1916 United States Senate elections

The 1916 United States Senate elections were elections that coincided with the re-election of President Woodrow Wilson. This was the first election since the enactment of the Seventeenth Amendment that all 32 Class 1 senators were selected by direct or popular elections instead of state legislatures. Republicans gained a net of two seats from the Democrats, and then an additional two seats through mid-term vacancies thereby reducing Democrats to a 52–44 majority.

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

Four Republicans and two Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" |State

! scope="col" |Senator

! scope="col" |Replaced by

! Arkansas

| |

! California

| |

! Maine (special)

| |

! New Mexico

| |

! New York

| |

! Pennsylvania

| |

Defeats

Nine Democrats and five Republicans sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" |State

! scope="col" |Senator

! scope="col" |Replaced by

! Delaware

| |

! Florida

| |

! Indiana (special)

| |

! Indiana

| |

! Maine

| |

! Maryland

| |

! Minnesota

| |

! New Jersey

| |

! Rhode Island

| |

! Tennessee

| |

! Utah

| |

! West Virginia

| |

! Wyoming

| |

Post-election changes

Eight Democrats and two Republicans died during the 65th Congress, and initially were all replaced by appointees except in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, Democratic Senator Paul O. Husting died on October 21, 1917, and his seat remained vacant until an April 1918 election.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" |State

! scope="col" |Senator

! scope="col" |Replaced by

! Idaho (Class 3)

| |

! Kentucky (Class 2)

| |

! Louisiana (Class 3)

| |

! Missouri (Class 3)

| |

! Nevada (Class 3)

| |

! New Hampshire (Class 3)

| |

! New Jersey (Class 2)

| |

! Oregon (Class 2)

| |

! South Carolina (Class 2)

| |

! Wisconsin (Class 3)

| |

Change in composition

Before the elections

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:800px"

| colspan=2 |  

| | D

| width=50px | D

| | D

| | D

| | D

| | D

| colspan=9 style="text-align:right" | Majority →

| rowspan=2 | D

| | R

| | D

| | R

| | R

| | R

| | R

| colspan=2 |

| | R

Elections results

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:800px"

| colspan=2 |  

| | D

| width=50px | D

| | D

| | D

| | D

| | D

| colspan=9 style="text-align:right" | Majority →

| rowspan=2 | D

| | R

| | D

| | R

| | R

| | R

| | R

| colspan=2 |

| | R

|- valign=top

! Key

{| class=wikitable

| align=center width=35px | D

| Democratic

| align=center width=35px | R

| Republican

Race summaries

Special elections during the 64th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1916 or before March 4, 1917; ordered by election date.

{| class=wikitable

|- valign=bottom

! rowspan=2 | State

! colspan=3 | Incumbent

! rowspan=2 | Results

! rowspan=2 | Candidates

! Senator

! Party

! Electoral history

! Maine (Class 2)

| Edwin C. Burleigh

| | Republican

| 1913

| | Incumbent died June 16, 1916. A new senator elected September 11, 1916. Republican hold.

| nowrap |

! Arkansas (Class 3)

| James P. Clarke

| | Democratic

| 1903 1909 1914

| | Incumbent died October 1, 1916. New senator elected November 7, 1916. Democratic hold.

| nowrap |

! Indiana (Class 3)

| Thomas Taggart

| | Democratic

| 1916

| | Interim appointee lost election to finish term. New senator elected November 7, 1916. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

Elections leading to the 65th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1917; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

{| class=wikitable

|- valign=bottom

! rowspan=2 | State

! colspan=3 | Incumbent

! rowspan=2 | Results

! rowspan=2 | Candidates

! Senator

! Party

! Electoral history

! Arizona

| Henry F. Ashurst

| | Democratic

| 1912

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! California

| John D. Works

| | Republican

| 1911

| | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.

| nowrap |

! Connecticut

| George P. McLean

| | Republican

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Delaware

| Henry A. du Pont

| | Republican

| 1906 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.

| nowrap |

! Florida

| Nathan P. Bryan

| | Democratic

| 1911 1911

| | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold.

| nowrap |

! Indiana

| John W. Kern

| | Democratic

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

! Maine

| Charles F. Johnson

| | Democratic

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected September 11, 1916. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

! Maryland

| Blair Lee I

| | Democratic

| 1913

| | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

! Massachusetts

| Henry Cabot Lodge

| | Republican

| 1893 1899 1905 1911

| Incumbent re-elected

| nowrap |

! Michigan

| Charles E. Townsend

| | Republican

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected. New senator elected. Republican hold.

| nowrap |

! Mississippi

| John Sharp Williams

| | Democratic

| 1908

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Missouri

| James A. Reed

| | Democratic

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Montana

| Henry L. Myers

| | Democratic

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Nebraska

| Gilbert Hitchcock

| | Democratic

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Nevada

| Key Pittman

| | Democratic

| 1913

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! New Jersey

| James E. Martine

| | Democratic

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

! New Mexico

| Thomas B. Catron

| | Republican

| 1912

| | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic gain.

| nowrap |

! New York

| James A. O'Gorman

| | Democratic

| 1911

| | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

! North Dakota

| Porter J. McCumber

| | Republican

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Ohio

| Atlee Pomerene

| | Democratic

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Pennsylvania

| George T. Oliver

| | Republican

| 1909 1911

| | Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.

| nowrap |

! Rhode Island

| Henry F. Lippitt

| | Republican

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.

| nowrap |

! Tennessee

| Luke Lea

| | Democratic

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected.

