1954 United States elections

1954 United States elections

← 1952          1953          1954          1955          1956 → Midterm elections
Election day	November 2
Incumbent president	Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)
Next Congress	84th
Senate elections
Overall control	Democratic gain
Seats contested	38 of 96 seats (32 Class 2 seats + 9 special elections)[1]
Net seat change	Democratic +2
1954 Senate election results   Democratic gain   Democratic hold   Republican gain   Republican hold
House elections
Overall control	Democratic gain
Seats contested	All 435 voting seats
Popular vote margin	Democratic +5.5%
Net seat change	Democratic +19
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested	34
Net seat change	Democratic +8
1954 gubernatorial election results   Democratic gain   Democratic hold   Republican hold

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.

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]}