1996 United States Senate elections
Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1997; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

1996 United States Senate elections

Section Title: Elections leading to the next Congress
Table Section Text: In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1997; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State (linked to summaries below)	Incumbent	Results	Candidates

Senator	Party	Electoral history

Alabama	Howell Heflin	Democratic	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ Jeff Sessions (Republican) 52.5% Roger Bedford (Democratic) 45.5% Mark Thornton (Libertarian) 1.4% Charles R. Hebner (Natural Law) 0.6%

Alaska	Ted Stevens	Republican	1968 (Appointed) 1970 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Ted Stevens (Republican) 76.7% Jeff Whittaker (Green) 12.5% Theresa Obermeyer (Democratic) 10.3%

Arkansas	David Pryor	Democratic	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ Tim Hutchinson (Republican) 52.7% Winston Bryant (Democratic) 47.3%

Colorado	Hank Brown	Republican	1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ Wayne Allard (Republican) 51.4% Tom Strickland (Democratic) 45.7% Randy MacKenzie (Natural Law) 2.9%

Delaware	Joe Biden	Democratic	1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Joe Biden (Democratic) 60% Raymond J. Clatworthy (Republican) 38.1% Mark Jones (Libertarian) 1.2% Jacqueline Kossoff (Natural Law) 0.6%

Georgia	Sam Nunn	Democratic	1972 (Special) 1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Max Cleland (Democratic) 48.9% Guy Millner (Republican) 47.5% John Gregory Cashin (Libertarian) 3.6%

Idaho	Larry Craig	Republican	1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Larry E. Craig (Republican) 57.0% Walt Minnick (Democratic) 39.9% Mary J. Charbonneau (Independent) 2.0% Susan Vegors (Natural Law) 1.0%

Illinois	Paul Simon	Democratic	1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Dick Durbin (Democratic) 56.1% Al Salvi (Republican) 40.7% Steven H. Perry (Reform) 1.4% Robin J.

Iowa	Tom Harkin	Democratic	1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Tom Harkin (Democratic) 51.8% Jim Ross Lightfoot (Republican) 46.7% Sue Atkinson (Independent) 0.8% Fred Gratzon (Natural Law) 0.3% Joe Sulentic (Independent) 0.2% Shirley E.

Kansas	Nancy Kassebaum	Republican	1978 1978 (Appointed) 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ Pat Roberts (Republican) 62.0% Sally Thompson (Democratic) 34.4% Mark S. Marney (Reform) 2.3% Steven Rosile (Libertarian) 1.2%

Kentucky	Mitch McConnell	Republican	1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Mitch McConnell (Republican) 55.5% Steve Beshear (Democratic) 42.8% Dennis L. Lacy (Libertarian) 0.7% Patricia Jo Metten (Natural Law) 0.6% Mac McElroy (U.S.

Louisiana	Bennett Johnston	Democratic	1972 1972 (Appointed) 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Mary Landrieu (Democratic) 50.1% Woody Jenkins (Republican) 49.9%

Maine	William Cohen	Republican	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ Susan M. Collins (Republican) 49.2% Joseph E.

Massachusetts	John Kerry	Democratic	1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ John Kerry (Democratic) 52.2% William Weld (Republican) 44.7% Susan Gallagher (Conservative) 2.7% Robert Stowe (Natural Law) 0.3%

Michigan	Carl Levin	Democratic	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Carl Levin (Democratic) 58.4% Ronna Romney (Republican) 39.9% Kenneth L. Proctor (Libertarian) 1.0% William Roundtree (Workers World) 0.3% Joseph S.

Minnesota	Paul Wellstone	Democratic (DFL)	1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Paul Wellstone (Democratic (DFL)) 50.3% Rudy Boschwitz (Republican) 41.3% Dean Barkley (Reform) 7% Tim Davis (Grass Roots) 0.6% Roy Ezra Carlton (Libertarian) 0.2% Steve Johnson (Natural Law) 0.2% Thomas A.

