United States Senate elections, 1996

The 1996 elections to the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

coincided with the 1996 presidential election

United States presidential election, 1996

The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...

, in which Democrats

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

and Al Gore

Al Gore

Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....

were reelected President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

and Vice President of the United States

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

, respectively.

Despite the reelection of Clinton and Gore, and despite Democrats picking up a net eight seats in the elections to the United States House of Representatives held the same day, the Republicans had a net gain of two seats in the Senate, following major Republican gains two years previously in the 1994 elections

United States Senate elections, 1994

The U.S. Senate election, 1994 was an election held on November 8, in which the Republican Party was able to take control of the Senate from the Democrats. In a midterm election, the opposition Republicans held the traditional advantage...

.

The Republicans captured the open seats in Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

, and Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

. In South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

, Democrat Tim Johnson defeated incumbent Republican Senator Larry Pressler.

Results summary

Does not include Oregon's January 1996 special election
United States Senate special election in Oregon, 1996
The 1996 United States Senate special election in Oregon was held on January 30, 1996 to fill the seat vacated by Republican Bob Packwood, who resigned from the Senate due to sexual misconduct allegations. Democrat Ron Wyden won the open seat. Smith would win election to the Senate later that year...

, which was not held at the same time as this election.

Parties		Last election: 1994 United States Senate elections, 1994 The U.S. Senate election, 1994 was an election held on November 8, in which the Republican Party was able to take control of the Senate from the Democrats. In a midterm election, the opposition Republicans held the traditional advantage...	End of last (104th) Congress 111th United States Congress The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...	Not Up	Up	Incumbent retired		Incumbent ran			Summary			Elected	Result	Change	Popular Vote
Parties				Not Up	Up	Held by same party	Replaced by other party	Won re-election	Lost re-election	Lost renomination, but held by same party	Won	Lost	Gained	Elected	Result	Change	Votes	Share
	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	53	53	34	19	4	0	13	1	1	18	1	3	21	55	2	24,211,395	49.41%
	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	47	47	32	15	5	3	7	0	0	12	3	1	13	45	2	23,490,651	47.94%
	Other	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1,302,103	2.66%
Total		100	100	66	34	9	3	20	1	1	30	4	4	34	100	—	49,004,149	100%

Sources:

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1996, via Clerk.House.gov

Change in composition

Senate composition before the elections:

53 Republicans	47 Democrats
^
Senate composition at the beginning of the 105th Congress 105th United States Congress The One Hundred Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 1999, during the fifth and... :
55 Republicans		45 Democrats
^

----

Senate composition at the end of the 104th Congress 104th United States Congress The One Hundred Fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1995 to January 3, 1997, during the third and...
R₁	R₁₁	R₂₁	R₃₁	R₄₁	R₅₁	D₄₀	D₃₀	D₂₀	D₁₀
R₂	R₁₂	R₂₂	R₃₂	R₄₂	R₅₂	D₃₉	D₂₉	D₁₉	D₉
R₃	R₁₃	R₂₃	R₃₃	R₄₃	R₅₃	D₃₈	D₂₈	D₁₈	D₈
R₄	R₁₄	R₂₄	R₃₄	R₄₄	D₄₇	D₃₇	D₂₇	D₁₇	D₇
R₅	R₁₅	R₂₅	R₃₅	R₄₅	D₄₆	D₃₆	D₂₆	D₁₆	D₆
R₆	R₁₆	R₂₆	R₃₆	R₄₆	D₄₅	D₃₅	D₂₅	D₁₅	D₅
R₇	R₁₇	R₂₇	R₃₇	R₄₇	D₄₄	D₃₄	D₂₄	D₁₄	D₄
R₈	R₁₈	R₂₈	R₃₈	R₄₈	D₄₃	D₃₃	D₂₃	D₁₃	D₃
R₉	R₁₉	R₂₉	R₃₉	R₄₉	D₄₂	D₃₂	D₂₂	D₁₂	D₂
R₁₀	R₂₀	R₃₀	R₄₀	R₅₀	D₄₁	D₃₁	D₂₁	D₁₁	D₁

