The 1930 United States Senate elections occurred in the middle of Republican President Herbert Hoover's term. The 32 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. With the Great Depression beginning to take hold, Republican incumbents became unpopular, and Democrats picked up a net of eight seats, erasing the Republican gains from the previous election cycle, however, Republicans retained control of the chamber. This was the first of four consecutive Senate elections during the Depression in which Democrats made enormous gains, achieving a cumulative pick-up of 34 seats.
In Louisiana, Democratic senator-elect Huey Long chose not to take his Senate seat until January 25, 1932, so he could remain as Governor of Louisiana. The Republicans therefore retained the plurality of seats at the beginning of the next Congress (with Vice President Charles Curtis (R) able to cast tie-breaking votes, the Republicans would have majority control).
Gains, losses, and holds
Retirements
Four Republicans retired instead of seeking re-election. Two Republicans retired instead of seeking election to finish the unexpired term and instead of seeking election to full term. One Democrat retired instead of seeking election to a full term.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" |State
! scope="col" |Senator
! scope="col" |Replaced by
|-
! Colorado
| |
| |
|-
! Maine
| |
| |
|-
! Massachusetts
| |
| |
|-
! New Jersey
| |
| |
|-
! Tennessee (regular)
| |
| |
|-
! West Virginia
| |
| |
|-
! Wyoming
| |
| |
|}
Defeats
Seven Republicans and five Democrats 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
|-
! Alabama
| |
| |
|-
! Illinois
| |
| |
|-
! Iowa
| |
| |
|-
! Kansas (special)
| |
| |
|-
! Kentucky (special)
| |
| |
|-
! Kentucky
| |
| |
|-
! Louisiana
| |
| |
|-
! North Carolina
| |
| |
|-
! Oklahoma
| |
| |
|-
! Ohio
| |
| |
|-
! Pennsylvania
| |
| |
|-
! South Carolina
| |
| |
|-
! South Dakota
| |
| |
|}
Post-election changes
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" |State
! scope="col" |Senator
! scope="col" |Replaced by
|-
! New Jersey
| |
| |
|-
! Arkansas
| |
| |
|-
! Georgia
| |
| |
|-
! Georgia
| |
| |
|-
! Vermont
| |
| |
|-
! Missouri
| |
| |
|}
Change in composition
Before the elections
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width=100%
|-
| colspan=2 |
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
|-
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
|-
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
|-
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/><hr/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
|-
| | D<br/><br/>
| | FL
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| rowspan=2 | R<br/><br/>
|-
| colspan=9 align=right | Majority →
|-
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
|-
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|-
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|-
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|-
| colspan=2 |
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|}
After the elections
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width=100%
|-
| colspan=2 |
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
|-
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
| width=10% | D
|-
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
|-
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/><hr/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
|-
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | D<br/><br/>
| | FL
<!--GOP caucus-->
|-
| colspan=10 align=right | Majority with Republican vice president ↓
|-
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
|-
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/>
| | R<br/><br/><br/>
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|-
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|-
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|-
| colspan=2 |
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
| | R
|}
{|
|- valign=top
! Key
|
{| class=wikitable
|-
| align=center | D
| Democratic
|-
| align=center | FL
| Farmer–Labor
|-
| align=center | R
| Republican
|}
|}
Race summary
Special elections during the 71st Congress
In these special elections, the winner were seated during 1930; ordered by election date (then by state).
