Major General James G. Blunt

The 1994 United States Senate elections were held November 8, 1994, with the 33 seats of Class 1 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. The Republican Party took control of the Senate from the Democrats. Like for most other midterm elections, the opposition, this time being the Republicans, held the traditional advantage. The congressional Republicans campaigned against the early presidency of Bill Clinton, including his unsuccessful health care plan. Democrats held a 56-44 majority, after having lost a seat in Texas in a 1993 special election.

The Republicans successfully defended all of their seats and won eight from the Democrats by defeating the incumbent Senators Harris Wofford (Pennsylvania) and Jim Sasser (Tennessee), in addition to picking up six open seats in Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Notably, since Sasser's defeat coincided with a Republican victory in the special election to replace Al Gore, Tennessee's Senate delegation switched from entirely Democratic to entirely Republican in a single election. That would not happen again until 2021, when the Democrats flipped Georgia's delegation in the state's regularly-scheduled and special Senate elections.

The elections marked the first time Republicans controlled the Senate since January 1987 and coincided with the first change of control in the House of Representatives since January 1955 and a Republican net gain of ten governorships. Furthermore, this was the first popular election in which Republicans won all Senate seats up in the Deep South. Collectively, the Republican gains are known as the Republican Revolution. Minority leader Robert J. Dole became Majority Leader, and on the Democratic side, Tom Daschle became Minority Leader after the retirement of the previous Democratic leader, George J. Mitchell. It was also the first time since 1980 that Republicans made net gains in the Senate but the last time until 2018 the Republicans also made gains among Class 1 senators.

Initially, the balance was 52–48 in favor of the Republicans, but after the power change, the Democrats Richard Shelby and Ben Nighthorse Campbell switched parties and brought the balance to 54–46. The Democrat Ron Wyden won a 1996 special election to replace the Republican Bob Packwood, which left the balance at 53–47 before the next election cycle. As of 2023, it is the last election cycle in which Republicans won Senate elections in Delaware, Michigan, and Washington. These are also the most recent elections from which none of the first-term senators elected remain serving in the Senate as of 2024.

Results summary

48 52
Democratic Republican
Parties Total
Democratic Republican Libertarian Other
Last elections (1992) 57 43 0 0 100
Before these elections 56 44 0 0 100
Not up 34 31 65
Up 22 13 35
Class 1 (1988→1994) 20 13 33
Special: Class 2 2 2
Incumbent retired 6[b] 3 9
Held by same party 0 3 3
Replaced by other party Decrease6 Democrats replaced by Increase6 Republicans 6
Result 0 9 9
Incumbent ran 16 10 26
Won re-election 14 10 24
Lost re-election Decrease2 Democrats replaced by Increase2 Republicans 2
Lost renomination,
but held by same party
0 0 0
Result 14 12 26
Total elected 14 21 0 0 35
Net gain/loss Decrease 8 Increase 8 Steady Steady 8
Nationwide vote 25,627,430 29,155,739 666,183 2,838,559 58,287,911
Share 43.97% 50.02% 1.14% 4.87% 100%
Result 48 52 100

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives[1]

Change in composition

Before the elections

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11
D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30
D40
Md.
Ran
D39
Maine
Retired
D38
Hawaii
Ran
D37
Conn.
Ran
D36
Calif.
Ran
D35
Ariz.
Retired
D34 D33 D32 D31
D41
Mass.
Ran
D42
Mich.
Retired
D43
Neb.
Ran
D44
Nev.
Ran
D45
N.J.
Ran
D46
N.M.
Ran
D47
N.Y.
Ran
D48
N.D.
Ran
D49
Ohio
Retired
D50
Okla. (sp)
Resigned
Majority → D51
Pa.
Ran
R41
Utah
Ran
R42
Vt.
Ran
R43
Wash.
Ran
R44
Wyo.
Retired
D56
Wisc.
Ran
D55
W.Va.
Ran
D54
Va.
Ran
D53
Tenn. (sp)
Retired
D52
Tenn. (reg)
Ran
R40
Texas
Ran
R39
R.I.
Ran
R38
Mont.
Ran
R37
Mo.
Retired
R36
Miss.
Ran
R35
Minn.
Retired
R34
Indiana
Ran
R33
Fla.
Ran
R32
Del.
Ran
R31
R21 R22 R23 R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30
R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R11
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10

After the elections

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11
D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30
D40
Neb.
Re-elected
D39
Mass.
Re-elected
D38
Md.
Re-elected
D37
Hawaii
Re-elected
D36
Conn.
Re-elected
D35
Calif.
Re-elected
D34 D33 D32 D31
D41
Nev.
Re-elected
D42
N.J.
Re-elected
D43
N.M.
Re-elected
D44
N.Y.
Re-elected
D45
N.D.
Re-elected
D46
Va.
Re-elected
D47
W.Va.
Re-elected
D48
Wis.
Re-elected
R52
Tenn. (sp)
Gain
R51
Tenn. (reg)
Gain
Majority →
R41
Utah
Re-elected
R42
Vt.
Re-elected
R43
Wash.
Re-elected
R44
Wyo.
Hold
R45
Ariz.
Gain
R46
Maine
Gain
R47
Mich.
Gain
R48
Ohio
Gain
R49
Okla. (sp)
Gain
R50
Pa.
Gain
R40
Texas
Re-elected
R39
R.I.
Re-elected
R38
Mont.
Re-elected
R37
Mo.
Hold
R36
Miss.
Re-elected
R35
Minn.
Hold
R34
Indiana
Re-elected
R33
Fla.
Re-elected
R32
Del.
Re-elected
R31
R21 R22 R23 R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30
R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R11
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10

Beginning of the next Congress

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11
D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30
D40 D39 D38 D37 D36 D35 D34 D33 D32 D31
D41 D42 D43 D44 D45 D46 R54
Colo.
Changed[a]
R53
Ala.
Changed[a]
R52 R51
Majority on the onset of Republican Revolution
R41 R42 R43 R44 R45 R46 R47 R48 R49 R50
R40 R39 R38 R37 R36 R35 R34 R33 R32 R31
R21 R22 R23 R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30
R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R11
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10
Key
D# Democratic
R# Republican

Gains and losses

Retirements

Three Republicans and four Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. Additionally, one Democrat also retired instead of finishing the unexpired term.

State Senator Replaced by
Arizona Dennis DeConcini Jon Kyl
Maine George J. Mitchell Olympia Snowe
Michigan Donald Riegle Spencer Abraham
Minnesota David Durenberger Rod Grams
Missouri John Danforth John Ashcroft
Ohio Howard Metzenbaum Mike DeWine
Tennessee (special) Harlan Mathews Fred Thompson
Wyoming Malcolm Wallop Craig L. Thomas

Resignations

One Democrat resigned three years into his six year term.

