1930 United States Senate elections

1930 United States Senate elections

← 1928 November 4, 1930 1932 →

32 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate
49 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader James Watson Joseph Robinson
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since March 4, 1929 December 3, 1923
Leader's seat Indiana Arkansas
Seats before 56 39
Seats after 48 47
Seat change Decrease 8 Increase 8
Seats up 22 13
Races won 14 21

  Third party
 
Party Farmer–Labor
Seats before 1
Seats after 1
Seat change Steady
Seats up 0
Races won 0


1930 United States Senate special election in Kansas1930 United States Senate elections in Kentucky1930 United States Senate special election in Ohio1930 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania1930 United States Senate election in Alabama1930 United States Senate election in Arkansas1930 United States Senate election in Colorado1930 United States Senate election in Delaware1930 United States Senate election in Georgia1930 United States Senate election in Idaho1930 United States Senate election in Illinois1930 United States Senate election in Iowa1930 United States Senate election in Kansas1930 United States Senate elections in Kentucky1930 United States Senate election in Louisiana1930 United States Senate election in Maine1930 United States Senate election in Massachusetts1930 United States Senate election in Michigan1930 United States Senate election in Minnesota1930 United States Senate election in Mississippi1930 United States Senate election in Montana1930 United States Senate election in Nebraska1930 United States Senate election in New Hampshire1930 United States Senate election in New Jersey1930 United States Senate election in New Mexico1930 United States Senate election in North Carolina1930 United States Senate election in Oklahoma1930 United States Senate election in Oregon1930 United States Senate election in Rhode Island1930 United States Senate election in South Carolina1930 United States Senate election in South Dakota1930 United States Senate election in Tennessee1930 United States Senate election in Texas1930 United States Senate election in Virginia1930 United States Senate election in West Virginia1930 United States Senate election in Wyoming
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold
     No election

Majority Leader before election

James Watson
Republican

Elected Majority Leader

James Watson
Republican

The 1930 United States Senate elections occurred in the middle of Republican President Herbert Hoover's term. The 32 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. With the Great Depression beginning to take hold, Republican incumbents became unpopular,[1] and Democrats picked up a net of eight seats, erasing the Republican gains from the previous election cycle, however, Republicans retained control of the chamber. This was the first of four consecutive Senate elections during the Depression in which Democrats made enormous gains, achieving a cumulative pick-up of 34 seats.

In Louisiana, Democratic senator-elect Huey Long chose not to take his Senate seat until January 25, 1932, so he could remain as Governor of Louisiana. The Republicans therefore retained the plurality of seats at the beginning of the next Congress (with Vice President Charles Curtis (R) able to cast tie-breaking votes, the Republicans would have majority control).

  1. ^ "Republicans Lay Defeat to Slump". New York Times. November 6, 1930.