# 1956 Iowa Senate election

Elections in Iowa :
Federal government
U.S. Presidential elections
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential caucuses
Democratic
1976
1980
1984
1992
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
1980
1996
2000
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1848
1849
1852
1855
1857 sp
1858
1860
1864
1866
1866 sp
1870
1870 sp
1872
1878
1882
1882 sp
1884
1888
1890
1894
1896
1900
1902
1902 sp
1907
1908
1908 sp
1909
1911 sp
1913
1914
1918
1920
1922 sp
1924
1926
1926 sp
1930
1932
1936
1936 sp
1938
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1846
1847
1848
1850
1st sp
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1861
1st sp
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
2nd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1879
5th sp
1880
1882
1883
6th sp
1884
7th sp
1886
1888
1890
7th sp
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
10th sp
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1911
9th sp
1912
11th sp
1914
2nd sp
1916
1918
1920
1921
5th sp
1922
1923
8th sp
1924
1926
1928
9th sp
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
6th sp
1942
9th sp
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1959
4th sp
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2009
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
Gubernatorial elections
1846
1850
1854
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2014
2018
2022
Senate elections
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
Specials
House of Representatives elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
Territorial Council elections
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845 :
Ballot measures
2020
Question 1
2022
Amendment 1 :
Cedar Rapids
Mayoral elections
2021 :
Des Moines
Mayoral elections
1997 sp
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
vte :
The 1956 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1956 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in 29 of the state senate's 50 districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.
A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the year 1956 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.
The primary election on June 4, 1956, determined which candidates appeared on the November 6, 1956 general election ballot.
Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 44 seats to Democrats' 6 seats.
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 20 Senate seats.
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1956 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 40 seats and Democrats having 10 seats (a net gain of 4 seats for Democrats).

## Summary of Results

* Note: The 21 holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.
| State Senate District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party |
| 2nd | Charles W. Nelson | Rep | Norval Evans | Rep |
| 3rd | Ted D. Clark | Rep | Gene L. Hoffman | Dem |
| 4th | William C. Stuart | Rep | William C. Stuart | Rep |
| 5th | Xavier Thomas Prentis | Rep | Xavier Thomas Prentis | Rep |
| 6th | Thomas C. Larson | Rep | Francis Austin Turner | Rep |
| 8th | Henry W. Washburn | Rep | William H. Harbor | Rep |
| 11th | George Donald Bellman | Rep | J. Louis Fisher | Rep |
| 14th | Charles Emory Stewart | Rep | Carroll F. McCurdy | Dem |
| 15th | Leon N. Miller | Dem | Carroll Price | Rep |
| 16th | Lorin B. Sayre | Rep | Raymond R. Gillespie | Dem |
| 17th | Glenn Edwin Whitehead | Rep | Gerald William Prince | Rep |
| 19th | De Vere Watson | Rep | Jim O. Henry | Rep |
| 23rd | David Earl Elijah | Rep | David Earl Elijah | Rep |
| 24th | Jans T. "J. T." Dykhouse | Rep | Jans T. "J. T." Dykhouse | Rep |
| 25th | Daniel Clifford "D. C." Nolan | Rep | Daniel Clifford "D. C." Nolan | Rep |
| 26th | Frank C. Byers | Rep | Frank C. Byers | Rep |
| 27th | Henry Emil Heideman | Rep | C. Joseph Coleman | Dem |
| 28th | Warren Eldon Walter | Rep | Howard C. Buck | Rep |
| 31st | Janious G. Lucas | Rep | Carl H. Ringgenberg | Rep |
| 32nd | Charles S. Van Eaton | Rep | Jack Richard Miller | Rep |
| 33rd | Donald Alexander Risk | Rep | Irving D. Long | Rep |
| 36th | Art J. Johnson | Rep | John J. O'Connor | Dem |
| 39th | J. Kendall Lynes | Rep | J. Kendall Lynes | Rep |
| 40th | George Lindsey Scott | Rep | George Lindsey Scott | Rep |
| 41st | Jacob Grimstead | Rep | Jacob Grimstead | Rep |
| 43rd | Herman M. Knudson | Rep | William H. Tate | Rep |
| 46th | Laurence M. Boothby | Rep | Laurence M. Boothby | Rep |
| 47th | Harry E. Watson | Rep | Harry E. Watson | Rep |
| 49th | Duane E. Dewel | Rep | Duane E. Dewel | Rep |
Source:

## Detailed Results

* NOTE: The 21 districts that did not hold elections in 1956 are not listed here.
* Note: The Iowa Secretary of State's website does not document any competitive intra-party primaries for state Senate races in 1956.