State Senator Replaced by
Oklahoma (special) David Boren Jim Inhofe

Defeats

Two Democrats sought re-election but lost in the general election.

State Senator Replaced by
Pennsylvania Harris Wofford Rick Santorum
Tennessee (regular) Jim Sasser Bill Frist

Post-election changes

One Republican resigned on June 11, 1996 in order to focus for the presidential election and was replaced by a Republican appointee.

State Senator Replaced by
Kansas
(Class 3)
Bob Dole Sheila Frahm

Race summary

Special elections

In these special elections, the winners were elected and seated during 1994.

Elections are sorted by date then state and class.

State
(linked to
summaries below)
Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Oklahoma
(Class 2)
David Boren Democratic 1978
1984
1990
Incumbent resigned November 15, 1994.
New senator elected November 8, 1994.
Republican gain.
Successor seated November 17, 1994.
Tennessee
(Class 2)
Harlan Mathews Democratic 1993 (Appointed) Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected November 8, 1994.
Republican gain.
Successor seated December 2, 1994.

Elections leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1995; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State
(linked to
summaries below)
Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Arizona Dennis DeConcini Democratic 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican gain.
California Dianne Feinstein Democratic 1992 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Dianne Feinstein (Democratic) 46.7%
  • Michael Huffington (Republican) 44.8%
  • Elizabeth Barron (Peace and Freedom) 3%
  • Richard Boddie (Libertarian) 2.1%
  • Paul Meeuwenberg (American Independent) 1.7%
  • Barbara Blong (Green) 1.7%
Connecticut Joe Lieberman Democratic 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
Delaware William Roth Republican 1970
1971 (Appointed)
1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Florida Connie Mack III Republican 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
Hawaii Daniel Akaka Democratic 1990 (Appointed)
1990 (special)
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Daniel Akaka (Democratic) 71.8%
  • Maria Hustace (Republican) 24.2%
  • Richard Rowland (Libertarian) 4%
Indiana Richard Lugar Republican 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Richard Lugar (Republican) 67.4%
  • Jim Jontz (Democratic) 30.5%
  • Barbara Bourland (Libertarian) 1.1%
  • Mary Catherine Barton (New Alliance) 1%
Maine George J. Mitchell Democratic 1980 (Appointed)
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican gain.
Maryland Paul Sarbanes Democratic 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts Ted Kennedy Democratic 1962 (special)
1964
1970
1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Ted Kennedy (Democratic) 58.1%
  • Mitt Romney (Republican) 41%
  • Lauraleigh Dozier (Libertarian) 0.7%
  • William A. Ferguson Jr. (LaRouche Was Right) 0.2%
Michigan Donald Riegle Democratic 1976
1976 (Appointed)
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican gain.
Others
  • William Roundtree (Workers World) 0.7%
  • Chris Wege (Natural Law) 0.5%
Minnesota David Durenberger Republican 1978 (special)
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican hold.
Others
  • Candice E. Sjostrom (Grassroots) 0.9%
  • Stephen Johnson (Natural Law) 0.3%
  • Chris Wege (Socialist Workers) 0.1%
Mississippi Trent Lott Republican 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Trent Lott (Republican) 68.8%
  • Ken Harper (Democratic) 31.2%
Missouri John Danforth Republican 1976
1976 (Appointed)
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican hold.
Montana Conrad Burns Republican 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Conrad Burns (Republican) 62.4%
  • Jack Mudd (Democratic) 37.6%
Nebraska Bob Kerrey Democratic 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Bob Kerrey (Democratic) 55%
  • Jan Stoney (Republican) 45%
Nevada Richard Bryan Democratic 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Richard Bryan (Democratic) 50.9%
  • Hal Furman (Republican) 41%
  • Anna Nevenich (Independent) 1.8%
  • Bob Days (Libertarian) 1.6%
  • Neal A. Grasteit (Independent American) 1.4%
New Jersey Frank Lautenberg Democratic 1982
1982 (Appointed)
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Others
  • Michael P. Kelly (Keep America First) 0.7%
  • Ben Grindlinger (Libertarian) 0.7%
  • Richard J. Pezzullo (Conservative) 0.4%
  • Andrea Lippi (Jobs, Property Rights) 0.3%
  • George Patrick Predham (Damn Drug Dealers) 0.2%
  • Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
  • Arlene Gold (Natural Law) 0.2%
New Mexico Jeff Bingaman Democratic 1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
New York Daniel Patrick Moynihan Democratic 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Others
  • Ismael Betancourt Jr. (Independence) 0.5%
  • Norma Segal (Libertarian) 0.3%
  • Naomi L. Craine (Socialist Workers) 0.3%
North Dakota Kent Conrad Democratic–NPL 1986
1992 (Retired)
1992 (special)
Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio Howard Metzenbaum Democratic 1974 (Appointed)
1974 (Lost)
1974 (Resigned)
1976
1976 (Appointed)
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green tickY Mike DeWine (Republican) 53.4%
  • Joel Hyatt (Democratic) 39.2%
  • Joseph Slovenec (Independent) 7.3%
Pennsylvania Harris Wofford Democratic 1991 (Appointed)
1991 (special)
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green tickY Rick Santorum (Republican) 49.4%
  • Harris Wofford (Democratic) 46.9%
  • Diane Blough (Patriot) 2%
  • Donald C. Ernsberger (Libertarian) 1.7%
Rhode Island John Chafee Republican 1976
1976 (Appointed)
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee Jim Sasser Democratic 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected.
Republican gain.
Texas Kay Bailey Hutchison Republican 1993 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
Utah Orrin Hatch Republican 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Others
  • Gary R. Van Horn (American) 0.5%
  • Nelson Gonzalez (Socialist Workers) 0.3%
  • Lawrence Rey Topham (Independent American) 0.3%
Vermont Jim Jeffords Republican 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Jim Jeffords (Republican) 50.3%
  • Jan Backus (Democratic) 40.6%
  • Gavin T. Mills (Independent) 5.9%
  • Matthew S. Mulligan (Independent) 1.4%
Others
  • Bob Melamede (Grassroots) 0.7%
  • Jerry Levy (Liberty Union) 0.6%
  • Joseph Victor Pardo (Natural Law) 0.3%
Virginia Chuck Robb Democratic 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
Washington Slade Gorton Republican 1980
1986 (Lost)
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
West Virginia Robert Byrd Democratic 1958
1964
1970
1976
1982
1988
Incumbent re-elected.
Wisconsin Herb Kohl Democratic 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
Wyoming Malcolm Wallop Republican 1976
1982
1988
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected.
Republican hold.

