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U.S. Senate election, 1976
The U.S. Senate election, 1976 was an election for the United States Senate that coincided with Democrat Jimmy Carter's election to the presidency. Carter's narrow victory did not produce decisive gains for the Democrats, and the balance of the chamber shifted only slightly with one fewer Conservative seat and one more Republican.
Democrats took open seats in Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska, and defeated incumbents John Glenn Beall, Jr. (R-MD), James L. Buckley (C-NY) (running for re-election as Republican), Robert Taft, Jr. (R-OH), and William Brock (R-TN). Republicans took open seats in Missouri and Rhode Island, and defeated five incumbents: John V. Tunney (D-CA), Vance Hartke (D-IN), Joseph Montoya (D-NM), Frank Moss (D-UT), and Gale McGee (D-WY).
Senate contests in 1976
| State
| Incumbent
| Party
| Status
| Opposing Candidates
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| Arizona
| Paul Fannin
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 54.0 - 43.3
| Dennis DeConcini (Democrat)
Sam Steiger (Republican)
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| California
| John V. Tunney
| Democrat
| Defeated, 50.2 - 46.9
| Samuel I. Hayakawa (Republican)
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| Connecticut
| Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
| Republican
| Re-elected, 57.7 - 41.2
| Gloria Schaffer (Democrat)
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| Delaware
| William V. Roth, Jr.
| Republican
| Re-elected, 55.8 - 43.6
| Thomas C. Maloney (Democrat)
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| Florida
| Lawton Chiles
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 63.0 - 37.0
| John Grady (Republican)
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| Hawaii
| Hiram L. Fong
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 53.7 - 40.6
| Spark Matsunaga (Democrat)
William F. Quinn (Republican)
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| Indiana
| Vance Hartke
| Democrat
| Defeated, 58.8 - 40.5
| Richard G. Lugar (Republican)
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| Maine
| Edmund S. Muskie
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.2 - 39.8
| Robert A. G. Monks (Republican)
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| Maryland
| John Glenn Beall, Jr.
| Republican
| Defeated, 56.5 - 38.8
| Paul S. Sarbanes (Democrat)
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| Massachusetts
| Edward M. Kennedy
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 69.3 - 29.0
| Michael Robertson (Republican)
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| Michigan
| Philip A. Hart
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 52.5 - 46.8
| Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (Democrat)
Marvin L. Esch (Republican)
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| Minnesota
| Hubert H. Humphrey
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 67.5 - 25.0 - 6.6
| Gerald W. Brekke (Republican)
Paul Helm (Independent)
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| Mississippi
| John C. Stennis
| Democrat
| Re-elected, unopposed
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| Missouri
| Stuart Symington
| Democrat
| Retired: Republican victory, 56.9 - 42.5
| John C. Danforth (Republican)
Warren E. Hearnes (Democrat)
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| Montana
| Mike Mansfield
| Democrat
| Retired: Democrat victory, 64.2 - 35.8
| John Melcher (Democrat)
Stanley C. Burger (Republican)
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| Nebraska
| Roman L. Hruska
| Republican
| Retired: Democrat victory, 52.4 - 47.5
| Edward Zorinsky (Democrat)
John Y. McCollister (Republican)
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| Nevada
| Howard W. Cannon
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 63.0 - 31.4
| David Towell (Republican)
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| New Jersey
| Harrison A. Williams, Jr.
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 60.7 - 38.0
| David F. Norcross (Republican)
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| New Mexico
| Joseph M. Montoya
| Democrat
| Defeated, 56.8 - 42.7
| Harrison Schmitt (Republican)
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| New York
| James L. Buckley
| Conservative
| Defeated, 54.2 - 44.9
| Daniel P. Moynihan (Democrat)
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| North Dakota
| Quentin N. Burdick
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 62.1 - 36.6
| Richard Stroup (Republican)
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| Ohio
| Robert A. Taft, Jr.
| Republican
| Defeated, 49.5 - 46.5
| Howard M. Metzenbaum (Democrat)
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| Pennsylvania
| Hugh Scott
| Republican
| Retired: Republican victory, 59.3 - 46.8
| John Heinz (Republican)
William J. Green III (Democrat)
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| Rhode Island
| John O. Pastore
| Democrat
| Retired: Republican victory, 57.7 - 42.0
| John H. Chafee (Republican)
Richard P. Lorber (Democrat)
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| Tennessee
| William Brock
| Republican
| Defeated, 52.5 - 47.0
| Jim Sasser (Democrat)
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| Texas
| Lloyd Bentsen
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 56.8 - 42.2
| Alan Steelman (Republican)
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| Utah
| Frank E. Moss
| Democrat
| Defeated, 53.7 - 44.8
| Orrin G. Hatch (Republican)
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| Vermont
| Robert T. Stafford
| Republican
| Re-elected, 50.0 - 45.3
| Thomas P. Salmon (Democrat)
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| Virginia
| Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
| Independent
| Re-elected, 57.2 - 38.3
| Elmo R. Zumwalt (Democrat)
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| Washington
| Henry M. Jackson
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 71.8 - 24.2
| George M. Brown (Republican)
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| West Virginia
| Robert C. Byrd
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 99.9
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| Wisconsin
| William Proxmire
| Democrat
| Re-elected, 72.2 - 27.0
| Stanley York (Republican)
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| Wyoming
| Gale McGee
| Democrat
| Defeated, 56.7 - 45.4
| Malcolm Wallop (Republican)
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See also
Senate composition before and after elections
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