Senate composition at the beginning of the 105th Congress 105th United States Congress The One Hundred Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 1999, during the fifth and...
R₁	R₁₁	R₂₁	R₃₁	R₄₁ √	R₅₁ O	D₄₀ O	D₃₀	D₂₀	D₁₀
R₂	R₁₂	R₂₂	R₃₂	R₄₂ √	R₅₂ O	D₃₉ √	D₂₉	D₁₉	D₉
R₃	R₁₃	R₂₃	R₃₃	R₄₃ √	R₅₃ +	D₃₈ √	D₂₈	D₁₈	D₈
R₄	R₁₄	R₂₄	R₃₄	R₄₄ √	R₅₄ +	D₃₇ √	D₂₇	D₁₇	D₇
R₅	R₁₅	R₂₅	R₃₅ √	R₄₅ √	R₅₅ +	D₃₆ √	D₂₆	D₁₆	D₆
R₆	R₁₆	R₂₆	R₃₆ √	R₄₆ √	D₄₅ +	D₃₅ √	D₂₅	D₁₅	D₅
R₇	R₁₇	R₂₇	R₃₇ √	R₄₇ O	D₄₄ O	D₃₄ √	D₂₄	D₁₄	D₄
R₈	R₁₈	R₂₈	R₃₈ √	R₄₈ O	D₄₃ O	D₃₃ √	D₂₃	D₁₃	D₃
R₉	R₁₉	R₂₉	R₃₉ √	R₄₉ O	D₄₂ O	D₃₂	D₂₂	D₁₂	D₂
R₁₀	R₂₀	R₃₀	R₄₀ √	R₅₀ O	D₄₁ O	D₃₁	D₂₁	D₁₁	D₁

Key	Parties	Results
	R = Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	√ = Party hold: Incumbent re-elected
	D = Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	O = Party hold: New Senator elected from same party
		+ = Party gain: New Senator elected from different party
		No tag = Seat not up for election this year

Democratic gains

South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

: Three-term Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD) faced a tough challenge from Rep. Tim Johnson (D-SD). Johnson would defeat Pressler by 2 points and become the only candidate to defeat an incumbent in this year's election cycle.

Democratic holds

Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

: Incumbent Senator Sam Nunn decided not to run for re-election and gave his endorsements to Max Cleland the democratic nominee, however Cleland faced a tough election against Republican Businessman Guy Milner who accused Cleland on rejecting war request and raising taxes for the rich. However Cleland claimed Milner was rich already and if elected would use the advantage of the senate for his wealth.

Republican gains

Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

: Sen. Howell Heflin
Howell Heflin
Howell Thomas Heflin was a United States Senator from Tuscumbia, Alabama, and a member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...

(D-AL), one of the last conservative Democrats in the Senate, retired after three terms. Republican nominee Jeff Sessions
Jeff Sessions
Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party...

, the state Attorney General, defeated Democratic State Senator Roger Bedford in the general election
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

: Popular Sen. David Pryor
David Pryor
David Hampton Pryor is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966...

(D-AR) chose not to seek a fourth term. The Democratic Party in Arkansas had been badly damaged by the resignation of Governor Jim Guy Tucker
Jim Guy Tucker
James "Jim" Guy Tucker, Jr. is an Arkansas political figure. He served as the 43rd Governor of Arkansas, the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, Arkansas Attorney General, and U.S. Representative...

after being convicted of mail fraud. This helped Rep. Tim Hutchinson
Tim Hutchinson
Young Timothy Hutchinson, known as Tim Hutchinson is a Republican politician and former senator from the state of Arkansas.Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, and he graduated from Bob Jones University...

(R-AR) defeat Democratic state Attorney General Winston Bryant to become Arkansas' first Republican Senator since Reconstruction.
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

: Democratic Governor Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000....

was expected to easily win the race to succeed retiring Sen. J. James Exon
J. James Exon
John James "Jim" Exon was an American Democratic politician. He served as the 33rd Governor of Nebraska from 1971 to 1979, and as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska from 1979 to 1997. Exon was a Nebraska Democrat who never lost an election, and the only Democrat to hold his Nebraska's Senate Class 2 seat...

(D-NE). Republican businessman Chuck Hagel
Chuck Hagel
Charles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel is a former United States Senator from Nebraska. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 1996 and was reelected in 2002...