Closest races

State Party of winner Margin
California Democratic 1.9%
Pennsylvania Republican (flip) 2.5%
Virginia Democratic 2.7%
New Jersey Democratic 3.3%
Minnesota Republican 5.0%[c]
New Mexico Democratic 8.0%
Michigan Republican (flip) 9.1%
Vermont Republican 9.7%
Nebraska Democratic 9.8%
Nevada Democratic 9.9%

Arizona

Three-term Democratic incumbent Dennis DeConcini retired after being a member of the Keating Five Scandal. Republican Congressman Jon Kyl defeated his Democratic opponent, fellow Congressman Sam Coppersmith by a comfortable margin.

Democratic primary election[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sam Coppersmith 81,995 32.15%
Democratic Richard Mahoney 81,863 32.10%
Democratic Cindy Resnick 75,563 29.63%
Democratic David Moss 15,612 6.12%
Total votes 200,120 100.00%
Republican primary election[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jon Kyl 231,275 99.04%
Republican Write-ins 2,248 0.96%
Total votes 231,733 100.00%
Libertarian primary election[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Libertarian Scott Grainger 5,424 100.00%
Total votes 5,424 100.00%
General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jon Kyl 600,999 53.71% +12.65%
Democratic Sam Coppersmith 442,510 39.54% -17.17%
Libertarian Scott Grainger 75,493 6.75% +4.96%
Write-ins 58 0.00%
Majority 158,489 14.16% -1.50%
Turnout 1,119,060
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

California

Dianne Feinstein won a special election in 1992 to fill the seat of Governor Pete Wilson. She faced wealthy Republican Congressman Michael Huffington in her race for a full term. Feinstein emerged victorious by less than two points.

1994 United States Senate Democratic primary, California
Candidate Votes %
Dianne Feinstein (Incumbent) 1,635,837 74.20%
Ted J. Andromedas 297,128 13.48%
Daniel O'Dowd 271,615 12.32%
Total votes 2,204,580 100.00%
1994 United States Senate Republican primary, California
Candidate Votes %
Michael Huffington 1,072,358 53.79%
William E. Dannemeyer 565,864 28.38%
Kate Squires 202,950 10.18%
James Peter Gough 58,853 2.95%
Wolf G. Dalichau 58,307 2.92%
John M. Brown 35,212 1.77%
Total votes 1,993,544 100.00%
1994 United States Senate Peace & Freedom primary, California
Candidate Votes %
Elizabeth Cervantes Barron 3,487 70.70%
Larry D. Hampshire 1,445 29.30%
Total votes 4,932 100.00%
1994 United States Senate primary, California (Others)
Party Candidate Votes %
Libertarian Richard Benjamin Boddie 120,622 100.00%
American Independent Paul Meeuwenberg 13,596 100.00%
Green Barbara Blong N/A 100.00%

After one term in the House representing Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, Huffington spent $8 million by the end of August and a total of $28 million during the entire campaign. He became wealthy off oil and gas. The race saw personal attacks on Huffington's wife, Arianna Huffington, who was very involved in the race (the media dubbed her the "Sir Edmund Hillary of social climbing," according to The Almanac of American Politics).

Huffington was called a hypocrite for supporting Proposition 187 and then breaking the law for employing illegal aliens, a story which came out in the race's final days.[3] A grand total of $44 million was spent in the election. At the time, it was the most expensive campaign in a non-presidential election in American history. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post named the election one of the nastiest senate elections in modern history.[4]

On election day it was a very close race, but Feinstein won Los Angeles County, which may have pulled her ahead. Her sizable win in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area may also be credited to her slim statewide victory.

1994 United States Senate election in California[5][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dianne Feinstein (Incumbent) 3,979,152 46.74%
Republican Michael Huffington 3,817,025 44.83%
Peace and Freedom Elizabeth Cervantes Barron 255,301 3.00%
Libertarian Richard Benjamin Boddie 179,100 2.10%
American Independent Paul Meeuwenberg 142,771 1.68%
Green Barbara Blong 140,567 1.65%
No party Write-ins 173 <0.01%
Invalid or blank votes 386,547 4.34%[d]
Majority 162,127 1.90%
Total votes 8,514,089 100.00%
Turnout {{{votes}}} 44.94%[e]
Democratic hold

Connecticut

Freshman Democratic incumbent Joseph Lieberman easily won re-election over Republican physician Jerry Labriola.

General election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Lieberman (Incumbent) 723,842[f] 67.0%
Republican Jerry Labriola 334,833 31.0%
Concerned Citizens Gary R. Garneau 20,988 1.9%
Write-In Write-in candidates (3) 103 <0.1%
Total votes 1,079,766 100.0%
Democratic hold

Delaware

Veteran Republican incumbent William Roth, seeking his fifth term, fended off a challenge from Charles Oberly, the state's three-term Democratic attorney general, beating him by 13 points.

General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican William Roth (Incumbent) 111,074 55.82% -6.25%
Democratic Charles Oberly 84,540 42.48% +4.54%
Libertarian John Dierickx 3,386 1.70%
Majority 26,534 13.33% -10.79%
Turnout 199,000
Republican hold Swing

Florida

Republican incumbent Connie Mack III won a second term by scoring an easy re-election over attorney Hugh Rodham, brother of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Mack Unopposed 100.0%
Democratic primary election[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Hugh Rodham 255,605 33.78%
Democratic Mike Wiley 188,551 24.92%
Democratic Ellis Rubin 161,386 21.33%
Democratic A. Perez 151,121 19.97%
Total votes 756,663 100%
Democratic primary runoff[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Hugh Rodham 221,424 58.09%
Democratic Mike Wiley 159,776 41.91%
Total votes 381,200 100%

