1972 United States Senate elections
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox election The 1972 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of Republican President Richard Nixon. Despite Nixon's landslide victory, Democrats increased their majority by two seats. The Democrats picked up open seats in Kentucky and South Dakota, and defeated four incumbent senators: Gordon Allott of Colorado, J. Caleb Boggs of Delaware, Jack Miller of Iowa, and Margaret Chase Smith of Maine. The Republicans picked up open seats in New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and defeated one incumbent, William B. Spong Jr. of Virginia.
After the elections, Democrats held 56 seats, and Republicans held 42 seats, with 1 Conservative and 1 independent senator in the chamber as well. These were the first elections in which all citizens at least 18 years of age (instead of 21 and older) could vote, due to the 1971 passage of the 26th Amendment.
Template:As of, this is the last time a Republican was elected to a Senate seat in New Jersey. Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States (2021–2025) and 47th vice president (2009–2017), first won election to the United States Senate, defeating J. Caleb Boggs in the election in Delaware.
Results summary
| style="background:Template:Party color; width:56%" | 56 | style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" | 1 | style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" | 1 | style="background:Template:Party color; width:42%" | 42 |
| Democratic | I | C | Republican |
Source: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
Gains, losses, and holds
Retirements
Three Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.
Defeats
Four Republicans and three Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.
Post-election changes
| State | Senator | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio (Class 3) |
Template:Party shading/Republican | Template:Sortname | Template:Party shading/Democratic | Template:Sortname |
Change in composition
Before the elections
After the January 7, 1972, Vermont special election.
Elections results
| Key: |
|
|---|
Race summaries
Special elections during the 92nd Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1972 or before January 3, 1973; ordered by election date, then state.
| State Template:Small |
Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Vermont (Class 1) |
Robert Stafford | Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican | 1971 Template:Small | Interim appointee elected January 7, 1972. | Template:Plainlist |
| Georgia (Class 2) |
David H. Gambrell | Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic | 1971 Template:Small | Template:Party shading/Democratic/Hold | Interim appointee lost nomination. New senator elected November 7, 1972. Democratic hold. Winner also elected to the next term, see below. |
Template:Plainlist |
Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1973; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
Closest races
Seventeen races had a margin of victory under 10%:
| State | Party of winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic (flip) | 1.0% |
| Delaware | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic (flip) | 1.4% |
| Kentucky | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic (flip) | 3.3% |
| Oklahoma | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican (flip) | 3.8% |
| Montana | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic | 3.9% |
| Virginia | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican (flip) | 5.4% |
| Georgia (special) | data-sort-value=-1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic | 5.5% |
| Michigan | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican | 6.0% |
| Nebraska | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican | 6.3% |
| Maine | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic (flip) | 6.4% |
| Idaho | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican | 6.8% |
| Oregon | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican | 7.5% |
| Georgia | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic | 7.95%Template:Efn |
| Rhode Island | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Democratic | Democratic | 8.0% |
| New Mexico | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican (flip) | 8.0% |
| North Carolina | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican (flip) | 8.0% |
| Texas | data-sort-value=1 Template:Party shading/Republican | Republican | 9.1% |
Alabama
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See alsoIn 1946, John H. Bankhead II suffered a stroke during a U.S. Senate hearing and died three weeks later. John Sparkman, who had served as U.S. Representative since 1937 and was House Majority Whip, secured the endorsements of party leaders and ran unopposed to win the remainder of Bankhead's term. Sparkman was then re-elected in 1948, 1954, 1960, and 1966 all by wide margins. At the time, the Democratic Party was dominant in Alabama; winning the Democratic primary virtually guaranteed a general election victory. Until 1966, Sparkman never faced an opponent in the general election who garnered more than 30% of the vote. Sparkman also served as the running mate of Adlai Stevenson II in an unsuccessful 1952 presidential campaign.
However, in 1966, the Democratic Party began to feel the backlash of Civil rights legislation in the South, and Sparkman faced his closest political contest to date. He defeated John Grenier with just 60% of the vote. Richard Nixon's election in 1968 also helped Republicans gain recognition in Alabama. In 1972, Sparkman faced Winton M. Blount, who was serving as Postmaster General.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Sparkman ultimately increased his vote share in a lopsided victory over Blount, who won just two counties, Houston county and, fittingly, the phonetically similar Winston county. This would be Sparkman's final term as U.S. senator. He retired in 1979 and was succeeded by Howell Heflin. Template:Election box begin no change Template:Election box winning candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box majority no change Template:Election box turnout no change Template:Election box hold with party link no change
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Alaska
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Republican Ted Stevens was originally elected to the U.S. Senate in 1970, succeeding Democrat Bob Bartlett. He won election to the remainder of Barlett's term with nearly 60% of the vote.
In 1972, he faced Democrat Gene Guess in the general election. Stevens won re-election in a landslide even as Democrat Mike Gravel served as the state's other senator. On election day, Stevens won re-election to a second term (his first full term) against Guess, 77–23%. Stevens would be re-elected in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, and 2002 with at least 66% of the vote before losing re-election in 2008 amid criminal charges.