, however, made it a highly competitive race and pulled off a huge fourteen point upset over the popular governor (Nelson won election to Nebraska's other Senate seat four years later).

Separate election

Date	State (Linked to individual election articles in bold)	Incumbent	Party	Result	Candidates
January 30, 1996	Oregon United States Senate special election in Oregon, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate special election in Oregon was held on January 30, 1996 to fill the seat vacated by Republican Bob Packwood, who resigned from the Senate due to sexual misconduct allegations. Democrat Ron Wyden won the open seat. Smith would win election to the Senate later that year... (Class 3: Special)	Bob Packwood Bob Packwood Robert William "Bob" Packwood is a U.S. politician from Oregon and a member of the Republican Party. He resigned from the United States Senate, under threat of expulsion, in 1995 after allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and assault of women emerged.-Early life and career:Packwood was born in...	Republican	Resigned Democratic pick-up	Ron Wyden Ron Wyden Ronald Lee "Ron" Wyden is the senior U.S. Senator for Oregon, serving since 1996, and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996.... (Democratic) 47.8% Gordon H. Smith (Republican) 46.2% Karen Shilling (American Independent) 2.1% Gene Nanni (Libertarian) 1.3% Vickie Valdez (Socialist) 0.7% Lou Gold (Pacific Green) 0.6%