Rodham left the public defenders office to run for the United States Senate in Florida in 1994. He won the Democratic Party nomination by defeating Mike Wiley in a runoff election,[9][10] after earlier finishing first in a four-person primary field with 34 percent.[10] After the first primary, the third-place finisher, Miami lawyer Ellis Rubin joined forces with Rodham as a "senior executive consultant" and hatchet man.[11] In the presence of Rodham at a press conference, Rubin levelled the accusation that Wiley was hiding his Jewish faith by changing his name from his birth name, Michael Schreibman,[10] and that Wiley "changed his name before the campaign to deceive voters about his Jewish religion." Wiley accordingly refused to endorse Rodham after the runoff.[10] Rodham then lost by a 70%–30% margin to incumbent senator Republican Connie Mack III in the general election.[12] Although Bill and Hillary Clinton both campaigned for him, his organization was unable to take advantage of their help,[13] he had few funds, almost no television commercials, and little support from the Florida Democratic party establishment in a year that saw Republican gains everywhere.[12][14] After the election, Rubin switched allegiance again and charged Rodham with election law violations in the first primary; the Federal Elections Commission eventually dismissed the allegations.[15]

General election results[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Connie Mack III (incumbent) 2,895,200 70.50% +20.10%
Democratic Hugh Rodham 1,210,577 29.48% -20.12%
Write-in 1,039 0.02%
Majority 1,684,623 41.02% +40.22%
Total votes 4,106,816 100.00%
Republican hold Swing

Hawaii

Democratic incumbent Daniel Akaka was first appointed to this seat April 1990 after the death of senator Spark Matsunaga. He won his first full term by defeating Republican cattle rancher Mary Hustace[16] in a landslide.

1994 Hawaii United States Senate election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daniel Akaka (Incumbent) 256,189 71.8%
Republican Maria Hustace 86,320 24.2%
Libertarian Richard Rowland 14,393 4.0%
Majority
Turnout
Democratic hold

Indiana

Three-term Republican incumbent Richard Lugar scored an overwhelming 37-point win against former Democratic Rep. Jim Jontz, who was attempting a comeback after losing re-election in 1992.

General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Lugar (Incumbent) 1,039,625 67.4%
Democratic Jim Jontz 470,799 30.5%
Libertarian Barbara Bourland 17,343 1.1%
New Alliance Mary Catherine Barton 15,801 1.0%
Majority 568,826
Turnout 1,543,568
Republican hold

Lugar won 91 of Indiana's 92 counties, Jontz won only the Democratic stronghold of Lake County.[18]

Maine

One of the Republicans' biggest prizes was the seat of retiring Majority Leader George Mitchell. Longtime Congresswoman Olympia Snowe gained the seat in a landslide victory over Democratic Congressman Thomas Andrews, a stark contrast to retiring senator Mitchell's landslide win six years prior.

Democratic primary election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Andrews 82,339 99.83%
Democratic Write-ins 140 0.17%
Total votes 82,479 100.00%
Republican primary election[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Olympia Snowe 79,953 99.88%
Republican Write-ins 93 0.12%
Total votes 80,046 100.00%
1994 United States Senate election in Maine[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Olympia Snowe 308,244 60.24% +41.53%
Democratic Tom Andrews 186,042 36.36% -44.94%
Independent Plato Truman 17,205 3.36%
Write-ins 242 0.05%
Majority 122,202 23.88% -38.70%
Turnout 511,733
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

Maryland

Democratic incumbent Paul Sarbanes won a third term by soundly defeating Republican Bill Brock, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee (1971–77), RNC chairman (1977-81), U.S. Trade Representative (1981–85) and U.S. Secretary of Labor (1985–87).

General election[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul Sarbanes (Incumbent) 809,125 59.1%
Republican Bill Brock 559,908 40.9%
Independent Terri Tilghman Deakyne (Write In) 71 0.0%
Majority 249,217 18.2%
Total votes 1,369,104 100.00%
Democratic hold

Massachusetts

Ted Kennedy usually coasted to re-election, but in this election he faced an unusually tough challenge from Republican businessman Mitt Romney. Though the final result was a 17-point Kennedy victory, it marked the first time since his initial election in 1962 that Kennedy received less than 60% of the vote.

Romney defeated his closest competitor, John Lakian, to win the Republican primary with over 80% of the vote. He campaigned as a political moderate and Washington outsider, and posed the greatest challenge ever made against Kennedy for the Senate seat since he first took office in 1962. Democratic congressmen across the country were struggling to maintain their seats, and Kennedy in particular was damaged by character concerns and an ongoing divorce controversy. The contest became very close.

Kennedy launched ads criticizing Romney's tenure as the leader of the company known as Bain Capital, accusing him of treating workers unfairly and taking away jobs, while also criticizing what were widely considered to be Romney's shifting political views. Romney also performed inadequately in the debates between the two candidates, and made a number of poorly received statements that reduced his standing in the polls.

In the closest Senate election of his career since after 1962, Kennedy won by a reasonably comfortable margin, despite a series of losses for Democrats around the country.

Romney was initially behind businessman John Lakian in the battle to win the Massachusetts Republican Party's nomination for the U.S. Senate.[22] However, after using his personal wealth to advertise heavily on television, he gained overwhelming support at the state party convention.[22]

Romney then defeated Lakian easily in the September 1994 Republican Party primary with over 80 percent of the vote.[23][24]

Massachusetts United States Senate Republican primary, 1994[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mitt Romney 188,280 82.04%
Republican John Lakian 40,898 17.82%
Others 318 0.14%
Total votes 229,496 100%

In the general election, Kennedy faced the first serious re-election challenger of his career in the younger, telegenic, and very well-funded Romney.[26] Romney ran as a successful entrepreneur and Washington outsider with a strong family image and moderate stands on social issues.[26] After two decades out of public view, his father George re-emerged during the campaign.[27][28] George Romney had urged Mitt to enter the race and moved into his son's house for its duration, serving as an unofficial advisor.[29][30]

Kennedy was more vulnerable than usual in 1994, in part because of the unpopularity of the Democratic Congress as a whole and also because this was Kennedy's first election since the William Kennedy Smith trial in Florida, in which Kennedy had taken some public relations hits regarding his character.[26] Kennedy was saddled not only with his recent past but the 25th anniversary of the Chappaquiddick incident and his first wife Joan Bennett Kennedy seeking a renegotiated divorce settlement.[26]

Some early polls showed Romney close to Kennedy. By mid-September 1994, polls showed the race to be even.[26][31] One Boston Herald/WCVB-TV poll taken after the September 20, 1994 primary showed Romney ahead 44 percent to 42 percent, within the poll's sampling margin of error.[32] In another September poll, Romney had a 43 to 42 percent lead.[33] President Bill Clinton traveled to Massachusetts to campaign for Kennedy.[34]

Religion became an issue for a while, after Kennedy's campaign said it was fair to ask Romney about his LDS Church's past policy of not allowing blacks into the priesthood.[24] Romney accused Kennedy of having violated senator John F. Kennedy's famous September 1960 pledge not to allow his own Catholic doctrine to inform policy, made during his ultimately victorious presidential campaign.[24] George Romney forcefully interjected during his son's press conference, "I think it is absolutely wrong to keep hammering on the religious issues. And what Ted is trying to do is bring it into the picture."[24]