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Arkansas
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
Incumbent Democrat John Little McClellan was re-elected. Template:Election box begin no change Template:Election box winning candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box majority no change Template:Election box turnout no change Template:Election box hold with party link no change
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Colorado
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican Gordon Allott was defeated by Floyd K. Haskell.
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Delaware
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican J. Caleb Boggs, running for a third term, faced off against future President Joe Biden, then a New Castle County Councilman. Though Boggs was expected to easily win a third term over the then-unknown Biden, it ended up being the closest Senate election in 1972, and Biden narrowly beat out Boggs by a little over three thousand votes, winning what would be his first of seven terms.
Boggs, a longtime Delaware political figure, was considering retirement which would likely have led to a primary campaign between two Republicans, U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell Jr. To avoid the anticipated divisive primary fight, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon helped convince Boggs to run again with full party support.
No other Democrat wanted to run against Boggs besides Biden.<ref name="cby-43">Template:Cite book, p. 43.</ref> Biden's campaign had virtually no money and was given no chance of winning.<ref name="nyt-father">Template:Cite news</ref> It was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens (who would go on to manage his future campaigns as well) and staffed by other members of his family, and relied upon handed-out newsprint position papers.<ref name="npr-72">Template:Cite news</ref> Biden did receive some assistance from the AFL–CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell.<ref name="cby-43" /> Biden's campaign issues focused on withdrawal from Vietnam, the environment, civil rights, mass transit, more equitable taxation, health care, the public's dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual, and "change".<ref name="cby-43"/><ref name="npr-72" />
During the summer Biden trailed by almost 30 percentage points,<ref name="cby-43" /> but his energetic campaign, his attractive young family, and his ability to connect with voters' emotions gave the surging Biden an advantage over the ready-to-retire Boggs.<ref name="aap08-bio">Template:Cite book, p. 364.</ref> Biden won the November 7, 1972, election in an upset by a margin of 3,162 votes.<ref name="npr-72" />
At the time of the election Biden was a little less than 30 years old; age 30 is a constitutional requirement for the U.S. Senate, and he reached that on November 20, in time for the Senate term beginning January 3. After his election he became the sixth-youngest senator in history.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Georgia
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Seven-term Democrat Richard Russell Jr. had served as U.S. senator since 1933, but he died January 21, 1971, while serving as President pro tempore. Russell supported segregation in the South and opposed Civil Rights legislation as was common among Southern Democrats of the time. Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter appointed Democrat David H. Gambrell, the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party as interim senator, pending a special election.
Georgia (special)
Template:Infobox election Sam Nunn, a Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives, won both the special and the regular elections. Nunn beat Gambrell in the August 29 special and regular primary run-off elections<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> despite trailing Gambrell initially 31-23% in the first round of voting.
In the special election to fill the remainder of Russell's term, Nunn faced Republican congressman Fletcher Thompson. Nunn's campaign was noted to be more organized than was Thompson's. Nunn had support from numerous prominent Georgia Democrats, including Gambrell and Carter. Thompson's campaign was "almost literally a one-man effort", and he started the race with almost no footprint outside of his own district.<ref name="rise">Template:Cite book</ref> Thompson was endorsed by Barry Goldwater, James L. Buckley, and Spiro Agnew.<ref name="hemphill">Template:Cite news</ref>
On the day of the special election, Nunn defeated Thompson 52-47%. Though Thompson performed well in the Atlanta metro area, Nunn swept most rural counties en route to a victory. Template:Election box begin no change Template:Election box winning candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box majority no change Template:Election box turnout no change Template:Election box hold with party link no change
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Georgia (regular)
Template:Infobox electionIn the general election held later that year, Nunn again defeated Thompson this time by almost 8 percentage points. Nonetheless, this marked a turning point in Georgia electoral politics: Nunn became the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Georgia despite losing the white vote.<ref name="rise"/> Nunn also proved to be more moderate than his predecessor Russell, voting in favor of abortion rights, gun control, affirmative action, and environmental regulations.
Nunn would be re-elected in 1978, 1984, and 1990 before retiring in 1997. This was the last time he won less than 79% of the vote in a U.S. Senate election. In 1996, he was succeeded by Democrat Max Cleland. Template:Election box begin no change Template:Election box winning candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate no change Template:Election box majority no change Template:Election box turnout no change Template:Election box hold with party link no change
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Idaho
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Leonard B. Jordan retired, and was succeeded by James A. McClure. Template:Election box begin no change Template:Election box winning candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box candidate with party link no change Template:Election box majority no change Template:Election box turnout no change Template:Election box hold with party link no change
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Illinois
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican Charles H. Percy sought re-election. Percy was opposed by: Democratic nominee Roman Pucinski, a Congressman from Illinois's 11th congressional district, Edward C. Gross (SL) and Arnold Becchetti (C). Percy handily won a second term. Template:Election box begin Template:Election box winning candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate Template:Election box majority Template:Election box turnout Template:Election box hold with party link no change
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Iowa
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Jack Miller was defeated by Dick Clark.
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Kansas
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican James B. Pearson was re-elected.
