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U.S. Senate election, 1962
The U.S. Senate election, 1962 was an election for the United States Senate which occurred in the middle of John F. Kennedy's term. His Democratic Party made a net gain of four seats from the Republicans, maintaining control of the Senate, with Democrats having about 2/3 of the Senate seats.
Democrats took open seats in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maryland and defeated Republican incumbents Joseph H. Bottum (R-SD), Homer E. Capehart (R-IN), and Alexander Wiley (R-WI). Republicans defeated incumbents John A. Carroll (D-CO) and John J. Hickey (D-WY).
The appointment of Republican Edwin L. Mechem to replace deceased Dennis Chavez (D-NM) on November 30, 1962, combined with the party switch by Strom Thurmond (D-SC) to the Republicans, reduced the Democratic gain to 3 seats.
Notable freshmen included the President's brother, Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), elected to the seat left vacant by the President, and future presidential candidate George McGovern (D-SD).
Senate contests in 1962
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing Candidates |
| Alabama | Lister Hill | Democrat | Re-elected, 50.9 - 49.1 | James D. Martin (Republican) |
| Alaska | Ernest Gruening | Democrat | Re-elected, 58.1 - 41.9 | Ted Stevens (Republican) |
| Arizona | Carl Hayden | Democrat | Re-elected, 54.9 - 45.1 | Evan Mecham (Republican) |
| Arkansas | J. William Fulbright | Democrat | Re-elected, 68.7 - 31.3 | Kenneth Jones (Republican) |
| California | Thomas H. Kuchel | Republican | Re-elected, 56.3 - 43.4 | Richard Richards (Democrat) |
| Colorado | John A. Carroll | Democrat | Defeated, 53.6 - 45.6 | Peter H. Dominick (Republican) |
| Connecticut | Prescott S. Bush | Republican | Retired: Democrat victory, 51.3 - 48.8 | Abraham A. Ribicoff (Democrat) Horace Seely-Brown (Republican) |
| Florida | George A. Smathers | Democrat | Re-elected, 70.0 - 30.0 | Emerson Rupert (Republican) |
| Georgia | Herman E. Talmadge | Democrat | Re-elected, unopposed | |
| Hawaii | Oren E. Long | Democrat | Retired: Democrat victory, 69.4 - 30.6 | Daniel K. Inouye (Democrat) Ben Dillingham (Republican) |
| Idaho1 | Len B. Jordan | Republican | Re-elected, 51.0 - 49.0 | Gracie Pfost (Democrat) |
| Idaho | Frank Church | Democrat | Re-elected, 54.7 - 45.3 | Jack Hawley (Republican) |
| Illinois | Everett M. Dirksen | Republican | Re-elected, 52.9 - 47.1 | Sidney R. Yates (Democrat) |
| Indiana | Homer E. Capehart | Republican | Defeated, 50.3 - 49.7 | Birch Bayh (Democrat) |
| Iowa | Bourke B. Hickenlooper | Republican | Re-elected, 53.4 - 46.6 | E. B. Smith (Democrat) |
| Kansas2 | James B. Pearson | Republican | Re-elected, 56.2 - 42.5 | Paul L. Aylward (Democrat) |
| Kansas | Frank Carlson | Republican | Re-elected, 62.4 - 35.9 | K. L. Smith (Democrat) |
| Kentucky | Thruston B. Morton | Republican | Re-elected, 52.8 - 47.2 | Wilson W. Wyatt (Democrat) |
| Louisiana | Russell B. Long | Democrat | Re-elected, 75.6 - 24.4 | Taylor W. O'Hearn (Republican) |
| Maryland | John M. Butler | Republican | Retired: Democrat victory, 62.0 - 38.0 | Daniel B. Brewster (Democrat) Edward T. Miller (Republican) |
| Massachusetts3 | Benjamin A. Smith | Democrat | Retired: Democrat victory, 55.4 - 41.9 | Edward M. Kennedy (Democrat) George C. Lodge (Republican) |
| Missouri | Edward V. Long | Democrat | Re-elected, 54.6 - 45.4 | Crosby Kemper (Republican) |
| Nevada | Alan Bible | Democrat | Re-elected, 65.3 - 34.7 | William B. Wright (Republican) |
| New Hampshire4 | Maurice J. Murphy, Jr. | Republican | Defeated in primary: Democrat victory, 52.3 - 47.7 | Thomas J. McIntyre (Democrat) Perkins Bass (Republican) |
| New Hampshire | Norris Cotton | Republican | Re-elected, 59.7 - 40.3 | Alfred Catalfo, Jr. (Democrat) |
| New York | Jacob K. Javits | Republican | Re-elected, 57.4 - 40.1 | James B. Donovan (Democrat) |
| North Carolina | Sam J. Ervin, Jr. | Democrat | Re-elected, 60.5 - 39.6 | Claude L. Greene, Jr. (Republican) |
| North Dakota | Milton R. Young | Republican | Re-elected, 60.7 - 39.4 | William Lanier (Democrat) |
| Ohio | Frank J. Lausche | Democrat | Re-elected, 61.6 - 38.4 | John M. Briley (Republican) |
| Oklahoma | A. S. Mike Monroney | Democrat | Re-elected, 53.2 - 46.3 | B. Hayden Crawford (Republican) |
| Oregon | Wayne Morse | Democrat | Re-elected, 54.2 - 45.8 | Sig Unander (Republican) |
| Pennsylvania | Joseph S. Clark | Democrat | Re-elected, 51.1 - 48.7 | James E. Van Zandt (Republican) |
| South Carolina | Olin B. Johnston | Democrat | Re-elected, 57.2 - 42.8 | W. D. Workman, Jr. (Republican) |
| South Dakota | Joseph H. Bottum | Republican | Defeated, 50.1 - 49.9 | George S. McGovern (Democrat) |
| Utah | Wallace F. Bennett | Republican | Re-elected, 52.4 - 47.6 | David S. King (Democrat) |
| Vermont | George D. Aiken | Republican | Re-elected, 66.9 - 33.1 | W. Robert Johnson (Democrat) |
| Washington | Warren G. Magnuson | Democrat | Re-elected, 52.1 - 47.3 | Richard G. Christensen (Republican) |
| Wisconsin | Alexander Wiley | Republican | Defeated, 52.6 - 47.2 | Gaylord Nelson (Democrat) |
| Wyoming5 | John J. Hickey | Democrat | Defeated, 57.8 - 42.2 | Milward Simpson (Republican) |
1 special election held due to death of Henry C. Dworshak (R-ID)
2 special election held due to death of Andrew F. Schoeppel (R-KS)
3 special election held due to election of John F. Kennedy (D-MA) to the office of President in 1960
4 special election held due to death of Henry Styles Bridges (R-NH)
5 special election held due to death of Keith Thomson (Republican Senator-elect)
See also
Senate composition before and after elections
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