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=bottom
! rowspan=2 | State
! colspan=3 | Incumbent
! rowspan=2 | Results
! rowspan=2 | Candidates
|- valign=bottom
! Senator
! Party
! Electoral history
|-
! Delaware<br/>(Class 2)
| Daniel O. Hastings
| | Republican
| 1928
| Interim appointee elected November 4, 1930.<br/>Winner was also elected on the same ballot to the next term; see below.
| nowrap |
|-
! Kansas<br/>(Class 3)
| Henry J. Allen
| | Republican
| 1929
| | Interim appointee lost election.<br/>New senator elected November 4, 1930.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Kentucky<br/>(Class 2)
| John M. Robsion
| | Republican
| 1930
| | Interim appointee lost election.<br/>New senator elected November 4, 1930.<br/>Democratic gain.<br/>Winner was not elected to the next term; see below.
| nowrap |
|-
! New Jersey<br/>(Class 2)
| David Baird Jr.
| | Republican
| 1929
| | Interim appointee retired.<br/>New senator elected November 4, 1930.<br/>Republican hold.<br/>Winner also elected to the next term, see below.
| nowrap |
|-
! Wyoming<br/>(Class 2)
| rowspan=2 | Patrick J. Sullivan
| rowspan=2 | Republican
| 1929
| | Interim appointee retired.<br/>New senator elected November 4, 1930.<br/>Republican hold.<br/>Winner also elected to the next term; see below.
| nowrap |
|}
Elections leading to the 72nd Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1931; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=bottom
! rowspan=2 | State
! colspan=3 | Incumbent
! rowspan=2 | Results
! rowspan=2 | Candidates
|- valign=bottom
! Senator
! Party
! Electoral history
|-
! Alabama
| J. Thomas Heflin
| | Democratic
| 1920 <br/>1924
| | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Incumbent lost general election as an independent.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! Arkansas
| Joseph T. Robinson
| | Democratic
| 1913<br/>1918<br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Colorado
| Lawrence C. Phipps
| | Republican
| 1918<br/>1924
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Delaware
| Daniel O. Hastings
| | Republican
| 1928
| Interim appointee elected.<br/>Winner was also elected on the same ballot to finish the current term; see above.
| nowrap |
|-
! Georgia
| William J. Harris
| | Democratic
| 1918<br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Idaho
| William Borah
| | Republican
| 1907<br/>1913<br/>1918<br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Illinois
| Charles S. Deneen
| | Republican
| 1924<br/>1925
| | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Iowa
| Daniel F. Steck
| | Democratic
| 1926
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Republican gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Kansas
| Arthur Capper
| | Republican
| 1918<br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Kentucky
| John M. Robsion
| | Republican
| 1930
| | Interim appointee lost election.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! New Mexico
| Sam G. Bratton
| | Democratic
| 1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! North Carolina
| F. M. Simmons
| | Democratic
| 1901<br/>1907<br/>1913<br/>1918<br/>1924
| | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! Oklahoma
| William B. Pine
| | Republican
| 1924
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Oregon
| Charles L. McNary
| | Republican
| 1917 <br/>1918 <br/>1918 <br/>1918<br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Rhode Island
| Jesse H. Metcalf
| | Republican
| 1924 <br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! South Carolina
| Cole L. Blease
| | Democratic
| 1924
| | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! South Dakota
| William H. McMaster
| | Republican
| 1924
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Tennessee
| William E. Brock
| | Democratic
| 1929
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! Texas
| Morris Sheppard
| | Democratic
| 1913 <br/>1913<br/>1918<br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Virginia
| Carter Glass
| | Democratic
| 1920 <br/>1920 <br/>1924
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! West Virginia
| Guy D. Goff
| | Republican
| 1924
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Wyoming
| rowspan=2 | Patrick J. Sullivan
| rowspan=2 | Republican
| 1929
| | Interim appointee retired.<br/>New senator elected.<br/>Republican hold.<br/>Winner was also elected to finish the term; see above.
| nowrap |
Delaware (special)
<!---->
Georgia
Michigan
Nebraska
Rhode Island
Tennessee (regular)
William E. Brock was not a candidate to the next term, instead choosing to return to his Chattanooga candy manufacturing business. Instead, former Democratic congressman Cordell Hull was swept into the seat.
Hull was appointed United States Secretary of State and served there for 11 years, and in 1945, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "co-initiating the United Nations."
Texas
Wyoming (regular)
See also
- 1930 United States elections
- 1930 United States House of Representatives elections
- 71st United States Congress
- 72nd United States Congress