After Romney touted his business credentials and his record at creating jobs within his company, Kennedy ran campaign ads showing an Indiana company, Ampad, bought out by Romney's firm, Bain Capital. They showed interviews with its union workers who had been fired and who criticized Romney for the loss of their jobs, with one saying, "I don't think Romney is creating jobs because he took every one of them away."[35] Romney claimed that 10,000 jobs were created because of his work at Bain, but private detectives hired by Kennedy found a factory bought by Bain Capital that had suffered a 350-worker strike after Bain had cut worker pay and benefits.[36] Kennedy's charges were effective, as more voters decided that Romney was interested in profits more than people.[24]

Kennedy's attack ads also focused both on Romney's shifting political views;[26][37] although both Kennedy and Romney supported the abortion rights established under Roe v. Wade, Kennedy accused Romney of being "multiple choice" on the issue, rather than "pro choice."[38] Romney said his stance dated back to his mother, Lenore Romney, and her position during her 1970 U.S. Senate campaign: "My mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that."[24] Nevertheless, women's groups and Democrats viewed Romney's position with suspicion.[24] (In subsequent years, Romney became anti-abortion and opposed Roe.[39])

Kennedy's campaign ran short on money, and belying his image as endlessly wealthy, he was forced to take out a second mortgage on his Virginia home.[40] Kennedy's new wife Vicki Reggie Kennedy proved to be a strong asset in campaigning.[31]

By early October, Kennedy was ahead by 49 to 44 percent in a poll by The Boston Globe.[24] In their first televised debate, held at Faneuil Hall on October 25, Kennedy came out charging with his aging but still booming voice; regarding the Ampad deal, he said to Romney, "I don't know why you wouldn't meet with the strikers with that flimflam deal of yours out there in Indiana."[24] Romney charged that Kennedy had benefited from a real-estate deal that had been done on a no-bid basis, but Kennedy responded with a rehearsed line: "Mr. Romney, the Kennedys are not in public service to make money. We have paid too high a price in our commitment to the public service of this country."[24] Each candidate was asked to discuss one of their own failings. In a dramatic moment, Kennedy indirectly referred to his personal problems and acknowledged that he was "painfully aware" that on such occasions he had let his supporters down. By contrast, Romney mentioned work for several local charities he was engaged with on a near daily basis. When the moderator reminded him of the question, Romney responded "I guess what I regret is that I'm not able to provide even more help for those less fortunate than myself.... I wish I could do even more." Kennedy won this key debate as he reconnected with his traditional bases of support:[26] two polls of voters conducted afterwards both showed Kennedy as the victor in the debate.[41] One post-debate October general election poll showed Kennedy leading 50 percent to 32,[36] and another by 56 to 36 percent.[24] A second debate, held two days later at Holyoke Community College, focused more on policy details and lacked the intensity of the first one; Romney failed to gain any traction from it.[41]

In the November general election, despite a very bad result for Democrats overall, Kennedy won re-election by a 58 percent to 41 percent margin,[42] the closest re-election race of his career; only his initial victory in the 1962 Senate special election in Massachusetts was closer.[43]

1994 Massachusetts United States Senate election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Edward M. Kennedy (Incumbent) 1,265,997 58.07% –6.90%
Republican Mitt Romney 894,000 41.01% +7.08%
Libertarian Lauraleigh Dozier 14,484 0.66% +0.15%
LaRouche Was Right William A. Ferguson Jr. 4,776 0.22% +0.22%
Others 688 0.03% +.02%
Total votes 2,179,945 100.00%
Majority 371,997 17.06%
Democratic hold Swing

Michigan

Democratic senator Donald W. Riegle Jr. retired after three terms. Former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Spencer Abraham defeated Democratic Congressman Milton Robert Carr in the race to succeed Riegle.

Riegle, a three-term incumbent, was considered one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats in the 1994 mid-term elections due to the unpopularity of President Bill Clinton[44] and his being involved as a member of the Keating Five, a group of five senators who were accused of corruption. After months of speculation, Riegle announced he would not seek a 4th term in a speech on the Senate floor.[45]

1994 United States Senate election in Michigan[46]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Spencer Abraham 1,578,770 51.88
Democratic Bob Carr 1,300,960 42.75
Libertarian Jon Coon 128,393 4.22
Workers World William Roundtree 20,010 0.66
Natural Law Chris Wege 14,746 0.48
No party Others 506 0.02
Majority 277,810 9.13
Total votes 3,043,385 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

Minnesota

Incumbent Republican David Durenberger decided to retire instead of seeking a third full term. Republican Rod Grams won the open seat. After surviving a messy Republican primary, former TV news anchor and one-term Rep. Rod Grams defeated his Democratic opponent, former state assembly minority leader Ann Wynia by five points for the seat being vacated by incumbent Republican Dave Durenberger.

1994 United States Senate election in Minnesota[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rod Grams 869,653 49.05
Democratic Ann Wynia 781,860 44.10
Independence Dean Barkley 95,400 5.38
Independent Candice E. Sjostrom 15,920 0.90
Natural Law Stephen Johnson 5,054 0.29
Socialist Workers Marea Himelgrin 2,428 0.14
No party Write-ins 2,614 0.15
Majority 87,793 4.95
Total votes 1,772,929 100.00
Republican hold

Mississippi

Republican incumbent Trent Lott won a second term by easily defeating former Democratic state senator Ken Harper.[47]

General election[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Trent Lott (Incumbent) 418,333 68.8%
Democratic Ken Harper 189,752 31.2%
Majority 228,581 37.6%
Total votes 608,085 100.00%
Republican hold

Missouri

Republican senator John Danforth retired after three terms. Former Republican Gov. John Ashcroft defeated his Democratic opponent, six-term Rep. Alan Wheat by more than twenty points.

1994 Missouri United States Senate election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Ashcroft 1,060,149 59.72%
Democratic Alan Wheat 633,697 35.70%
Libertarian Bill Johnson 81,264 4.58%
Write-In Votes 6 0.0%
Majority 426,452 24.02%
Turnout 1,775,116
Republican hold

Montana

Democrat Jack Mudd, former dean of the University of Montana law school, defeated former U.S. senator John Melcher in the Democratic primary and then went on to lose to Republican incumbent Conrad Burns, who was seeking a second term.