! Utah

| George Sutherland

| | Republican

| 1905 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.

| nowrap |

! Vermont

| Carroll S. Page

| | Republican

| 1908 1910

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Virginia

| Claude A. Swanson

| | Democratic

| 1910 1911 1912

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Washington

| Miles Poindexter

| | Republican

| 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! West Virginia

| William E. Chilton

| | Democratic

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.

| nowrap |

! Wisconsin

| Robert M. La Follette

| | Republican

| 1905 1911

| Incumbent re-elected.

| nowrap |

! Wyoming

| Clarence D. Clark

| | Republican

| 1911

| | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.

| nowrap |

Closest races

Eighteen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! State

! Party of winner

! Margin

! Indiana (special)

| data-sort-value=1 | Republican (flip)

| 1.37%

! Indiana

| data-sort-value=-1 | Republican (flip)

| 1.63%

! Maryland

| data-sort-value=1 | Republican (flip)

| 1.7%

! West Virginia

| data-sort-value=1 | Republican (flip)

| 1.97%

! Missouri

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic

| 3.12%

! Ohio

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic

| 3.14%

! Connecticut

| data-sort-value=1 | Republican

| 3.93%

! Nebraska

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic

| 4.1%

! Delaware

| data-sort-value=-1 | Democratic (flip)

| 4.9%

! New Mexico

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic (flip)

| 5.06%

! Wyoming

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic (flip)

| 6.0%

! Massachusetts

| data-sort-value=1 | Republican

| 6.37%

! Nevada

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic

| 6.53%

! Maine

| data-sort-value=-1 | Republican (flip)

| 6.63%

! Montana

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic

| 7.66%

! Maine (special)

| data-sort-value=-1 | Republican

| 8.79%

! Rhode Island

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic (flip)

| 8.82%

! Tennessee

| data-sort-value=1 | Democratic

| 9.67%

Arizona

Arkansas (special)

Three-term Democratic Senate President pro tempore James Paul Clarke died on October 1, 1916.

Democrat William F. Kirby was elected on November 7, 1916, to finish the term. He served only the rest of this term, losing renomination in 1920.

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Indiana

There were two elections held on November 7, 1916, due to a vacancy. The elections converted both seats from Democratic to Republican, thus marking the first time since the popular-election of senators was mandated by the Seventeenth Amendment three years earlier that both Senate seats in a state flipped from one party to the other in a single election cycle.

Indiana (special)

Two-term Democrat Benjamin F. Shively was re-elected in 1914 and served until he died on March 14, 1916. Democrat Thomas Taggart was appointed by Governor Samuel Ralston on March 20 to continue the term until a November 7, 1916, special election. Taggart lost the special election to Republican James Eli Watson.

Watson would finish out the term, be re-elected twice, and serve until his 1932 re-election loss.

Indiana (regular)

One-term Democrat John W. Kern was elected in 1911. He lost re-election to Republican Harry Stewart New.

New served only until losing renomination in 1922. Kern died on August 17, 1917, the same year he left the U.S. Senate.

Maine

There were two elections due to a vacancy. Both elections were held on September 11, 1916, as Maine routinely held its annual elections in September at the time.

Maine (special)

One-term Republican Edwin C. Burleigh was elected in 1913, and died on June 16, 1916. Republican Bert M. Fernald was elected on September 12, 1916, to finish the term.

Fernand would later be re-elected twice and serve until his 1926 death.

Maine (regular)

One-term Democrat Charles Fletcher Johnson was elected in 1911. He lost re-election to Republican Frederick Hale.

Hale would later be re-elected three times and serve until his 1935 retirement.

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

Incumbent Democrat Charles Culberson survived a challenge from former Governor Oscar Colquitt in the Democratic primary, then easily won the general election.

Utah

Vermont

The 1916 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 7, 1916. It was the second direct election for the U.S. Senate to take place in Vermont following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the first for Vermont's Class I seat. The incumbent, Republican Carroll S. Page, successfully ran for re-election to a second full term.

In the primary election held on September 11, Page gained re-nomination by winning 62 percent of the vote to defeat former governor Allen M. Fletcher (20.3) and current governor Charles W. Gates (17.7).

With the Republican Party dominant in Vermont, as it had been since its founding in the 1850s, Democratic candidate Oscar C. Miller was little more than a token opponent for Page. In the general election, Page defeated Miller 74.4 percent to 23.5.