November elections

State (Linked to individual election articles in bold)	Incumbent Senator	Incumbent party	Result	Candidates (Winning candidates in bold)
Alabama United States Senate election in Alabama, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Howell Heflin decided to retire. Republican Jeff Sessions won the open seat, becoming just the second Republican U.S...	Howell Heflin Howell Heflin Howell Thomas Heflin was a United States Senator from Tuscumbia, Alabama, and a member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...	Democratic	Retired Republican pick-up	Jeff Sessions Jeff Sessions Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party... (Republican) 52.5% Roger Bedford (Democratic) 45.5% Mark Thornton (Libertarian) 1.4% Charles R. Hebner (Natural Law) 0.6%
Alaska United States Senate election in Alaska, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens won re-election to a sixth term.-Results:...	Ted Stevens Ted Stevens Theodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...	Republican	Re-elected	Ted Stevens Ted Stevens Theodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history... (Republican) 76.7% Jeff Whittaker (Green) 12.5% Theresa Obermeyer Theresa Obermeyer Theresa Nangle Obermeyer , is a former Anchorage, Alaska School board member . After two terms she lost on her bid for a third.... (Democratic) 10.3%
Arkansas United States Senate election in Arkansas, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator David Pryor decided to retire. Republican Tim Hutchinson won the open seat.-Results:-External links:...	David Pryor David Pryor David Hampton Pryor is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966...	Democratic	Retired Republican pick-up	Tim Hutchinson Tim Hutchinson Young Timothy Hutchinson, known as Tim Hutchinson is a Republican politician and former senator from the state of Arkansas.Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, and he graduated from Bob Jones University... (Republican) 52.7% Winston Bryant Winston Bryant Winston Bryant is a former Democratic Secretary of State , the tenth Lieutenant Governor and attorney general of the U.S. state of Arkansas.He was born in Malvern, the seat of Hot Spring County... (Democratic) 47.3%
Colorado United States Senate election in Colorado, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Colorado was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Hank Brown decided to retire instead of seeking a second term. Republican Wayne Allard won the open seat.-Candidates:...	Hank Brown Hank Brown George Hanks "Hank" Brown is a former Republican politician and U.S. Senator from Colorado who served as president of the University of Colorado system from April 2005 - January 2008.-Education:...	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Wayne Allard Wayne Allard Alan Wayne Allard is a member of the Republican Party, and was a United States Senator from Colorado. He did not seek re-election in 2008.-Early life:... (Republican) 51.4% Tom Strickland Tom Strickland Tom Strickland is an American lawyer who works as chief of staff to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks in the Interior Department. Strickland served as United States Attorney for Colorado and was the Democratic nominee for U.S... (Democratic) 45.7% Randy MacKenzie (Natural Law) 2.9%
Delaware United States Senate election in Delaware, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Biden won re-election to a fifth term.-Results:-Results:-External links:...	Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...	Democratic	Re-elected	Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... (Democratic) (60%) Raymond J. Clatworthy (Republican) 38.1% Mark Jones (Libertarian) 1.2% Jacqueline Kossoff (Natural Law) 0.6%
Georgia United States Senate election in Georgia, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Georgia. was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Sam Nunn decided to retire. Democrat Max Cleland won the open seat by a little over thirty thousand votes.-Results:...	Sam Nunn Sam Nunn Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr. is an American lawyer and politician. Currently the co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative , a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, Nunn served for 24 years as a...	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold	Max Cleland Max Cleland Joseph Maxwell Cleland is an American politician from Georgia. Cleland, a Democrat, is a disabled US Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, and a former U.S. Senator... (Democratic) 48.9% Guy Millner Guy Millner Guy W. Millner is an American multi-millionaire businessman who ran as a Republican for governor of Georgia in 1994, United States Senator from Georgia in 1996 and Governor of Georgia in 1998, losing all three races.... (Republican) 47.5% John Gregory Cashin (Libertarian) 3.6%
Idaho United States Senate election in Idaho, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Idaho took place on November 4, 1996. Incumbent Larry Craig won re-election against Democrat Walt Minnick.-Candidates:*Walt Minnick, businessman and Nixon Administration official-Results:-Results:...	Larry E. Craig	Republican	Re-elected	Larry E. Craig (Republican) 57.0% Walt Minnick Walt Minnick Walter Clifford "Walt" Minnick is the former U.S. House of Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.... (Democratic) 39.9% Mary J. Charbonneau (Independent) 2.0% Susan Vegors (Natural Law) 1.0%