Democratic primary election[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jack Mudd 58,371 47.20%
Democratic John Melcher 39,607 32.03%
Democratic Becky Shaw 25,688 20.77%
Total votes 123,666 100.00%
Republican Party primary election[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Conrad Burns (Incumbent) 82,827 100.00%
Total votes 82,827 100.00%
General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Conrad Burns (Incumbent) 218,542 62.37% +10.50%
Democratic Jack Mudd 131,845 37.63% -10.50%
Majority 86,697 24.74% 21.01%
Turnout 350,387
Republican hold Swing

Nebraska

Democrat Bob Kerrey won re-election over Republican Jan Stoney, Vice President of Personnel at Northwestern Bell, by ten points.[50]

1994 Nebraska U.S. Senate Election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Kerrey (Incumbent) 317,297 54.78%
Republican Jan Stoney 260,668 45.00%
Independent Write Ins 1,240 0.21%
Majority 56,629 9.78%
Turnout 579,205
Democratic hold

Nevada

Democratic incumbent Richard H. Bryan scored a ten-point win over Republican Hal Furman,[51] a water policy advisor for the Interior Department.

General election[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Bryan (Incumbent) 193,804 50.9%
Republican Hal Furman 156,020 41.0%
Independent None of the Above 12,626 3.3%
Independent Anna Nevenic 6,666 1.8%
Libertarian Bob Days 5,964 1.6%
Independent Neal A. Grasteit 5,450 1.4%
Majority 37,784 9.9%
Total votes 380,530 100.00%
Democratic hold

New Jersey

Two-term Democratic incumbent Frank Lautenberg narrowly defeated his Republican opponent, state assembly speaker Chuck Haytaian by three points.

[53]
General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Frank Lautenberg (incumbent) 1,033,487 50.29%
Republican Chuck Haytaian 966,244 47.02%
Independent Michael P. Kelly 14,343 0.70%
Libertarian Ben Grindlinger 14,042 0.68%
Conservative Richard J. Pezzullo 9,387 0.46%
Independent Andrea Lippi 6,303 0.31%
Independent George Patrick Predham 4,226 0.21%
Socialist Workers Joanne Kuniansky 3,606 0.18%
Natural Law Arlene Gold 3,249 0.16%
Majority 67,243 3.27%
Total votes 2,054,887 100.00%
Democratic hold

New Mexico

Two-term Democratic incumbent Jeff Bingaman defeated his Republican opponent, former George H. W. Bush Assistant Secretary of Defense Colin McMillan by eight points.

Democratic primary election[54]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jeff Bingaman (Incumbent) 165,148 100.00%
Total votes 165,148 100.00%
Republican primary election[54]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Colin R. McMillan 65,119 72.57%
Republican Bill Turner 13,178 14.69%
Republican Robin Dozier Otten 11,439 12.75%
Total votes 89,736 100.00%
General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jeff Bingaman (Incumbent) 249,989 53.97% -9.34%
Republican Colin R. McMillan 213,025 45.99% +9.31%
Write-ins 182 0.04%
Majority 36,964 7.98% -18.64%
Turnout 463,196
Democratic hold Swing

New York

Veteran Democratic incumbent Daniel Patrick Moynihan easily defeated his Republican opponent, businesswoman Bernadette Castro.

1994 was significant for the Republican Revolution, mostly as a referendum against President Bill Clinton and his health care plan, and was seen as a tough year for Democratic incumbents. Moynihan, however, was New York State's most popular politician at the time, and ran ahead of all other Democrats competing statewide.[55]

Republican Castro was running for office for the first time and had trouble raising funds due to being seen as unlikely to win; at times during the race she trailed by up to 30 percentage points.[55] She portrayed herself as a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Republican in the mold of Governor of New Jersey Christie Todd Whitman, and attempted to portray Moynihan as excessively liberal and prone to government spending.[55] But Moynihan repeated his past strong performance among upstate voters, in addition to the usual Democratic strongholds in New York City.[55]

General election[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daniel Patrick Moynihan (Incumbent) 2,646,541 55.3%
Republican Bernadette Castro 1,988,308 41.5%
Right to Life Henry Hewes 95,954 2.0%
Independence Fusion Ismael Betancourt Jr. 26,650 0.6%
Libertarian Norma Segal 17,991 0.4%
Socialist Workers Naomi Craine 14,892 0.3%
Majority 658,233 13.8%
Total votes 4,790,336 100.00%
Democratic hold

North Dakota

Incumbent Dem-NPL-er Kent Conrad won re-election to his first full term as senior senator, although technically his second term in the position, having served the end of Quentin Burdick's term after his death. Conrad also had served an additional term as senator, but as junior senator from 1986 to 1992.

General election results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kent Conrad (Incumbent) 137,157 57.98%
Republican Ben Clayburgh 99,390 42.02%
Majority 37,767 15.96%
Total votes 236,547 100.00%
Democratic hold

Ohio

Senator Howard Metzenbaum retired and his son-in-law Joel Hyatt received the Democratic nomination to succeed him. Hyatt would go on to be badly defeated by Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine.

Ohio United States Senate Election, 1994[57]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike DeWine 1,836,556 53.4% +10.1%
Democratic Joel Hyatt 1,348,213 39.2% -17.2%
Independent Joe Slovenec 252,031 7.3% +0.00%
Majority 488,343 14.2%
Turnout 3,436,800
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

Oklahoma (special)

Incumbent Democrat David L. Boren decided to resign his position to accept the position as President of the University of Oklahoma, which prompted a special election. Republican Congressman Jim Inhofe defeated the Democratic Congressman Dave McCurdy.

General election[58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Inhofe 542,390 55.21%
Democratic Dave McCurdy 392,488 39.95%
Independent Danny Corn 47,552 4.84%
Majority 149,902 15.26%
Turnout 982,430
Republican hold

Pennsylvania

Democrat Harris Wofford was appointed to the Senate when three-term Republican H. John Heinz III died in a 1991 plane crash. He won a special election to hold that seat later that year. In his tough re-election against Republican Congressman Rick Santorum, the pro-choice Wofford lost the endorsement of anti-abortion Democratic Governor Robert Casey. This contributed to his loss to Santorum by two percentage points.

