The 1934 United States Senate elections were held in the middle of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term. The 32 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. During the Great Depression, voters strongly backed Roosevelt's New Deal and his allies in the Senate, with Democrats picking up a net of nine seats, giving them a supermajority (which required 64 seats, two-thirds of the total 96 seats in 1934). Republicans later lost three more seats due to mid-term vacancies (one to Farmer-Labor and two to Democrats); however, a Democrat in Iowa died and the seat remained vacant until the next election. The Democrats entered the next election with a 70-22-2-1 majority.
This marked the second of three times since the ratification of the 17th Amendment that the opposition party failed to flip any Senate seats in a midterm election, alongside 1914 and 2022.
A number of historic figures were first elected to the Senate in 1934, including future President Truman, future Federal District Judge and Labor Secretary Schwellenbach, and future Supreme Court Justice Minton. This election cycle currently holds the record for the number of defeated non-presidential party incumbents, with eight.
Gains, losses, and holds
Retirements
Two Democrats and one Republican retired instead of seeking re-election.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" |State
! scope="col" |Senator
! scope="col" |Replaced by
|-
! Maryland
| |
| |
|-
! Nebraska (special)
| |
| |
|-
! Nebraska
| |
| |
|-
! Washington
| |
| |
|}
Defeats
Eight Republicans and two 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
|-
! Connecticut
| |
| |
|-
! Indiana
| |
| |
|-
! Mississippi
| |
| |
|-
! Missouri
| |
| |
|-
! Montana (special)
| |
| |
|-
! New Jersey
| |
| |
|-
! Ohio
| |
| |
|-
! Pennsylvania
| |
| |
|-
! Rhode Island
| |
| |
|-
! West Virginia
| |
| |
|}
Party switches
One Republican won re-election as a Progressive.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" |State
! scope="col" |Senator
! scope="col" |Replaced by
|-
! Wisconsin
| |
| |
|}
Post-election changes
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" |State
! scope="col" |Senator
! scope="col" |Replaced by
|-
! New Mexico
| |
| |
|-
! Florida (class 1)
| |
| |
|-
! Florida (class 1)
| |
| |
|-
! Florida (class 3)
| |
| |
|-
! Florida (class 3)
| |
| |
|-
! Louisiana
| |
| |
|-
! Michigan
| |
| |
|-
! Minnesota
| |
| |
|}
Change in composition
Before the elections
At the beginning of 1934.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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| colspan=9 align=right | Majority →
| rowspan=2 | D<br /><br />
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| | FL<br /><br />
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| colspan=2 |
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|}
Elections result
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
| colspan=9 align=right | Majority →
| rowspan=2 | D<br /><br />
|-
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|-
<!--GOP 19 thru 25-->
| | R<br /><br />
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<!--Others; DEM 69-->
| | P<br /><br />
| | FL<br /><br />
| | D<br /><br />
|-
<!--GOP rest of caucus-->
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| colspan=2 |
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|}
{|
|- valign=top
! Key
|
{| class=wikitable
|-
| align=center width=35px | D
| Democratic
|-
| align=center width=35px | FL
| Farmer–Labor
|-
| align=center width=35px | P
| Progressive
|-
| align=center width=35px | R
| Republican
|}
|}
Race summaries
Elections during the 73rd Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1934; ordered by election date then by state.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=bottom
! rowspan=2 | State
! colspan=3 | Incumbent
! rowspan=2 | Results
! rowspan=2 | Candidates
|-
! Senator
! Party
! Electoral history
|-
! Vermont<br />(Class 3)
| Ernest W. Gibson
| | Republican
| 1933
| Interim appointee elected January 16, 1934.
| nowrap |
|-
! Montana<br />(Class 2)
| John E. Erickson
| | Democratic
| 1933
| | Interim appointee lost nomination.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected November 6, 1934.<br />Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! Nebraska<br />(Class 1)
| William H. Thompson
| | Democratic
| 1933
| | Interim appointee retired.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected November 6, 1934.<br />Democratic hold.<br />Winner was not elected to the next term, see below.
| nowrap |
|-
! New Mexico<br />(Class 2)
| Carl Hatch
| | Democratic
| 1933
| Interim appointee <!--elected-->elected November 6, 1934.
| nowrap |
|-
! Tennessee<br />(Class 2)
| Nathan L. Bachman
| | Democratic
| 1933
| Interim appointee <!--elected-->elected November 6, 1934.
