Elected to the United States Senate in 1956
The 1956 election to the United States Senate for the 85th United States Congress took place on November 6th. It was part of the election in the United States that day and coincided with the presidential election in which President Dwight D. Eisenhower was re-elected.
The 32 Class III seats were available for election , and there were also 3 by-elections for senators who left office prematurely. Eighteen of these senators were from the Democratic Party and 17 from the Republicans . 25 Senators were re-elected, 12 Democrats and 13 Republicans. 4 previously Republican seats went to the Democrats, 4 seats were also won by the Republicans from the Democrats. This allowed the Democrats to hold their 49-seat majority, while the Republicans stayed at 47.
In January 1957, Texas Senator Price Daniel resigned after being elected governor. He named William A. Blakley as his successor. In a by-election on April 28, 1957, Ralph Yarborough was elected as his successor, like Blakley also a Democrat. In May the Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin died, his successor was after a by-election on August 28, 1957 the Democrat William Proxmire , which briefly rose the Democratic majority to 50 to 46. In January 1958, the Democratic Senator Matthew M. Neely from West Virginia died, his successor was the Republican John D. Hoblitzell , so that the party ratio was again 49:47 . In April 1958, Democratic Senator W. Kerr Scott of North Carolina died. His successor was B. Everett Jordan , also a Democrat.
Results
By-elections to the 84th Congress
The holders of the seats available for election here were appointed as replacements for retired senators; the elections took place at the same time as the election to the 85th Congress. The winners of these elections were inducted into the Senate before January 3, 1957, during the 84th Congress .
Country | Acting Senator | Political party | By-election | Result | New senator |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky | Robert Humphreys | democrat | Class II | Gain Republicans | John Sherman Cooper |
South carolina | Thomas A. Wofford | democrat | Class II | held by Democrats | Strom Thurmond |
West Virginia | William R. Laird | democrat | Class I. | Gain Republicans | W. Chapman Revercomb |
Elections to the 85th Congress
The winners of these elections were accepted into the Senate on January 3, 1957, when the 85th Congress met . All seats of these senators belong to class III .
- re-elected: an elected incumbent was re-elected