Mississippi	Thad Cochran	Republican	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Thad Cochran (Republican) 71.0% James Hunt (Democratic) 27.4% Ted Weill (Independence) 1.6%

Montana	Max Baucus	Democratic	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Max Baucus (Democratic) 49.5% Dennis Rehberg (Republican) 44.7% Becky Shaw (Reform) 4.7% Stephen Heaton (Natural Law) 1%

Nebraska	Jim Exon	Democratic	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.	√ Chuck Hagel (Republican) 56.1% Ben Nelson (Democratic) 41.7%

New Hampshire	Bob Smith	Republican	1990 1990 (Appointed)	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Bob Smith (Republican) 49.3% Dick Swett (Democratic) 46.2% Ken Blevens (Libertarian) 4.5%

New Jersey	Bill Bradley	Democratic	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Robert Torricelli (Democratic) 52.7% Dick Zimmer (Republican) 42.5% Richard J. Pezzullo (Independent) 1.8% Mary Jo Christian (Independent) 0.8% Paul A.

New Mexico	Pete Domenici	Republican	1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Pete Domenici (Republican) 64.7% Art Trujillo (Democratic) 29.8% Abraham Guttman (Green) 4.4% Bruce M. Bush (Libertarian) 1.1%

North Carolina	Jesse Helms	Republican	1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Jesse Helms (Republican) 52.6% Harvey Gantt (Democratic) 45.9% Ray Ubinger (Libertarian) 1.0% J. Victor Pardo (Natural Law) 0.4%

Oklahoma	Jim Inhofe	Republican	1994 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Jim Inhofe (Republican) 56.7% James Boren (Democratic) 40.1% Bill Maguire (Independent) 1.3% Agnes Marie Regier (Libertarian) 1.2% Chris Nedbalek (Independent) 0.7%

Oregon	Mark Hatfield	Republican	1966 1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ Gordon H. Smith (Republican) 49.8% Tom Bruggere (Democratic) 45.9% Brent Thompson (Reform) 1.5% Gary Kutcher (Green) 1.0% Paul Mohn (Libertarian) 0.9% Christopher Phelps (Socialist) 0.4% Michael L.

Rhode Island	Claiborne Pell	Democratic	1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	√ Jack Reed (Democratic) 63.3% Nancy J. Mayer (Republican) 35% Donald W. Lovejoy (Independent) 1.7%

South Carolina	Strom Thurmond	Republican	1954 1954 (Appointed) 1956 (Resigned) 1956 (Special) 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Strom Thurmond (Republican) 53.4% Elliot Close (Democratic) 44.0% Richard T. Quillian (Libertarian) 1.1% Peter J.

South Dakota	Larry Pressler	Republican	1978 1984 1990	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	√ Tim Johnson (Democratic) 51.3% Larry Pressler (R) 48.7%

Tennessee	Fred Thompson	Republican	1994 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Fred Thompson (Republican) 61.4% J. Houston Gordon (Democratic) 36.8% John Jay Hooker (Independent) 0.8% Bruce Gold (Independent) 0.3% Robert O.

Texas	Phil Gramm	Republican	1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Phil Gramm (Republican) 54.8% Victor Morales (Democratic) 43.9% Michael Bird (Libertarian) 0.9% John Huff (Natural Law) 0.4%

Virginia	John Warner	Republican	1978 1984 1990 1996	Incumbent re-elected.	√ John Warner (Republican) 52.5% Mark Warner (Democratic) 47.4%

West Virginia	Jay Rockefeller	Democratic	1984 1990	Incumbent re-elected.	√ Jay Rockefeller (Democratic) 76.6% Betty Burks (Republican) 23.4%

Wyoming	Alan K. Simpson	Republican	1978 1979 (Appointed) 1984 1990	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.	√ Mike Enzi (Republican) 54.1% Kathy Karpan (Democratic) 42.2% W. David Herbert (Libertarian) 2.5% Lloyd Marsden (Natural Law) 1.2%

Sentence(s)

The South Carolina Republican Party held the incumbent Senator Strom Thurmond against two candidates.

final_sentence: The South Carolina Republican Party held the incumbent Senator Strom Thurmond against two candidates.