1972 United States Senate elections
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1973; 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
John Sparkman
Democratic
1946 (Special) 1948 1954 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ John Sparkman (Democratic) 62.3% Winton M. Blount (Republican) 33.1% John L.
Alaska
Ted Stevens
Republican
1968 (Appointed) 1970 (Special)
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Ted Stevens (Republican) 77.3% Gene Guess (Democratic) 22.7%
Arkansas
John McClellan
Democratic
1942 1948 1954 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ John McClellan (Democratic) 60.8% Wayne H. Babbitt (Republican) 39.1%
Colorado
Gordon L. Allott
Republican
1954 1960 1966
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.
√ Floyd K. Haskell (Democratic) 49.4% Gordon L. Allott (Republican) 48.4% Secundion Salazar (Raza Unida) 1.4% Henry Olshaw (American) 0.8%
Delaware
J. Caleb Boggs
Republican
1960 1966
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.
√ Joe Biden (Democratic) 50.5% J. Caleb Boggs (Republican) 49.1%
Georgia
David H. Gambrell
Democratic
1971 (Appointed)
Incumbent lost nomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. Winner also elected to finish the term, see above.
√ Sam Nunn (Democratic) 54.0% Fletcher Thompson (Republican) 46.0%
Idaho
Leonard B. Jordan
Republican
1962 (Appointed) 1962 (Special) 1966
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold.
√ James A. McClure (Republican) 52.3% William E. Davis (Democratic) 45.5%
Illinois
Charles H. Percy
Republican
1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Charles H. Percy (Republican) 62.2% Roman Pucinski (Democratic) 37.4%
Iowa
Jack Miller
Republican
1960 1966
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.
√ Dick Clark (Democratic) 55.1% Jack Miller (Republican) 44.1%
Kansas
James B. Pearson
Republican
1962 (Appointed) 1962 (Special) 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ James B. Pearson (Republican) 71.4% Arch Tetzlaff (Democratic) 23.0%
Kentucky
John Sherman Cooper
Republican
1946 (Special) 1948 (Lost) 1952 (Special) 1954 (Lost) 1956 (Special) 1960 1966
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic gain.
√ Walter D. Huddleston (Democratic) 50.9% Louie B. Nunn (Republican) 47.6%
Louisiana
Elaine Edwards
Democratic
1972 (Appointed)
Interim appointee retired. New senator elected.
√ Bennett Johnston (Democratic) 55.2% John McKeithen (Independent) 23.1% Ben Toledano (Republican) 16.1% Hall M. Lyons (American Party), 2.7%
Maine
Margaret Chase Smith
Republican
1948 1954 1960 1966
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.
√ William Hathaway (Democratic) 53.2% Margaret Chase Smith (Republican) 46.8%
Massachusetts
Edward Brooke
Republican
1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Edward Brooke (Republican) 63.5% John J. Droney (Democratic) 34.7% Donald Gurewitz (Socialist Workers) 1.7%
Michigan
Robert P. Griffin
Republican
1966 (Appointed) 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Robert P. Griffin (Republican) 52.3% Frank J. Kelley (Democratic) 46.3%
Minnesota
Walter Mondale
Democratic
1964 (Appointed) 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Walter Mondale (Democratic) 56.7% Phil Hansen (Republican) 42.9%
Mississippi
James Eastland
Democratic
1942 1948 1954 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ James Eastland (Democratic) 58.1% Gil Carmichael (Republican) 38.7%
Montana
Lee Metcalf
Democratic
1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Lee Metcalf (Democratic) 52.0% Henry S. Hibbard (Republican) 48.1%
Nebraska
Carl Curtis
Republican
1954 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Carl Curtis (Republican) 53.1% Terry Carpenter (Democratic) 46.8%
New Hampshire
Thomas J. McIntyre
Democratic
1962 (Special) 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Thomas J. McIntyre (Democratic) 56.9% Wesley Powell (Republican) 43.1%
New Jersey
Clifford P. Case
Republican
1954 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Clifford P. Case (Republican) 62.5% Paul J. Krebs (Democratic) 34.5%
New Mexico
Clinton P. Anderson
Democratic
1948 1954 1960 1966
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.
√ Pete Domenici (Republican) 54.0% Jack Daniels (Democratic) 46.0%
North Carolina
B. Everett Jordan
Democratic
1958 (Appointed) 1958 (Special) 1960 1966
Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Republican gain.
√ Jesse Helms (Republican) 54.0% Nick Galifianakis (Democratic) 46.0%
Oklahoma
Fred R. Harris
Democratic
1964 (Special) 1966
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.
√ Dewey F. Bartlett (Republican) 51.4% Ed Edmondson (Democratic) 47.6%
Oregon
Mark Hatfield
Republican
1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Mark Hatfield (Republican) 53.7% Wayne Morse (Democratic) 46.2%
Rhode Island
Claiborne Pell
Democratic
1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Claiborne Pell (Democratic) 53.7% John Chafee (Republican) 45.7%
South Carolina
Strom Thurmond
Republican
1954 1954 (Appointed) 1956 (Resigned) 1956 (Special) 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Strom Thurmond (Republican) 63.3% Eugene N. Zeigler (Democratic) 36.7%
South Dakota
Karl Earl Mundt
Republican
1948 1948 (Appointed) 1954 1960 1966
Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic gain.
√ James Abourezk (Democratic) 57.0% Robert W. Hirsch (Republican) 42.9%
Tennessee
Howard Baker
Republican
1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Howard Baker (Republican) 61.6% Ray Blanton (Democratic) 37.9%
Texas
John Tower
Republican
1961 (Special) 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ John Tower (Republican) 53.4% Barefoot Sanders (Democratic) 44.3%
Virginia
William B. Spong Jr.
Democratic
1966
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.
√ William L. Scott (Republican) 51.5% William B. Spong Jr. (Democratic) 46.1%
West Virginia
Jennings Randolph
Democratic
1958 (Special) 1960 1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Jennings Randolph (Democratic) 66.5% Louise Leonard (Republican) 33.6%
Wyoming
Clifford Hansen
Republican
1966
Incumbent re-elected.
√ Clifford Hansen (Republican) 71.3% Mike Vinich (Democratic) 28.7%
Incumbent Republican Edward Brooke, first elected in 1966 as the first African-American elected to the Senate by popular vote, defeated his challengers, among them: John J. Droney, the Middlesex County District Attorney.
Incumbent Republican Edward Brooke, in 1966 defeated John J. Droney.
In 1966, Incumbent Republican Edward Brooke defeated John J. Droney.
In 1966, Incumbent Republican Edward Brooke defeated John J. Droney.
In 1966, Incumbent Republican Edward Brooke defeated John J. Droney.
<page_title> 1972 United States Senate elections </page_title> <section_title> Elections leading to the next Congress </section_title> <table> <cell> Edward Brooke <col_header> Incumbent </col_header> <col_header> Party </col_header> </cell> <cell> Republican <col_header> Incumbent </col_header> <col_header> Electoral history </col_header> </cell> <cell> 1966 <col_header> Incumbent </col_header> </cell> <cell> Incumbent re-elected. <col_header> Results </col_header> </cell> <cell> √ Edward Brooke (Republican) 63.5% John J. Droney (Democratic) 34.7% Donald Gurewitz (Socialist Workers) 1.7% <col_header> Candidates </col_header> </cell> </table>