Wofford's campaign was hurt from the outset by his strong connection with President Bill Clinton's failed healthcare reform proposals; Wofford had made working toward universal healthcare a crucial issue in his prior campaign and was one of the executive's strongest allies on the issue. After this failure, however, the senator ran a relatively passive campaign. He instead attempted to focus attention on his challenger, an arch-conservative who did not attempt to moderate his views after the primary election. The polarizing Santorum took strong positions against abortion, gay rights, and affirmative action, and he even clashed with some of the traditional fixtures of the state's moderate Republican establishment. Early in the campaign and with little statewide name recognition, Santorum made a critical error by attacking Social Security, and Wofford appeared to be in relatively safe position. However, Santorum ran an effective grassroots campaign and specifically targeted many union Democrats who had reservations about the liberal social values advocated by many of their party's leaders.[59]

In the closing weeks of the campaign, Santorum was greatly helped by strong Republican enthusiasm because of anger over Clinton's failed initiatives. He solidified his status by running a series of positive ads that attempted to define his character strengths and to contrast with Wofford's negative commercials. Santorum eventually received a close victory by performing well (and nearly winning) his home in the suburban Pittsburgh region and through particularly low turnout in Democratic strongholds, such as Philadelphia, Scranton, and Pittsburgh cities.[59]

General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Rick Santorum 1,735,691 49.40% +4.41%
Democratic Harris Wofford (Incumbent) 1,648,481 46.92% -8.09%
Patriot Party Diane G. Blough 69,825 1.99% +1.99%
Libertarian Donald Ernsberger 59,115 1.68% +1.68%
N/A Write-In Votes 249 0.01% +0.01%
Majority 87,210 2.48% -7.53%
Total votes 3,513,361
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

Rhode Island

Moderate Republican incumbent John Chafee, seeking a fourth term, defeated Democratic state representative Linda Kushner by 28-points.

Republican primary election[60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Chafee (Incumbent) 27,906 69.03%
Republican Robert A. Post Jr. 12,517 30.97%
Total votes 40,423 100.00%
General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Chafee (Incumbent) 222,856 64.52% +9.93%
Democratic Linda Kushner 122,532 35.48% -9.93%
Majority 100,324 29.05% +19.86%
Turnout 345,388
Republican hold Swing

Tennessee

Due to the resignation of Al Gore in 1993 to become Vice President, there were two senate elections in Tennessee as both seats were up for election.

Tennessee (regular)

One of the biggest upsets of the night was the defeat of three-term Democrat Jim Sasser. Sasser had been the influential Chairman of the Budget Committee and was among the leading candidates to replace Mitchell as Democratic Floor Leader. Sasser, however, would be defeated by prominent Nashville heart surgeon Bill Frist by 14 points.[61]

There were two unforeseen events that affected the campaign. One was the large scale of discontent that the American people seemed to have toward the first two years of the Clinton administration, especially the proposal for a national healthcare system largely put together and advocated by Clinton's wife, Hillary Clinton. The other was the somewhat unexpected nomination of Nashville heart transplant surgeon Bill Frist for the seat by the Republicans.

Frist, who had never voted until he was 36, was a political unknown and a total novice at campaigning, but was from one of Nashville's most prominent and wealthiest medical families, which gave him some name recognition, as well as adequate enough resources to match the campaign war chest built up by the three-term incumbent, a challenge most "insurgent" candidates find to be impossible. A further factor working to Frist's advantage was a simultaneous Republican campaign by actor and attorney Fred Thompson for the other Tennessee Senate seat, which was open due to Al Gore resigning to become Vice President of the United States. Another factor in Frist's favor was that Sasser was never seen as possessing much charisma of his own. During the campaign Nashville radio stations were derisive towards Sasser to the point of stating that he could only win "a Kermit The Frog lookalike contest." In one of the largest upsets in a night of political upsets in the November 1994 U.S. general elections, Frist defeated the incumbent Sasser by approximately 14 percentage points.

General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Frist 834,226 56.35%
Democratic Jim Sasser (Incumbent) 623,164 42.10%
Independent John Jay Hooker 13,244 0.90%
Independent Charles F. Johnson 6,631 0.45%
Independent Philip Kienlen 3,087 0.21%
Write-In Candidates 39 0.00%
Majority 211,062 14.26%
Turnout 1,480,391
Republican gain from Democratic

Tennessee (special)

Less surprising was the Republican victory in the other Tennessee Senate contest. Harlan Matthews had held the seat since Al Gore's resignation to assume the Vice Presidency in 1993, but chose not to seek the Democratic nomination in the special election. The Republican actor and attorney Fred Thompson, defeated six-term Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper in an overwhelming landslide.[62]

General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Fred Thompson 885,998 60.44% +30.63%
Democratic Jim Cooper 565,930 38.61% -29.12%
Independent Charles N. Hancock 4,169 0.28%
Independent Charles Moore 2,219 0.15%
Independent Terry Lytle 1,934 0.13%
Independent Kerry Martin 1,719 0.12%
Independent Jon Walls 1,532 0.10%
Independent Hobart Lumpkin 1,184 0.08%
Independent Don Schneller 1,150 0.08%
Write-ins 27 0.00%
Majority 320,068 21.83% -16.08%
Turnout 1,465,862
Republican gain from Democratic

Texas

Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, having just won a special election the previous June for the seat vacated by Democrat Lloyd Bentsen, easily defeated Democrat Richard W. Fisher, an investment banker.[63]

General election results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison (incumbent) 2,604,218 60.85%
Democratic Richard W. Fisher 1,639,615 38.31%
Libertarian Pierre Blondeau 36,107 0.84%
Total votes 4,279,940 100.00%
Majority 964,603 22.54%
Republican hold

Utah

Veteran Republican incumbent Orrin Hatch delivered a 40-point defeat to his Democratic opponent, attorney Patrick Shea.

General election[64]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Orrin Hatch (Incumbent) 357,297 68.80%
Democratic Patrick A. Shea 146,938 28.30%
Independent Craig Oliver 9,550 1.84%
American Gary Van Horn 2,543 0.49%
Socialist Workers Nelson Gonzalez 1,514 0.29%
Independent American Lawrence Topham 1,462 0.48%
Majority 210,359 40.50% {{{change}}}
Turnout 519,304 {{{change}}}
Republican hold Swing

Vermont

Moderate Republican Jim Jeffords won a second term, defeating Democratic state senator Jan Backus and independent Gavin Mills. He won every county in the state.