| nowrap |
|-
! Wyoming<br />(Class 1)
| Joseph C. O'Mahoney
| | Democratic
| 1933
| Interim appointee elected November 6, 1934.<br />Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.
| nowrap |
|}
Elections leading to the 74th Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1935; 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<br />1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! California
| Hiram Johnson
| | Republican
| 1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Connecticut
| Frederic C. Walcott
| | Republican
| 1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Delaware
| John G. Townsend Jr.
| | Republican
| 1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Florida
| Park Trammell
| | Democratic
| 1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Indiana
| Arthur Raymond Robinson
| | Republican
| 1925 <br />1926 <br />1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Maine
| Frederick Hale
| | Republican
| 1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Maryland
| Phillips Lee Goldsborough
| | Republican
| 1928
| | Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Maryland.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Massachusetts
| David I. Walsh
| | Democratic
| 1926 <br />1928
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Michigan
| Arthur Vandenberg
| | Republican
| 1928 <br />1928 <br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Minnesota
| Henrik Shipstead
| | Farmer–Labor
| 1922<br />1928
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Mississippi
| Hubert D. Stephens
| | Democratic
| 1922<br />1928
| | Incumbent lost renomination.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! Missouri
| Roscoe C. Patterson
| | Republican
| 1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Montana
| Burton K. Wheeler
| | Democratic
| 1922<br />1928
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Nebraska
| William H. Thompson
| | Democratic
| 1933
| | Incumbent retired.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic hold.<br />Winner was not elected to finish the current term; see above.
| nowrap |
|-
! Nevada
| Key Pittman
| | Democratic
| 1913 <br />1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! New Jersey
| Hamilton F. Kean
| | Republican
| 1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! New Mexico
| Bronson M. Cutting
| | Republican
| 1927 <br />1928 <br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! New York
| Royal S. Copeland
| | Democratic
| 1922<br />1928
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! North Dakota
| Lynn Frazier
| | Republican
| 1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Ohio
| Simeon D. Fess
| | Republican
| 1922<br />1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Pennsylvania
| David A. Reed
| | Republican
| 1922 <br />1922 <br />1922<br />1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Rhode Island
| Felix Hebert
| | Republican
| 1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Tennessee
| Kenneth McKellar
| | Democratic
| 1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Texas
| Tom Connally
| | Democratic
| 1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Utah
| William H. King
| | Democratic
| 1916<br />1922<br />1928
| Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Vermont
| Warren Austin
| | Republican
| 1931
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Virginia
| Harry F. Byrd
| | Democratic
| 1933 <br />1933
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
! Washington
| Clarence Dill
| | Democratic
| 1922<br />1928
| | Incumbent retired.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
! West Virginia
| Henry D. Hatfield
| | Republican
| 1928
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br />New senator <!--elected-->elected.<br />Democratic gain. Winner was seated late on June 21, 1935, when he turned 30, due to not having satisfied the constitutional requirement to serve.
| nowrap |
|-
! Wisconsin
| Robert M. La Follette Jr.
| | Republican
| 1925 <br />1928
| | Incumbent <!--re-elected-->re-elected as a Progressive.<br />Progressive gain.
| nowrap |
|-
! Wyoming
| Joseph C. O'Mahoney
| | Democratic
| 1933
| Interim appointee elected.<br />Winner was also elected to finish the current term; see above.
| nowrap |
|}
Closest races
Ten races had a margin of victory under 10%:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! State
! Party of winner
! Margin
|-
! Maine
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Republican
| 0.4%
|-
! New Mexico
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Republican
| 0.8%
|-
! Vermont
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Republican
| 2.6%
|-
! Connecticut
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Democratic (flip)
| 3.5%
|-
! Indiana
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Democratic (flip)
| 4.0%
|-
! Michigan
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Republican
| 4.3%
|-
! Pennsylvania
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Democratic (flip)
| 4.3%
|-
! Utah
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Democratic
| 7.7%
|-
! Delaware
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Republican
| 7.1%
|-
! New Mexico (special)
| data-sort-value=-0.5 | Democratic
| 9.5%
|}
Virginia was the tipping point state with a margin of 55.1%.
Arizona
California
Michigan
Montana (special)
North Dakota
Vermont (special)
O'Mahoney would be re-elected twice and serve until his 1952 defeat.
See also
- 1934 United States elections
- 1934 United States House of Representatives elections
- 73rd United States Congress
- 74th United States Congress