United States Senate elections, 1928

United States Senate elections, 1928

November 6, 1928
35 of the 96 seats in the U.S. Senate
Majority party Minority party   148px Leader James Watson Joseph Robinson Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Indiana Arkansas Last election 48 seats 46 seats Seats won 56 39 Seat change 8 7   Third party   Party Farmer–Labor Last election 1 seat Seats before 1 Seats won 1 Seat change
300px   Democratic gain   Democratic hold/re-elected   Republican hold/re-elected   Republican gain   Farmer–Labor re-elected
Majority Leader before election Charles Curtis Republican Elected Majority Leader James Watson Republican

The U.S. Senate election, 1928 was an election which coincided with the election of Republican Herbert Hoover as President. The strong economy helped the Republicans to gain seven seats from the Democrats.

Gains and losses

Republicans gained five seats by defeating five Democratic incumbents:

1. Delaware: Democratic incumbent Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. lost re-election to Republican challenger John G. Townsend, Jr..
2. Maryland: Democratic incumbent William Cabell Bruce lost re-election to Republican challenger Phillips Lee Goldsborough.
3. New Jersey: Democratic incumbent Edward I. Edwards lost re-election to Republican challenger Hamilton F. Kean.
4. Rhode Island: Democratic incumbent Peter G. Gerry lost re-election to Republican challenger Felix Hebert.
5. West Virginia: Democratic incumbent Matthew M. Neely lost re-election to Republican challenger Henry D. Hatfield.

Republicans gained one seat from a Democratic incumbent appointee who had lost nomination:

1. Ohio (Special): Democratic incumbent appointee Cyrus Locher lost nomination to Graham P. Hunt to finish the term. Hunt then lost the general election to Republican Theodore E. Burton.

Republicans gained one seat from a retiring Democratic incumbent:

1. Missouri: Democratic incumbent James A. Reed retired and was replaced by Republican Roscoe C. Patterson.

Republicans gained one seat from a vacancy:

1. Illinois (Special): The Senate refused to seat Republican incumbent Frank L. Smith after his 1926 election. He resigned February 9, 1928, leaving the seat vacant. Republican Otis F. Glenn won a special election to finish the term ending March 3, 1933.

Republicans held two seats from retiring Republican incumbents:

1. Connecticut: Republican incumbent George P. McLean retired and was replaced by Republican Frederic C. Walcott.

Democrats gained no seats.

Democrats held 1 seat from a retiring Democratic incumbent:

1. Texas: Democratic incumbent Earle Bradford Mayfield retired and was replaced by Democrat Tom Connally.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

		D1	D2	D3	D4	D5	D6	D7	D8
D18	D17	D16	D15	D14	D13	D12	D11	D10	D9
D19	D20	D21	D22	D23	D24	D25	D26	D27	D28
D38	D37	D36	D35	D34	D33	D32	D31	D30	D29
D39	D40	D41	D42	D43	D44	D45	D46	FL1	V1
Majority →									R48
R39	R40	R41	R42	R43	R44	R45	R46	R47
R38	R37	R36	R35	R34	R33	R32	R31	R30	R29
R19	R20	R21	R22	R23	R24	R25	R26	R27	R28
R18	R17	R16	R15	R14	R13	R12	R11	R10	R9
		R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8

Beginning of the next Congress

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D27 √ D28 √ D38 √ D37 √ D36 √ D35 √ D34 √ D33 √ D32 √ D31 √ D30 √ D29 √ D39 O FL1 √ R56 + R55 + R54 + R53 + R52 + R51 + R50 + R49 + Majority → R48 O R39 √ R40 √ R41 √ R42 √ R43 √ R44 √ R45 √ R46 √ R47 O R38 √ R37 √ R36 √ R35* R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8

Notes: R35 (Kansas): Republican incumbent Charles Curtis (the Majority leader) was not up for election this cycle, but he was elected U.S. Vice President. He resigned, so his seat was vacant at the beginning of the next Congress (March 4, 1929) until April 1, 1929, when a Republican was appointed to continue the term.

Key:	D# Democratic FL# Farmer–Labor R# Republican		√ Incumbent re-elected or appointee elected to finish term O Party hold: New senator elected from same party + Party gain: New senator elected from different party

