1954 United States elections

The 1954 United States elections were held on November 2, 1954. The election took place in the middle of Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower's first term. In the election, the Republicans lost the Congressional majorities they had won in the previous election; Democratic gains were modest, but were enough for the party to win back control of both chambers of Congress.

1954 United States elections
1952          1953          1954          1955          1956
Midterm elections
Election dayNovember 2
Incumbent presidentDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)
Next Congress84th
Senate elections
Overall controlDemocratic gain
Seats contested38 of 96 seats
(32 Class 2 seats + 9 special elections)[1]
Net seat changeDemocratic +2
1954 United States Senate special election in California1954 United States Senate special election in Nevada1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio1954 United States Senate special elections in Nebraska1954 United States Senate special election in New Hampshire1954 United States Senate special elections in North Carolina1954 United States Senate election in Alabama1954 United States Senate election in Arkansas1954 United States Senate election in Colorado1954 United States Senate election in Delaware1954 United States Senate election in Georgia1954 United States Senate election in Idaho1954 United States Senate election in Illinois1954 United States Senate election in Iowa1954 United States Senate election in Kansas1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky1954 United States Senate election in Louisiana1954 United States Senate election in Maine1954 United States Senate election in Massachusetts1954 United States Senate election in Michigan1954 United States Senate election in Minnesota1954 United States Senate election in Mississippi1954 United States Senate election in Montana1954 United States Senate election in Nebraska1954 United States Senate election in New Hampshire1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey1954 United States Senate election in New Mexico1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma1954 United States Senate election in Oregon1954 United States Senate election in Rhode Island1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota1954 United States Senate election in Tennessee1954 United States Senate election in Texas1954 United States Senate election in Virginia1954 United States Senate election in West Virginia1954 United States Senate election in Wyoming
1954 Senate election results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold

  Republican gain   Republican hold
House elections
Overall controlDemocratic gain
Seats contestedAll 435 voting seats
Popular vote marginDemocratic +5.5%
Net seat changeDemocratic +19
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested34
Net seat changeDemocratic +8
1954 North Dakota gubernatorial election1954 Alabama gubernatorial election1954 Arizona gubernatorial election1954 Arkansas gubernatorial election1954 California gubernatorial election1954 Colorado gubernatorial election1954 Connecticut gubernatorial election1954 Florida gubernatorial election1954 Georgia gubernatorial election1954 Idaho gubernatorial election1954 Iowa gubernatorial election1954 Kansas gubernatorial election1954 Maine gubernatorial election1954 Maryland gubernatorial election1954 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1954 Michigan gubernatorial election1954 Minnesota gubernatorial election1954 Nebraska gubernatorial election1954 Nevada gubernatorial election1954 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1954 New Mexico gubernatorial election1954 New York gubernatorial election1954 Ohio gubernatorial election1954 Oklahoma gubernatorial election1954 Oregon gubernatorial election1954 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election1954 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1954 South Carolina gubernatorial election1954 South Dakota gubernatorial election1954 Tennessee gubernatorial election1954 Texas gubernatorial election1954 Vermont gubernatorial election1954 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1954 Wyoming gubernatorial election
1954 gubernatorial election results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold

  Republican hold

In the House, the Republicans lost eighteen seats to the Democratic Party, losing control of the chamber. Republicans would not retake the House until 1994.[2] The Republicans also lost control of the U.S. Senate, losing two seats to the Democrats.[3][4] Republicans would not retake control of the Senate until 1980.[5]

A contribution to the Republican reversal was backlash against GOP-driven McCarthyism and the numerous controversies it spawned, including the Army–McCarthy hearings and the suicide of Democratic Senator Lester C. Hunt.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ The Class 2 Senate seats in Nebraska, North Carolina, and Wyoming each held a regularly-scheduled election and a special election in 1954. These three seats are not double-counted for the total number of seats contested.
  2. ^ "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  3. ^ Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1954. U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk. 1955. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1954 (Revision)" (PDF). U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate. Retrieved 25 June 2014.