Democrat
Re-elected, 56.8 - 42.2
Alan Steelman (Republican )
Utah
Frank E. Moss
Democrat
Defeated, 53.7 - 44.8
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican )
Vermont
Robert T. Stafford
Republican
Re-elected, 50.0 - 45.3
Thomas P. Salmon (Democrat )
Virginia
Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
Independent
Re-elected, 57.2 - 38.3
Elmo R. Zumwalt (Democrat )
Washington
Henry M. Jackson
Democrat
Re-elected, 71.8 - 24.2
George M. Brown (Republican )
West Virginia
Robert C. Byrd
Democrat
Re-elected, 99.9
Wisconsin
William Proxmire
Democrat
Re-elected, 72.2 - 27.0
Stanley York (Republican )
Wyoming
Gale McGee
Democrat
Defeated, 56.7 - 45.4
Malcolm Wallop (Republican )
See also
Senate composition before and after elections
Last updated: 06-02-2005 14:23:41