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Kentucky
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican John Sherman Cooper retired, and was succeeded by Democrat Walter Dee Huddleston.
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Louisiana
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
In the midst of his campaign for a seventh term, Allen J. Ellender, the President Pro Tempore and chairman of the Appropriations Committee, suffered a fatal heart attack on July 27, 23 days prior to the Democratic primary. Ellender, first elected in 1936 as the permanent successor to the assassinated Huey P. Long, was slated to face former state senator and 1971 gubernatorial candidate J. Bennett Johnston and minor candidate Frank Allen in the primary.
Governor Edwin Washington Edwards, who defeated Johnston by less than 4,500 votes in the 1971 Democratic runoff, nominated his wife, Elaine Edwards, to fill the remainder of Ellender's term, with the agreement Mrs. Edwards would resign immediately following the general election to allow the winner to gain seniority over other new senators.
On the same day as Edwards' inauguration on Capitol Hill, the Louisiana Democratic Party rejected a challenge by former Governor John McKeithen to reopen qualifying following Ellender's death, ordering the primary to be held August 19 as scheduled, ignoring an opinion to the contrary by Louisiana Attorney General William J. Guste Jr. Ellender's name was not removed from the ballot and he received 10 percent of the primary vote as a tribute. McKeithen, whose eight-year gubernatorial tenure ended May 9, 1972, ran as an independent with support of the Ellender family, incensed by Johnston's primary challenge.
Johnston easily won the Democratic primary, nullifying the need for a September 30 runoff. In the general election, the Shreveport native trounced McKeithen by 32 points to win the first of his four terms. He was sworn in on November 13, 1972. Template:Infobox election
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Maine
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican Margaret Chase Smith ran for re-election to a fifth term, but was defeated by Democrat William Hathaway, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Template:Ushr.
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Massachusetts
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican Edward Brooke, first elected in 1966 as the first African-American elected to the Senate by popular vote,<ref>Edward Brooke at ourcampaigns.com</ref> defeated his challengers, among them: John J. Droney, the Middlesex County District Attorney.<ref>John Droney at ourcampaigns.com</ref>
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Michigan
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Robert P. Griffin was re-elected.
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Minnesota
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
Incumbent Democrat Walter Mondale, who was originally appointed in 1964 (to fill the vacancy created when Hubert Humphrey was elected to the office of Vice President) and elected to a full term in 1966, defeated Republican challenger Phil Hansen.
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Mississippi
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democrat James Eastland was re-elected.
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Montana
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
Incumbent Democrat Lee Metcalf, who was first elected to the Senate in 1960 and was re-elected in 1966, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary, he moved on to the general election, where he faced Hank Hibbard, a State senator and the Republican nominee. Following a close campaign, Metcalf managed to narrowly win re-election to his third term in the Senate over Hibbard.
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Nebraska
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican Carl Curtis won re-election over former congressman Terry Carpenter.
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New Hampshire
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic Senator Thomas J. McIntyre was re-elected.
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New Jersey
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Clifford P. Case was re-elected.
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New Mexico
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Clinton Presba Anderson retired, and was succeeded by Republican Pete Domenici.
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North Carolina
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic senator B. Everett Jordan was defeated in the primary by Nick Galifianakis. Galifianakis went on to lose the election to Jesse Helms, making Helms the first Republican Senator from the state in the 20th century.
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Oklahoma
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic Senator Fred R. Harris retired, and was succeeded by Republican Dewey F. Bartlett.
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Oregon
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Mark Hatfield was re-elected.
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Rhode Island
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic Senator Claiborne Pell was re-elected.
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South Carolina
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Strom Thurmond was re-elected.
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South Dakota
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Republican Karl E. Mundt retired, and was succeeded by James Abourezk.
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Tennessee
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
One-term Republican Howard Baker was re-elected. He defeated Democrat Ray Blanton.
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Texas
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
Incumbent Republican John Tower was re-elected.
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Vermont (special)
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The special election was held January 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Robert Stafford, appointed in September 1971 to fill the vacancy created by the death of Winston L. Prouty, successfully ran for re-election to the remainder of Prouty's term. Stafford defeated Democratic candidate Randolph T. Major. Bernie Sanders, the Liberty Union candidate,<ref name="sanders">Template:Cite news</ref> was later elected to this seat in 2006, serving as an Independent.
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Virginia
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic senator William B. Spong Jr. was defeated by Republican William L. Scott, making Scott the first Republican Senator from the state since John F. Lewis in 1870.
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West Virginia
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also The incumbent Democratic Senator Jennings Randolph was re-elected.
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Wyoming
Template:Infobox election {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Incumbent Republican Clifford Hansen was re-elected.
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See also
Notes
References
External links
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}
{{#invoke:Navbox|navbox | name = United States Senate elections | title = United States Senate elections | state = autocollapse | bodyclass = hlist
|group1 = 1788–1913
Template:Nobold
|list1 =
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|group2 = 1914–present
Template:Nobold
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| 2_group1 = Regulars
and
even-year
specials
| 2_list1 =
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| 2_group2 = Odd-year
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| 2_list2 =
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| group3 = Elections by state
| list3 =
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