Democratic primary election[65]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jan Backus 16,217 53.65%
Democratic Doug Costle 13,139 43.46%
Democratic Write-ins 873 2.89%
Total votes 30,229 100.00%
Republican primary election[65]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Jeffords (Incumbent) 24,795 91.56%
Republican Write-ins 2,285 8.44%
Total votes 27,080 100.00%
Liberty Union primary election[65]
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberty Union Jerry Levy 289 90.03%
Liberty Union Write-ins 32 9.97%
Total votes 321 100.00%
General election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jim Jeffords (Incumbent) 106,505 50.32% -17.65%
Democratic Jan Backus 85,868 40.57% +10.80%
Independent Gavin T. Mills 12,465 5.89%
Independent Matthew S. Mulligan 3,141 1.48%
Grassroots Bob Melamede 1,416 0.67%
Liberty Union Jerry Levy 1,376 0.65% -0.40%
Natural Law Joseph Victor Pardo 709 0.33%
Write-ins 192 0.09%
Majority 20,637 9.75% -28.45%
Turnout 211,672
Republican hold Swing

Virginia

Democrat Chuck Robb received over 70% of the vote when first elected in 1988, but struggled to win re-election. Furor over Robb's alleged affair with model Tai Collins provided plenty of momentum for the Republican Iran-Contra figure Oliver North. A factor to Robb's advantage was the independent candidacy of attorney J. Marshall Coleman. North likely lost votes to Coleman especially when Virginia's other senator, Republican John Warner, endorsed Coleman over North. Robb received 46% of the vote to North's 43% with Coleman garnering 11%.

Oliver North was a very controversial figure as he was involved in the Iran-Contra Affair, a scandal during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Marshall Coleman attempted to seize the middle ground between Robb and North. Republican senator John Warner of Virginia endorsed Marshall Coleman. On the eve of the election, former first lady Nancy Reagan told a reporter that North had lied to her husband when discussing Iran-Contra with the former president, effectively eviscerating him. North's candidacy was documented in the 1996 film A Perfect Candidate.[67]

In his failed bid to unseat Robb, North raised $20.3 million in a single year through nationwide direct mail solicitations, telemarketing, fundraising events, and contributions from major donors. About $16 million of that amount was from direct mail alone. This was the biggest accumulation of direct mail funds for a statewide campaign to that date, and it made North the top direct mail political fundraiser in the country in 1994.[68]

Douglas Wilder, the first black Governor of Virginia, who served from 1990-1994, originally entered the Senate race as an independent before dropping out.

1994 United States Senate election in Virginia[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chuck Robb (Incumbent) 938,376 45.61% -25.64%
Republican Oliver North 882,213 42.88% +14.18%
Independent J. Marshall Coleman 235,324 11.44%
Independent L. Douglas Wilder 113 0.01%
Write-ins 1,437 0.07% +0.01%
Majority 56,163 2.73% -39.83%
Turnout 2,057,463
Democratic hold Swing

Washington

Republican incumbent Slade Gorton, seeking his third non-consecutive term, defeated his Democratic opponent, King County Councilman Ron Sims.

General election[69]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Slade Gorton (Incumbent) 947,821 55.8% +4.71%
Democratic Ron Sims 752,352 44.3% -4.61%
Majority 195,469 11.5% +155,293%
Turnout 1,700,173 -148,369%
Republican hold Swing

West Virginia

Democratic incumbent Robert Byrd, first elected in 1958, easily defeated his Republican opponent State Committee Finance Chairman Stanley L. Klos.[70]

Klos campaigned as a "sacrificial lamb" against Robert C. Byrd participating in the Republican U.S. Senatorial Committee's strategy to re-capture a majority in the United States Senate in 1994. Byrd spent $1,550,354 to Klos' $267,165.[71] Additionally the Democratic Party invested over $1 million in that state's campaign to the Republican Party's $15,000. The GOP captured a majority in the U.S. Senate. The highlights of the campaign included the hiring of an actor to play Robert C. Byrd who toured in staged Statewide Debates when the incumbent refused Klos's invitation for a series of formal senate debates. The campaign also organized successful demonstrations against the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Health Care Bus as it traveled through West Virginia in the summer of 1994. Senator Byrd, while the bill was being debated on the Senate floor rose suggesting the brakes be put on approving National Health Care measure while the bus was completing its tour in WV. To Klos's credit, the campaign did not implement the "Death by a Thousand Cuts" plan proposed by strategists which was later acknowledged in speeches given and letters written by U.S. senator Byrd.[72]

General election[73]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Byrd (Incumbent) 290,495 69.0%
Republican Stan Klos 130,441 31.0%
Majority 160,054 38.0%
Total votes 420,936 100.00%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin

Democratic incumbent Herb Kohl had little trouble winning a second term over former Republican state assemblyman Robert Welch.

General election[74]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Herb Kohl (Incumbent) 912,662 58.3%
Republican Robert T. Welch 636,989 40.7%
Libertarian James R. Dean 15,439 1.0%
Majority 275,673 17.6%
Total votes 1,565,090 100.00%
Democratic hold

Wyoming

Republican incumbent Malcolm Wallop retired after three terms. Republican Rep. Craig Thomas trounced Mike Sullivan, the state's two-term Democratic governor by twenty points.

General election[75]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Craig L. Thomas 118,754 58.87%
Democratic Mike Sullivan 79,287 39.31%
Libertarian Craig Alan McClune 3,669 1.82%
Majority 39,467 19.57%
Turnout 201,710
Republican hold

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Richard Shelby, whose seat was not up for election in 1994, left the Democratic Party and became a Republican a couple of days later, after the election but before the swearing in of the next Congress. As a result, 53 Republicans, were in the Senate upon commencement of the 104th United States Congress, on January 3, 1995. Another Democrat, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, joined the Republican Party on March 3, 1995, the increase of Republicans changed to 54.
  2. ^ In Oklahoma, David Boren's resignation prompted a special election, while in Tennessee, appointee Harlan Mathews did not seek election to finish the unexpired term.
  3. ^ Minnesota was the "tipping point" state.
  4. ^ "Votes not cast" as a percentage of votes cast anywhere statewide, which numbered 8,900,593.[5]
  5. ^ As a percentage of the voting eligible population (VEP), estimated at 18.946 million.[5]
  6. ^ Lieberman's votes include 280,049 votes received on the line of A Connecticut Party, which cross-endorsed Lieberman.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. "STATISTICS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 8, 1994" (PDF). United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "State of Arizona Official Canvass - Primary Election - September 13, 1994" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  3. ^ AYRES, B. DRUMMOND Jr. (October 27, 1994). "THE 1994 CAMPAIGN: CALIFORNIA; Huffington Admits Hiring Illegal Alien". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ "The Fix - The 10 nastiest Senate races". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, Bill (December 16, 1994). "STATEMENT OF VOTE: November 8, 1994, General Election" (PDF). Office of the California Secretary of State. p. xii,37. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "Summary of Vote for United States Senator" (PDF). Statement of Vote. Secretary of the State of Connecticut. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
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