Election to the United States Senate in 1948
The election to the United States Senate in 1948 for the 81st United States Congress took place on November 2nd. It was part of the election in the United States that day and coincided with the presidential election in which President Harry S. Truman was surprisingly re-elected.
The 32 class II seats were available for election , and a by-election was held in Louisiana for a senator who left office prematurely. The Class II Senator from North Carolina was also not elected, only appointed, in both cases the elected successors took their Senate seats during the term of the 80th Congress in December.
Of the 33 seats available for election, 15 were occupied by Democrats and 18 by Republicans . 15 incumbents were re-elected, including 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans. The Democrats were able to win 9 seats previously held by Republicans, the Republicans did not win any seat. The Republicans lost their majority of 51 seats and fell to 42 seats, the Democrats were able to improve from 45 to 54 seats and thus achieve a solid majority.
In June 1949, the Democratic Senator of New York Robert F. Wagner died . The Republican John Foster Dulles , who later became Secretary of State, was appointed to succeed him . This was defeated in November 1949 by the Democrat Herbert H. Lehman in a by-election, so that at the end of the 81st Congress the party ratio in the Senate was again 54 to 42 in favor of the Democrats.
Results
- Appointed: Senator was appointed by the governor to replace a retired Senator, by-election required
- re-elected: an elected incumbent was re-elected