The U.S. Senate election, 1974 was an election for the United States Senate held in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon's resignation from the presidency, and Gerald Ford's subsequent pardon of Nixon. These circumstances benefitted the Democrats, and they made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans. This became four after the Senate voided the contested election in New Hampshire and Democrat John A. Durkin (D-NH) won a special election.
Democrats won an open seat in Vermont and unseated incumbents Peter H. Dominick (R-CO), Edward J. Gurney (R-FL), and Marlow Cook (R-KY). Republicans took over an open seat in Nevada.
A notable first term Senator was former astronaut John Glenn (D-OH), who defeated sitting Senator Howard Metzenbaum in a primary and went on to win the general election.
Senate contests in 1974
| State
| Incumbent
| Party
| Status
| Opposing Candidates
|
| Alabama
| James B. Allen
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 95.8
|
|
| Alaska
| Mike Gravel
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 58.3 - 41.7
| C. R. Lewis (Republican)
|
| Arizona
| Barry Goldwater
| Republican
| Re-elected, 58.3 - 41.7
| Jonathan Marshall (Democrat)
|
| Arkansas
| J. William Fulbright
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 84.9 - 15.1
| Dale Bumpers (Democrat)
John H. Jones (Republican)
|
| California
| Alan Cranston
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.5 - 36.2
| H. L. Bill Richardson (Republican)
|
| Colorado
| Peter H. Dominick
| Republican
| Defeated, 57.2 - 39.5
| Gary Warren Hart (Democrat)
|
| Connecticut
| Abraham A. Ribicoff
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 63.7 - 34.3
| James A. Brannen III (Republican)
|
| Florida
| Edward J. Gurney
| Republican
| Defeated, 43.4 - 40.9 - 15.7
| Richard Stone (Democrat)
Jack Eckerd (Independent)
|
| Georgia
| Herman E. Talmadge
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 71.7 - 28.2
| Jerry Johnson (Republican)
|
| Hawaii
| Daniel K. Inouye
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 82.9 - 17.1
| James D. Kimmel (Independent)
|
| Idaho
| Frank Church
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 56.1 - 42.1
| Robert L. Smith (Republican)
|
| Illinois
| Adlai E. Stevenson III
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 62.2 - 37.2
| George M. Burditt (Republican)
|
| Indiana
| Birch Bayh
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 50.7 - 46.4
| Richard G. Lugar (Republican)
|
| Iowa
| Harold E. Hughes
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 52.0 - 47.3
| John C. Culver (Democrat)
David M. Stanley (Republican)
|
| Kansas
| Bob Dole
| Republican
| Re-elected, 50.9 - 49.1
| William R. Roy (Democrat)
|
| Kentucky
| Marlow W. Cook
| Republican
| Defeated, 53.5 - 44.1
| Wendell H. Ford (Democrat)
|
| Louisiana
| Russell B. Long
| Democrat
| Re-elected, unopposed
|
|
| Maryland
| Charles Mathias, Jr.
| Republican
| Re-elected, 57.3 - 42.7
| Barbara A. Mikulski (Democrat)
|
| Missouri
| Thomas F. Eagleton
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.1 - 39.3
| Thomas B. Curtis (Republican)
|
| Nevada
| Alan Bible
| Democrat
| Retired: Republican victory, 47.0 - 46.6
| Paul Laxalt (Republican)
Harry Reid (Democrat)
|
| New Hampshire1
| Norris Cotton
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 49.7 - 49.7
| Louis C. Wyman (Republican)
John A. Durkin (Democrat)
|
| New York
| Jacob K. Javits
| Republican
| Re-elected, 45.3 - 38.2 - 15.9
| Ramsey Clark (Democrat)
Barbara A. Keating (Conservative)
|
| North Carolina
| Sam J. Ervin, Jr.
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 62.1 - 37.0
| Robert Burren Morgan (Democrat)
William E. Stevens (Republican)
|
| North Dakota
| Milton R. Young
| Republican
| Re-elected, 48.4 - 48.3
| William L. Guy (Democrat)
|
| Ohio
| Howard M. Metzenbaum
| Democrat
| Defeated in primary: Democrat victory, 64.6 - 30.7
| John Glenn (Democrat)
Ralph J. Perk (Republican)
|
| Oklahoma
| Henry Bellmon
| Republican
| Re-elected, 49.4 - 48.9
| Ed Edmondson (Democrat)
|
| Oregon
| Bob Packwood
| Republican
| Re-elected, 54.9 - 44.2
| Betty Roberts (Democrat)
|
| Pennsylvania
| Richard S. Schweiker
| Republican
| Re-elected, 53.0 - 45.9
| Peter Flaherty (Democrat)
|
| South Carolina
| Ernest F. Hollings
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 69.5 - 28.6
| Gwenyfred Bush (Republican)
|
| South Dakota
| George S. McGovern
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 53.0 - 47.0
| Leo K. Thorsness (Republican)
|
| Utah
| Wallace F. Bennett
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 50.0 - 44.1
| Jake Garn (Republican)
Wayne Owens (Democrat)
|
| Vermont
| George D. Aiken
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 49.5 - 46.4
| Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat)
Richard W. Mallary (Republican)
|
| Washington
| Warren G. Magnuson
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.7 - 36.1
| Jack Metcalf (Republican)
|
| Wisconsin
| Gaylord Nelson
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 61.8 - 35.8
| Thomas E. Petri (Republican)
|
1 Election was contested; Wyman was seated, then resigned so that a new election could take place. Norris Cotton held the seat temporarily until a new special election in 1975 selected Durkin.
See also
Senate composition before and after elections