Race summary

State	Incumbent	Party	Result	Candidates
Arizona	Henry F. Ashurst	Democratic	Re-elected	Henry F. Ashurst (Democratic) 54.3% Ralph H. Cameron (Republican) 45.7%
California	Hiram W. Johnson	Republican	Re-elected	Hiram W. Johnson (Republican) 74.1% Minor Moore (Democratic) 18.2% Charles Hiram Randall (Independent) 5.9%
Connecticut	George P. McLean	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Frederic C. Walcott (Republican) 53.9% Augustine Lonergan (Democratic) 45.6%
Delaware	Thomas F. Bayard, Jr.	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	John G. Townsend, Jr. (Republican) 61.0% Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. (Democratic) 39.1%
Florida	Park Trammell	Democratic	Re-elected	Park Trammell (Democratic) 68.5% Barclay H. Warburton (Republican) 31.5%
Idaho (Special class 3)	John W. Thomas	Republican	Appointee elected to finish term ending March 4, 1933.	John W. Thomas (Republican) 62.6% Chase A. Clark (Democratic) 36.7%
Illinois (Special class 3)	Vacant	Vacant	1926 Senator-elect Frank L. Smith (R) had been disqualified and resigned February 9, 1928. The winner elected to finish the term ending March 4, 1933. Republican gain	Otis F. Glenn (Republican) 54.5% Anton Cermak (Democratic) 44.9%
Indiana	Arthur Raymond Robinson	Republican	Re-elected	Arthur Raymond Robinson (Republican) 55.3% Albert Stump (Democratic) 44.1%
Maine	Frederick Hale	Republican	Re-elected	Frederick Hale (Republican) 69.6% Herbert E. Holmes (Democratic) 30.4%
Maryland	William Cabell Bruce	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	Phillips Lee Goldsborough (Republican) 54.1% William Cabell Bruce (Democratic) 45.2%
Massachusetts	David I. Walsh	Democratic	Re-elected	David I. Walsh (Democratic) 53.6% Benjamin Loring Young (Republican) 45.5%
Michigan	Arthur H. Vandenberg	Republican	Re-elected	Arthur H. Vandenberg (Republican) 71.8% John W. Bailey (Democratic) 27.7%
Minnesota	Henrik Shipstead	Farmer–Labor	Re-elected	Henrik Shipstead (Farmer–Labor) 65.4% Arthur E. Nelson (Republican) 33.7%
Mississippi	Hubert D. Stephens	Democratic	Re-elected	Hubert D. Stephens (Democratic) Unopposed
Missouri	James A. Reed	Democratic	Retired Republican gain	Roscoe C. Patterson (Republican) 51.9% Charles M. Hay (Democratic) 47.9%
Montana	Burton K. Wheeler	Democratic	Re-elected	Burton K. Wheeler (Democratic) 53.2% Joseph M. Dixon (Republican) 46.8%
Nebraska	Robert B. Howell	Republican	Re-elected	Robert B. Howell (Republican) 61.3% Richard L. Metcalfe (Democratic) 38.7%
Nevada	Key Pittman	Democratic	Re-elected	Key Pittman (Democratic) 59.3% Samuel Platt (Republican) 40.7%
New Jersey	Edward I. Edwards	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	Hamilton F. Kean (Republican) 57.9% Edward I. Edwards (Democratic) 41.8%
New Mexico	Bronson M. Cutting	Republican	Re-elected	Bronson M. Cutting (Republican) 57.7% Jethro S. Vaught (Democratic) 42.3%
New York	Royal S. Copeland	Democratic	Re-elected	Royal S. Copeland (Democratic) 49.1% Alanson B. Houghton (Republican) 47.9%
North Dakota	Lynn J. Frazier	Republican	Re-elected	Lynn J. Frazier (Republican) 79.6% F. F. Burchard (Democratic) 19.4%
Ohio	Simeon D. Fess	Republican	Re-elected	Simeon D. Fess (Republican) 60.7% Charles V. Truax (Democratic) 39.1%
Ohio (Special class 3)	Cyrus Locher	Democratic	Appointee lost nomination to finish term. Winner elected to finish term ending March 4, 1933. Republican gain	Theodore E. Burton (Republican) 62.4% Graham P. Hunt (Democratic) 37.4%
Pennsylvania	David A. Reed	Republican	Re-elected	David A. Reed (Republican) 64.4% William N. McNair (Democratic) 34.0%
Rhode Island	Peter G. Gerry	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	Felix Hebert (Republican) 50.6% Peter G. Gerry (Democratic) 49.3%
Tennessee	Kenneth D. McKellar	Democratic	Re-elected	Kenneth D. McKellar (Democratic) 59.3% J. A. Fowler (Republican) 40.7%
Texas	Earle Bradford Mayfield	Democratic	Lost renomination Democratic hold	Tom Connally (Democratic) 81.2% T. M. Kennerly (Republican) 18.7%
Utah	William H. King	Democratic	Re-elected	William H. King (Democratic) 55.5% Ernest Bamberger (Republican) 43.9%
Vermont	Frank L. Greene	Republican	Re-elected	Frank L. Greene (Republican) 71.6% Fred C. Martin (Democratic) 28.5%
Virginia	Claude A. Swanson	Democratic	Re-elected	Claude A. Swanson, 99.8%
Washington	Clarence C. Dill	Democratic	Re-elected	Clarence C. Dill (Democratic) 53.4% Kenneth Mackintosh (Republican) 46.5% Alex Noral (Workers (Communist) Party) 0.1%
West Virginia	Matthew M. Neely	Democratic	Lost re-election Republican gain	Henry D. Hatfield (Republican) 50.7% Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) 49.2%
Wisconsin	Robert M. La Follette, Jr.	Republican	Re-elected	Robert M. La Follette, Jr. (Republican) 85.6% William H. Markham (Independent) 11.0% David W. Emerson (Prohibitionist) 2.9%
Wyoming	John B. Kendrick	Democratic	Re-elected	John B. Kendrick (Democratic) 53.5% Charles E. Winter (Republican) 46.1%

See also

• United States presidential election, 1928
• United States House of Representatives elections, 1928
• 71st United States Congress