Illinois United States Senate election in Illinois, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Simon decided to retire, instead of seeking a third term. Democratic nominee Dick Durbin won the open seat.-Democratic:...	Paul Simon Paul Simon (politician) Paul Martin Simon was an American politician from Illinois. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and United States Senate from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party...	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold	Dick Durbin (Democratic) 56.1% Al Salvi Al Salvi Albert J. Salvi is an attorney, former radio talk show host, and a former Illinois State Representative and Republican candidate for United States Senate and for Illinois Secretary of State.... (Republican) 40.7% Steven H. Perry (Reform) 1.4% Robin J. Miller (Libertarian) 1% Chad Koppie (U.S. Taxpayers) 0.4% James E. Davis (Natural Law) 0.3%
Iowa United States Senate election in Iowa, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Harkin won re-election to a third term.- Results :...	Tom Harkin Tom Harkin Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....	Democratic	Re-elected	Tom Harkin Tom Harkin Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives .... (Democratic) 51.8% Jim Ross Lightfoot Jim Ross Lightfoot James Ross "Jim" Lightfoot is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa.-Early life:... (Republican) 46.7% Sue Atkinson (Independent) 0.8% Fred Gratzon (Natural Law) 0.3% Joe Sulentic (Independent) 0.2% Shirley E. Pena (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
Kansas United States Senate election in Kansas, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Kansas was held November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican Pat Roberts won the open seat.-Results:-Results:...	Nancy Kassebaum	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Pat Roberts Pat Roberts Charles Patrick "Pat" Roberts is the senior United States Senator from Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he has served since 1997... (Republican) 62.0% Sally Thompson (Democratic) 34.4% Mark S. Marney (Reform) 2.3% Steven Rosile (Libertarian) 1.2%
Kansas	Sheila Frahm Sheila Frahm Sheila Sloan Frahm served in the U.S. Senate as a Republican from Kansas for a brief period in 1996.Frahm was born in Colby, Kansas...	Republican	Defeated in Primary Republican hold	Sam Brownback Sam Brownback Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996... (Republican) 53.9% Jill Docking (Democratic) 43.3% Donald R. Klaassen (Reform) 2.8%
Kentucky United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a third term.-Candidates:...	Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...	Republican	Re-elected	Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :... (Republican) 55.5% Steve Beshear Steve Beshear Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from... (Democratic) 42.8% Dennis L. Lacy (Libertarian) 0.7% Patricia Jo Metten (Natural Law) 0.6% Mac McElroy (U.S. Taxpayers) 0.4%
Louisiana United States Senate election in Louisiana, 1996 The 1996 Louisiana United States Senate election was held on November 5, 1996 to select a new U.S. Senator from the state of Louisiana to replace retiring John Bennett Johnston, Jr. of Shreveport...	Bennett Johnston, Jr.	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold	Mary Landrieu Mary Landrieu Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana... (Democratic) 50.1% Woody Jenkins Woody Jenkins Louis Elwood "Woody" Jenkins is a newspaper editor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972–2000 and waged three unsuccessful races for the United States Senate.... (Republican) 49.9%
Maine United States Senate election in Maine, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Maine was held November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator William Cohen decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican Susan Collins won the open seat.-Results:-See also:...	William Cohen William Cohen William Sebastian Cohen is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as Secretary of Defense under Democratic President Bill Clinton.-Early life and education:...	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Susan M. Collins (Republican) 49.2% Joseph E. Brennan (Democratic) 43.8% John Rensenbrink (Green) 4% William P. Clarke (U.S. Taxpayers) 3%
Massachusetts	John Kerry John Kerry John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...	Democratic	Re-elected	John Kerry John Kerry John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W... (Democratic) 52.2% William Weld William Weld William Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department... (Republican) 44.7% Susan Gallagher (Conservative) 2.7% Robert Stowe (Natural Law) 0.3%
Michigan	Carl Levin Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....	Democratic	Re-elected	Carl Levin Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party.... (Democratic) 58.4% Ronna Romney Ronna Romney Ronna Romney née Ronna Eileen Stern, is a Michigan Republican politician and radio talk show host.-Biography:She has twice been a candidate for U.S. Senator... (Republican) 39.9% Kenneth L. Proctor (Libertarian) 1.0% William Roundtree (Workers World) 0.3% Joseph S. Mattingly (Natural Law) 0.3% Martin P. McLaughlin (Socialist Equality) 0.2%
Minnesota United States Senate election in Minnesota, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone won re-election to a second term.-DFL:-Republican:-Major candidates:...	Paul Wellstone Paul Wellstone Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...	Democratic (DFL)	Re-elected	Paul Wellstone Paul Wellstone Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College... (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 50.3% Rudy Boschwitz Rudy Boschwitz Rudolph Ely "Rudy" Boschwitz is a former Independent-Republican United States Senator from Minnesota. He served in the Senate from December 1978 to January 1991, in the 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, and 101st congresses. He was then defeated by Paul Wellstone.-Life and career:Boschwitz was born... (Republican) 41.3% Dean Barkley Dean Barkley Dean Malcolm Barkley is a politician who briefly served as a member of the United States Senate from Minnesota following the death of Paul Wellstone... (Reform) 7% Tim Davis (Grass Roots) 0.6% Roy Ezra Carlton (Libertarian) 0.2% Steve Johnson (Natural Law) 0.2% Thomas A. Fiske (Socialist Workers) 0.1%
