1974 United States Senate elections

Source: Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives == Gains, losses, and holds ==

Retirements Four Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. Defeats Two Republicans and two Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election. Post-election changes One Republican appointee did not seek to finish the term following the contested election and one Democrat was elected on September 16, 1975. == Change in composition ==

Before the elections After the January 4, 1974 appointment in Ohio. After the general elections Beginning of the next Congress == Race summary ==

Elections leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1975; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats. == Closest races ==

In fourteen races the margin of victory was under 10%. Illinois was the tipping point state with a margin of 25%. == Alabama ==

Democratic United States senator James Allen won re-election to a second term, faced no Republican opponent in the general election, defeating Prohibition Party nominee Alvin Abercrombie. == Alaska ==

Incumbent Democrat Mike Gravel won re-election to a second term over Republican State Senator Clyde "C.R." Lewis. == Arizona ==

Incumbent Republican Barry Goldwater decided to run for reelection to a fourth term, after returning to the U.S. Senate in 1968 following his failed Presidential run in 1964 against Lyndon B. Johnson. Goldwater defeated Democratic Party nominee philanthropist Jonathan Marshall in the general election. == Arkansas ==

Incumbent Democrat J. William Fulbright lost renomination to Governor of Arkansas Dale Bumpers. Bumpers then won the general election easily. == California ==

Incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston won re-election to a second term over Republican H. L. Richardson, California State Senator. == Colorado ==

Incumbent Republican Peter H. Dominick ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Democratic challenger Gary Hart, the campaign manager for George McGovern in 1972. == Connecticut ==

Incumbent Democrat Abraham Ribicoff won re-election to a third term over Republican challenger James Brannen III. == Florida ==

Incumbent Republican Edward Gurney declined to seek a second term after being indicted for taking bribes in return for his influence with the Federal Housing Administration. The primary for the Republican nomination pitted Eckerd drug store owner Jack Eckerd against Florida Public Service Commissioner Paula Hawkins. Eckerd won handily, receiving approximately 67.5% of the vote. The Democratic primary, however, was a crowded field with eleven candidates vying for the nomination. Because no candidate received a majority of the votes, U.S. Representative Bill Gunter and Secretary of State of Florida Richard Stone advanced to a run-off election. Stone won by a small margin of 1.68%. Thus, Eckerd and Stone faced off in the general election. John Grady, a family physician and member of George Wallace's American Independent Party, performed exceptionally well for a third party candidate. Grady may have split the conservative vote, allowing for Stone to win. On election day, Stone received 43.38% of the vote, Eckerd garnered 40.91% of the vote, and Grady acquired 15.7% of the vote. == Georgia ==

Incumbent Democrat Herman Talmadge won re-election to a fourth term over Republican challenger Jerry Johnson. == Hawaii ==

Incumbent Democrat Daniel Inouye won re-election to a third term over Populist challenger James D. Kimmel. == Idaho ==

Incumbent Democrat Frank Church won re-election to a fourth term in office, defeating Republican Bob Smith. == Illinois ==

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III, who was first elected in a special election in 1970, was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Republican George Burditt by a large margin of nearly 800,000 votes. == Indiana ==

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Birch Bayh was re-elected to a third consecutive term in office, defeating Mayor of Indianapolis Richard Lugar. == Iowa ==

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Harold E. Hughes retired instead of seeking a second term. This open seat was won by five-term U.S. Representative John C. Culver, defeating Republican State Representative David M. Stanley. Culver defeated Stanley by a margin of nearly five points. == Kansas ==

U.S. Senator Bob Dole was first elected in 1968 after Frank Carlson retired by a margin of 60-39% over his Democratic opponent. However, in 1974 he faced a closer challenge as he sought a second term. Dole was closely associated with Richard Nixon as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1971-1972. Dole himself even admitted he was "prepared to lose" the election to William R. Roy, a Topeka physician and two-term Representative from Kansas's 2nd Congressional District. Roy's advertisements contrasted Dole, "who put loyalty to Nixon and his party ahead of loyalty to his state," with Roy, a moderate and former Republican whom they described as "a respected voice for Kansas." Roy's campaign to be the first Democratic Senator from Kansas in decades received an enthusiastic response, and he led in polling for months. "I could go to any event and feel like Caesar coming back to Rome," Roy said. Still, Dole's campaign capitalized on the issue of abortion rights, which was fresh on voters minds in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision. Roy himself had performed abortions as a physician, and Dole used this to build momentum and overtake Roy in polling. In the end, Dole narrowly prevailed over Roy by 15,533 votes in the closest election of his 35-year Congressional career. == Kentucky ==