United States Senate elections, 1936 and 1937

United States Senate elections, 1936 and 1937

← 1934 November 3, 1936 1938 →
32 of the 96 seats in the United States Senate 49 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Joseph Robinson Charles McNary Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat Arkansas Oregon Seats before 69 22 Seats won 74 17 Seat change 5 5 Seats up 19 11 Races won 24 6   Third party Fourth party   Party Farmer–Labor Progressive Seats before 2 1 Seats won 2 1 Seat change Seats up 1 0 Races won 1 0   Fifth party   Party Independent Seats before 0 Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Seats up 0 Races won 1
Results including special elections      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Farmer–Labor hold      Independent gain
Majority Leader before election Joseph Robinson Democratic Elected Majority Leader Joseph Robinson Democratic

Joseph Robinson
Democratic

Joseph Robinson
Democratic

The United States Senate elections of 1936 coincided with the presidential re-election of Franklin Roosevelt. The Great Depression continued and voters backed progressive candidates favoring Roosevelt's New Deal in races across the country. The Democrats gained 5 net seats during the election, and in combination with Democratic and Farmer-Labor interim appointments and the defection of George W. Norris from the Republican Party to become independent, the Republicans were reduced to 16 seats, the most lopsided Senate since Reconstruction.

The Republicans took one open seat in Massachusetts, while the Democrats took open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire and defeated incumbents Daniel O. Hastings (R-DE), Lester J. Dickinson (R-IA), W. Warren Barbour (R-NJ), Jesse H. Metcalf (R-RI), and Robert D. Carey (R-WY).

This was the last of four consecutive elections where Republicans suffered losses due to the ongoing effects of the Great Depression. This was also the last Senate election in the 20th century in which a Democratic candidate who won two terms also made net gains in the Senate on both occasions (although Franklin Roosevelt won a third and fourth term, he lost Senate seats on both occasions).

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