Mississippi United States Senate election in Mississippi, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thad Cochran won re-election to a fourth term.-Results:...	Thad Cochran Thad Cochran William Thad Cochran is the senior United States Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and was its chairman and 2005 to 2007.-Early life:He was born in Pontotoc,...	Republican	Re-elected	Thad Cochran Thad Cochran William Thad Cochran is the senior United States Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and was its chairman and 2005 to 2007.-Early life:He was born in Pontotoc,... (Republican) 71.0% James Hunt James Hunt James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman... (Democratic) 27.4% Ted Weill (Independence) 1.6%
Montana United States Senate election in Montana, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Montana was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Max Baucus won re-election to a fourth term.-Results:-See also:...	Max Baucus Max Baucus Max Sieben Baucus is the senior United States Senator from Montana and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, as of 2010 he is the longest-serving Senator from Montana, and the fifth longest-serving U.S...	Democratic	Re-elected	Max Baucus Max Baucus Max Sieben Baucus is the senior United States Senator from Montana and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, as of 2010 he is the longest-serving Senator from Montana, and the fifth longest-serving U.S... (Democratic) 49.5% Dennis Rehberg (Republican) 44.7% Becky Shaw (Reform) 4.7% Stephen Heaton (Natural Law) 1%
Nebraska United States Senate election in Nebraska, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate special election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator J. James Exon decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term...	J. James Exon J. James Exon John James "Jim" Exon was an American Democratic politician. He served as the 33rd Governor of Nebraska from 1971 to 1979, and as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska from 1979 to 1997. Exon was a Nebraska Democrat who never lost an election, and the only Democrat to hold his Nebraska's Senate Class 2 seat...	Democratic	Retired Republican pick-up	Chuck Hagel Chuck Hagel Charles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel is a former United States Senator from Nebraska. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 1996 and was reelected in 2002... (Republican) 55.4% Ben Nelson Ben Nelson Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.... (Democratic) 44.6%
New Hampshire	Robert C. Smith Robert C. Smith Robert C. "Bob" Smith is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey...	Republican	Re-elected	Robert C. Smith Robert C. Smith Robert C. "Bob" Smith is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey... (Republican) Re-elected 49.3% Dick Swett (Democratic) 46.2% Ken Blevens (Libertarian) 4.5%
New Jersey United States Senate election in New Jersey, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 6, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Bradley decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term.-Candidates:*Dick Zimmer, U.S...	Bill Bradley Bill Bradley William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold	Robert Torricelli Robert Torricelli Robert Guy Torricelli , nicknamed "the Torch," is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. Torricelli, a Democrat, served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate... (Democratic) 52.7% Dick Zimmer Dick Zimmer (New Jersey politician) Richard Alan "Dick" Zimmer is an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. He was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 1996 and 2008... (Republican) 42.5% Richard J. Pezzullo (Independent) 1.8% Mary Jo Christian (Independent) 0.8% Paul A. Woomer (Independent) 0.5% Olga L. Rodriguez (Independent) 0.5% Mark Wise (Independent) 0.5% Wilburt Kornegay (Independent) 0.4% Steven J. Baeli (Independent) 0.3%
New Mexico	Pete Domenici Pete Domenici Pietro Vichi "Pete" Domenici is an American Republican politician, who served six terms as a United States Senator from New Mexico, from 1973 to 2009, the longest tenure in the state's history....	Republican	Re-elected	Pete Domenici Pete Domenici Pietro Vichi "Pete" Domenici is an American Republican politician, who served six terms as a United States Senator from New Mexico, from 1973 to 2009, the longest tenure in the state's history.... (Republican) 64.7% Art Trujillo (Democratic) 29.8% Abraham Guttman (Green) 4.4% Bruce M. Bush (Libertarian) 1.1%
North Carolina United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1996 The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1996 was held on 5 November 1996 as part of the nation-wide elections to the Senate, and coinciding with the 1996 presidential election. The general election was a rematch of the 1990 election: between the Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and the...	Jesse Helms Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...	Republican	Re-elected	Jesse Helms Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001... (Republican) 52.6% Harvey Gantt Harvey Gantt Harvey Bernard Gantt is an American architect and Democratic politician active in North Carolina. He was Mayor of Charlotte from 1983 to 1987, and ran twice for the United States Senate.... (Democratic) 45.9% Ray Ubinger (Libertarian) 1.0% J. Victor Pardo (Natural Law) 0.4%
Oklahoma	Jim Inhofe Jim Inhofe James Mountain "Jim" Inhofe is the senior Senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1994, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007. Inhofe served eight...	Republican	Re-elected	Jim Inhofe Jim Inhofe James Mountain "Jim" Inhofe is the senior Senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1994, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007. Inhofe served eight... (Republican) 56.7% James Boren (Democratic) 40.1% Bill Maguire (Independent) 1.3% Agnes Marie Regier (Libertarian) 1.2% Chris Nedbalek (Independent) 0.7%
Oregon United States Senate election in Oregon, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Oregon was held on November 5, 1996 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield decided to retire after thirty years in the Senate...	Mark Hatfield Mark Hatfield Mark Odom Hatfield was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee...	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Gordon H. Smith (Republican) 49.8% Tom Bruggere Tom Bruggere Tom Bruggere is an entrepreneur and onetime candidate for the U.S. Senate in the U.S. state of Oregon. He founded the company Mentor Graphics and has been involved with several other startup companies.... (Democratic) 45.9% Brent Thompson (Reform) 1.5% Gary Kutcher (Green) 1.0% Paul Mohn (Libertarian) 0.9% Christopher Phelps (Socialist) 0.4% Michael L. Hoyes (Natural Law) 0.3%
Rhode Island United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Rhode Island took place on November 4, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell decided to retire. Democratic nominee Jack Reed won the open seat.-Results:-Results:-Candidates:...	Claiborne Pell Claiborne Pell Claiborne de Borda Pell was a United States Senator from Rhode Island, serving six terms from 1961 to 1997, and was best known as the sponsor of the Pell Grant, which provides financial aid funding to U.S. college students. A Democrat, he was that state's longest serving senator.-Early years:Pell...	Democratic	Retired Democratic hold	Jack Reed (Democratic) 63.3% Nancy J. Mayer (Republican) 35% Donald W. Lovejoy (Independent) 1.7%
South Carolina United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1996 The 1996 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 5, 1996 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Popular incumbent Republican Senator Strom Thurmond won re-election against Democratic challenger Elliott Springs Close.-Democratic Primary:The South...	Strom Thurmond Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...	Republican	Re-elected	Strom Thurmond Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes... (Republican) 53.4% Elliot Close (Democratic) 44.0% Richard T. Quillian (Libertarian) 1.1% Peter J. Ashy (Reform) 0.8% Annette C. Estes (Natural Law) 0.7%
South Dakota United States Senate election in South Dakota, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 4, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Larry Pressler ran for re-election to a fourth term, but narrowly lost to Democratic nominee Tim Johnson by 9,000 votes.-Campaign:...	Larry Pressler	Republican	Lost re-election Democratic-pick-up	Tim Johnson (Democratic) 51.3% Larry Pressler (R) 48.7%
Tennessee United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1996 The 1996 Tennessee United States Senate election was held on November 5, 1996 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Tennessee. Republican Senator Fred Thompson ran for re-election to a full six year term. Thompson defeated the Democratic challenger, Covington lawyer Houston Gordon in the...	Fred Thompson	Republican	Re-elected	Fred Thompson (Republican) 61.4% J. Houston Gordon (Democratic) 36.8% John Jay Hooker (Independent) 0.8% Bruce Gold (Independent) 0.3% Robert O. Watson (Independent) 0.3% Greg Samples (Independent) 0.2% Philip L. Kienlen (Independent) 0.1%
Texas	Phil Gramm Phil Gramm William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...	Republican	Re-elected	Phil Gramm Phil Gramm William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas... (Republican) 54.8% Victor Morales (Democratic) 43.9% Michael Bird (Libertarian) 0.9% John Huff (Natural Law) 0.4%
Virginia	John Warner John Warner John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009...	Republican	Re-elected	John Warner John Warner John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009... (Republican) 52.5% Mark Warner Mark Warner Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of... (Democratic) 47.4%
West Virginia	Jay Rockefeller Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as Governor of West Virginia, a position he held from 1977 to 1985...	Democratic	Re-elected	Jay Rockefeller Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as Governor of West Virginia, a position he held from 1977 to 1985... (Democratic) 76.6% Betty Burkes (Republican) 23.4%
Wyoming United States Senate election in Wyoming, 1996 The 1996 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson decided to retire...	Alan K. Simpson Alan K. Simpson Alan Kooi Simpson is an American politician who served from 1979 to 1997 as a United States Senator from Wyoming as a member of the Republican Party. His father, Milward L. Simpson, was also a member of the U.S...	Republican	Retired Republican hold	Mike Enzi Mike Enzi Michael Bradley "Mike" Enzi is the senior U.S. Senator from Wyoming and a member of the Republican Party.Raised in Thermopolis, Wyoming, Enzi attended George Washington University and the University of Denver. He expanded his father's shoe store business in Gillette before being elected mayor of... (Republican) 54.1% Joyce Jansa Corcoran (Democratic) 42.2% W. David Herbert (Libertarian) 2.5% Lloyd Marsden (Natural Law) 1.2%