### District 2

Iowa Senate, District 2 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Norval Evans | 7,359 | 62.5 |
| | Democratic | Joseph A. Frakes | 4,424 | 37.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,783 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 3

Iowa Senate, District 3 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Gene L. Hoffman | 7,148 | 52.3 |
| | Republican | Ted D. Clark (incumbent) | 6,509 | 47.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,657 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### District 4

Iowa Senate, District 4 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | W. C. Stuart (incumbent) | 6,341 | 56.0 |
| | Democratic | Catherine A. Murray | 4,974 | 44.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,315 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 5

Iowa Senate, District 5 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | X. T. Prentis (incumbent) | 8,900 | 52.7 |
| | Democratic | William L. Hawks | 7,982 | 47.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,882 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 6

Iowa Senate, District 6 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Francis A. Turner | 5,002 | 52.2 |
| | Democratic | Leonard Morris | 4,580 | 47.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,582 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 8

Iowa Senate, District 8 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William H. Harbor | 8,124 | 65.4 |
| | Democratic | Bonnie E. Boll | 4,298 | 34.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,422 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 11

Iowa Senate, District 11 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | J. Louis Fisher | 6,806 | 52.7 |
| | Democratic | Earl Godwin | 6,111 | 47.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,917 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 14

Iowa Senate, District 14 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Carroll F. McCurdy | 5,504 | 54.4 |
| | Republican | Royd McCurdy | 4,609 | 45.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,113 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### District 15

Iowa Senate, District 15 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Carroll Price | 8,625 | 51.3 |
| | Democratic | Albert DeGeus | 8,178 | 48.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,803 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### District 16

Iowa Senate, District 16 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Raymond R. Gillespie | 6,048 | 51.3 |
| | Republican | Fay L. Harris | 5,736 | 48.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,784 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### District 17

Iowa Senate, District 17 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | G. W. Prince | 12,093 | 50.6 |
| | Democratic | E. Paul Wilson | 11,800 | 49.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,893 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 19

Iowa Senate, District 19 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim O. Henry | 16,664 | 56.7 |
| | Democratic | Ethel M. T. Johnson | 12,742 | 43.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 29,406 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 23

Iowa Senate, District 23 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Earl Elijah (incumbent) | 13,198 | 55.2 |
| | Democratic | Richard Benischek | 10,733 | 44.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,931 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 24

Iowa Senate, District 24 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | J. T. Dykhouse (incumbent) | 14,754 | 69.1 |
| | Democratic | Don Truckenmiller | 6,600 | 30.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,354 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 25

Iowa Senate, District 25 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | D. C. Nolan (incumbent) | 13,988 | 53.8 |
| | Democratic | Jack C. White | 12,008 | 46.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,996 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 26

Iowa Senate, District 26 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Frank C. Byers (incumbent) | 28,073 | 53.0 |
| | Democratic | Loren M. Hullinger, Jr. | 24,861 | 47.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 52,934 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 27

Iowa Senate, District 27 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe Coleman | 14,197 | 55.0 |
| | Republican | Henry E. Heideman (incumbent) | 11,613 | 45.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,810 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### District 28

Iowa Senate, District 28 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Howard C. Buck | 10,145 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,145 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 31

Iowa Senate, District 31 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Carl H. Ringgenberg | 16,258 | 55.9 |
| | Democratic | Charles F. Barr | 12,815 | 44.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 29,073 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 32

Iowa Senate, District 32 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jack Miller | 24,176 | 55.2 |
| | Democratic | Emlin L. Bergeson | 19,612 | 44.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 43,788 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 33

Iowa Senate, District 33 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Irving D. Long | 9,500 | 58.3 |
| | Democratic | John Q. Swift | 6,784 | 41.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,284 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 36

Iowa Senate, District 36 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John J. O'Connor | 5,593 | 53.3 |
| | Republican | A. J. Johnson (incumbent) | 4,891 | 46.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,484 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### District 39

Iowa Senate, District 39 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | J. Kendall Lynes (incumbent) | 13,866 | 63.9 |
| | Democratic | Joe Roose | 7,838 | 36.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,704 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 40

Iowa Senate, District 40 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George L. Scott (incumbent) | 11,322 | 56.5 |
| | Democratic | Miles L. Connor | 8,705 | 43.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,027 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 41

Iowa Senate, District 41 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jacob Grimstead (incumbent) | 9,479 | 56.1 |
| | Democratic | William H. Biedermann | 7,432 | 43.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,911 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 43

Iowa Senate, District 43 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | W. H. Tate | 14,157 | 51.3 |
| | Democratic | William McArthur | 13,444 | 48.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 27,601 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 46

Iowa Senate, District 46 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Laurence M. Boothby (incumbent) | 12,063 | 55.1 |
| | Democratic | Albert M. Wiltgen | 9,828 | 44.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,891 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 47

Iowa Senate, District 47 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Harry E. Watson (incumbent) | 11,453 | 55.6 |
| | Democratic | A. W. Noehren | 9,152 | 44.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,605 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 49

Iowa Senate, District 49 General Election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Duane E. Dewel (incumbent) | 12,240 | 50.9 |
| | Democratic | Burl N. Ridout | 11,804 | 49.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,044 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |