1978 United States Senate elections

1978 United States Senate elections

← 1976 November 7, 1978 1980 →
35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Robert Byrd Howard Baker Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 3, 1977 January 3, 1977 Leader's seat West Virginia Tennessee Seats before 61 38 Seats after 58 41 Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 15,302,929[1] 14,794,225[1] Percentage 49.9% 48.2% Seats up 18 17 Races won 15 20   Third party   Party Independent Seats before 1 Seats after 1[a] Seat change Seats up 0 Races won 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Republican gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold      No election Rectangular inset (Ala. & Minn.): both seats up for election
Majority Leader before election Robert Byrd Democratic Elected Majority Leader Robert Byrd Democratic

The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of

were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.

Thirteen seats changed hands between parties, resulting in a net gain of three seats for the

Republicans

allowing them to break the Democrats' filibuster-proof majority. Democrats nevertheless retained a 58–41 majority.

Results summary

↓

58	1	41
Democratic	I	Republican

Parties						Total
		Democratic	Republican	Independent	Other
Last elections (1976) Before these elections		61	38	1	0	100
Not up		43	21	1	0	65
Up		18	17	0	—	35
	Class 2 (1972→1978)	16	17	—	—	33
	Special: Class 1	1	—	—	—	1
	Special: Class 3	1	—	—	—	1
Incumbent retired		5[b]	5	—	—	10
	Held by same party	2	3	—	—	5
	Replaced by other party	2 Republicans replaced by 2 Democrats 3 Democrats replaced by 3 Republicans		—	—	5
	Result	4	6	—	—	10
Incumbent ran		13[b][c][d]	12[e]	—	—	25
	Won re-election	6	9	—	—	15
	Lost re-election	2 Republicans replaced by 2 Democrats 5 Democrats replaced by 5 Republicans		—	—	7
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	2	0	—	—	2
	Lost renomination, and party lost	1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat		—	—	1
	Result	11	14	0	0	25
Total elected		15	20	0	0	35
Net gain/loss		3	3			3
Nationwide vote		15,302,929	14,794,225	299,624	278,078	30,674,856
	Share	49.89%	48.23%	0.98%	0.91%	100%
Result		58	41	1	0	100

Source: Clerk of the United States House of Representatives[1]

Gains, losses, and holds

Retirements

Five Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. One Democrat retired instead of seeking election to finish the unexpired term and one Democrat retired instead of seeking election to a full term.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Alabama (regular)	John Sparkman	Howell Heflin
Arkansas	Kaneaster Hodges Jr.	David Pryor
Kansas	James B. Pearson	Nancy Kassebaum
Minnesota (special)	Muriel Humphrey	David Durenberger
Mississippi	James Eastland	Thad Cochran
Nebraska	Carl Curtis	J. James Exon
Oklahoma	Dewey F. Bartlett	David Boren
South Dakota	James Abourezk	Larry Pressler
Virginia	William L. Scott	John Warner
Wyoming	Clifford Hansen	Alan Simpson

Defeats

Three Republicans and four Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election. One Democrat sought election to a full term but lost in the general election, one Democrat sought election to a full term but lost in the primary and one Democrat sought election to finish the unexpired term but lost in the primary.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Alabama (special)	Maryon Pittman Allen	Donald Stewart
Colorado	Floyd Haskell	William L. Armstrong
Iowa	Dick Clark	Roger Jepsen
Maine	William Hathaway	William Cohen
Massachusetts	Edward Brooke	Paul Tsongas
Michigan	Robert P. Griffin	Carl Levin
Minnesota (regular)	Wendell R. Anderson	Rudy Boschwitz
Montana	Paul G. Hatfield	Max Baucus
New Hampshire	Thomas J. McIntyre	Gordon J. Humphrey
New Jersey	Clifford P. Case	Bill Bradley

Post-election changes

One Democrat resigned on May 7, 1980, and was later replaced by Democratic appointee.

State	Senator	Replaced by
Maine (Class 1)	Edmund Muskie	George J. Mitchell

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	D39	D38	D37	D36	D35	D34	D33	D32	D31
D41	D42	D43	D44 Ala. (reg) Ran	D45 Ala. (sp) Ran	D46 Ark. Retired	D47 Colo. Ran	D48 Del. Ran	D49 Ga. Ran	D50 Iowa Ran
Majority →									D51 Ky. Ran
D60 S.D. Retired	D59 R.I. Ran	D58 N.H. Ran	D57 Mont. Ran	D56 Miss. Retired	D55 Minn. (sp) Retired	D54 Minn. (reg) Ran	D53 Maine Ran	D52 La. Ran
D61 W.Va. Ran	I1	R38 Wyo. Retired	R37 Va. Retired	R36 Texas Ran	R35 Tenn. Ran	R34 S.C. Ran	R33 Ore. Ran	R32 Okla. Retired	R31 N.C. Ran
R21	R22 Alaska Ran	R23 Idaho Ran	R24 Ill. Ran	R25 Kan. Retired	R26 Mass. Ran	R27 Mich. Ran	R28 Neb. Retired	R29 N.J. Ran	R30 N.M. Ran
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	D39	D38	D37	D36	D35	D34	D33	D32	D31
D41	D42	D43	D44 Ala. (reg) Re-elected	D45 Ala. (sp) Hold	D46 Ark. Hold	D47 Del. Re-elected	D48 Ga. Re-elected	D49 Ky. Re-elected	D50 La. Re-elected
Majority →									D51 Mont. Hold
R41 S.D. Gain	I1	D58 Okla. Gain	D57 N.J. Gain	D56 Neb. Gain	D55 Mich. Gain	D54 Mass. Gain	D53 W.Va. Re-elected	D52 R.I. Re-elected
R40 N.H. Gain	R39 Miss. Gain	R38 Minn. (sp) Gain	R37 Minn. (reg) Gain[f]	R36 Maine Gain	R35 Iowa Gain	R34 Colo. Gain	R33 Wyo. Hold	R32 Va. Hold	R31 Texas Re-elected
R21	R22 Alaska Re-elected	R23 Idaho Re-elected	R24 Ill. Re-elected	R25 Kan. Hold	R26 N.M. Re-elected	R27 N.C. Re-elected	R28 Ore. Re-elected	R29 S.C. Re-elected	R30 Tenn. Re-elected
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 I# Independent

Race summary

Special elections during the 95th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1978 or before January 3, 1979; ordered by election date, then state.

State (linked to summaries below)	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Alabama (Class 3)	Maryon Pittman Allen	Democratic	1978 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	▌Y Donald Stewart (Democratic) 55.1% ▌James D. Martin (Republican) 43.3% ▌Michael R. A. Erdey (Libertarian) 0.8% ▌A. J. Killingsworth (Prohibition) 0.8%
Minnesota (Class 1)	Muriel Humphrey	DFL	1978 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.	▌Y David Durenberger (Republican) 61.4% ▌Bob Short (DFL) 34.6% ▌Paul Helm (American) 2.9% ▌Christine Frank (Socialist) 0.7% ▌Frederick Hewitt (Libertarian) 0.3%

Elections leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1979; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State (linked to summaries below)	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Alabama	John Sparkman	Democratic	1946 (special) 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	▌Y Howell Heflin (Democratic) 94.0% ▌Jerome B. Couch (Prohibition) 6.0%
Alaska	Ted Stevens	Republican	1968 (Appointed) 1970 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Ted Stevens (Republican) 75.6% ▌Donald W. Hobbs (Democratic) 24.1%
Arkansas	Kaneaster Hodges Jr.	Democratic	1977 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. New senator elected. Democratic hold.	▌Y David Pryor (Democratic) 76.5% ▌Tom Kelly (Republican) 16.3% ▌John J. Black (Independent) 7.2%
Colorado	Floyd Haskell	Democratic	1972	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	▌Y William L. Armstrong (Republican) 58.7% ▌Floyd Haskell (Democratic) 40.3% Others ▌Vedder V. Dorn (United States Party) 0.7% ▌John Shue (National Statesman) 0.3%
Delaware	Joe Biden	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Joe Biden (Democratic) 58.0% ▌James H. Baxter (Republican) 41.0% ▌Donald G. Gies (American) 1.0%
Georgia	Sam Nunn	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Sam Nunn (Democratic) 83.1% ▌John W. Stokes (Republican) 16.9%
Idaho	James A. McClure	Republican	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y James A. McClure (Republican) 68.4% ▌Dwight Jensen (Democratic) 31.6%
Illinois	Charles H. Percy	Republican	1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Charles H. Percy (Republican) 53.3% ▌Alex Seith (Democratic) 45.5% Others ▌William R. Roy (Libertarian) 0.5% ▌Patricia Grogan (Socialist Workers) 0.5% ▌Gerald Rose (Socialist Labor) 0.2%
Iowa	Dick Clark	Democratic	1972	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	▌Y Roger Jepsen (Republican) 51.1% ▌ Dick Clark (Democratic) 47.9% Others ▌Gerald Leo Baker (Independent) 0.5% ▌Ben L. Olson (Libertarian) 0.4%
Kansas	James B. Pearson	Republican	1962 (Appointed) 1962 (special) 1966 1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. Incumbent resigned December 23, 1978 to give successor preferential seniority. Successor appointed December 23, 1978 to finish the term.	▌Y Nancy Kassebaum (Republican) 53.9% ▌William R. Roy (Democratic) 42.4% ▌James R. Maher (Conservative) 3.0% ▌Russell Mikels (Prohibition) 0.7%
Kentucky	Walter Dee Huddleston	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Walter Dee Huddleston (Democratic) 61.0% ▌Louie R. Guenthner Jr. (Republican) 36.9% ▌Anthony A. McCord (American) 2.1%
Louisiana	J. Bennett Johnston	Democratic	1972 (Appointed) 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y J. Bennett Johnston (Democratic) 59.4% ▌Woody Jenkins (Democratic) 40.6%
Maine	William Hathaway	Democratic	1972	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	▌Y William Cohen (Republican) 56.6% ▌William Hathaway (Democratic) 33.9% ▌Hayes E. Gahagan (Independent) 7.4% ▌John J. Jannace (Independent) 1.5% ▌Plato Truman (Independent) 0.6%
Massachusetts	Edward Brooke	Republican	1966 1972	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y Paul Tsongas (Democratic) 55.1% ▌Edward Brooke (Republican) 44.9%
Michigan	Robert P. Griffin	Republican	1966 (Appointed) 1966 1972	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y Carl Levin (Democratic) 52.1% ▌Robert P. Griffin (Republican) 47.9%
Minnesota	Wendell R. Anderson	DFL	1976 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost election. New senator elected. Republican gain. Incumbent resigned December 29, 1978 to give successor preferential seniority. Successor appointed December 30, 1978 to finish the term.	▌Y Rudy Boschwitz (Republican) 56.6% ▌Wendell R. Anderson (DFL) 40.4% ▌Sal Carlone (American) 1.5% Others ▌William Peterson (Socialist Workers) 0.6% ▌Brian Coyle (Public Interest Independent) 0.5% ▌Jean T. Brust (Workers) 0.2% ▌Leonard Richards (Libertarian) 0.2%
Mississippi	James Eastland	Democratic	1948 1954 1960 1966 1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain. Incumbent resigned December 27, 1978 to give successor preferential seniority. Successor appointed December 27, 1978 to finish the term.	▌Y Thad Cochran (Republican) 45.3% ▌Maurice Dantin (Democratic) 31.8% ▌Charles Evers (Independent) 22.6% ▌Henry Kirksey (Independent) 0.3%
Montana	Paul G. Hatfield	Democratic	1978 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination. New senator elected. Democratic hold. Incumbent resigned December 12, 1978 to give successor preferential seniority. Successor appointed December 15, 1978 to finish the term.	▌Y Max Baucus (Democratic) 55.7% ▌Larry Williams (Republican) 44.3%
Nebraska	Carl Curtis	Republican	1954 1960 1966 1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y J. James Exon (Democratic) 67.6% ▌Donald Shasteen (Republican) 32.3%
New Hampshire	Thomas J. McIntyre	Democratic	1962 (special) 1966 1972	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected. Republican gain.	▌Y Gordon J. Humphrey (Republican) 50.7% ▌Thomas J. McIntyre (Democratic) 48.5% ▌Craig Franklin (Libertarian) 0.8%
New Jersey	Clifford P. Case	Republican	1954 1960 1966 1972	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y Bill Bradley (Democratic) 55.3% ▌ Jeffrey Bell (Republican) 43.1% Others ▌Herbert Harry Shaw (Independent) 0.2% ▌Bill Gahres (Independent) 0.2% ▌Jack Moyers (Independent) 0.2% ▌Robert Bowen (Labor) 0.2% ▌J.M. Carter Jr. (Independent) 0.2% ▌Jasper C. Gould (Independent) 0.2% ▌William R. Thorn (Independent) 0.1% ▌Paul Ferguson (Independent) 0.1% ▌Alice Conner (Independent) 0.1%
New Mexico	Pete Domenici	Republican	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Pete Domenici (Republican) 53.4% ▌Toney Anaya (Democratic) 46.6%
North Carolina	Jesse Helms	Republican	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Jesse Helms (Republican) 54.5% ▌John Ingram (Democratic) 45.5%
Oklahoma	Dewey F. Bartlett	Republican	1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Democratic gain.	▌Y David Boren (Democratic) 65.5% ▌Robert B. Kamm (Republican) 32.9% Others ▌Glenn E. Hager (Independent) 0.5% ▌Riley Donica (Independent) 0.4% ▌Paul Edward Trent (Independent) 0.4% ▌Richard King Carter (Independent) 0.3%
Oregon	Mark Hatfield	Republican	1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Mark Hatfield (Republican) 61.6% ▌Vernon Cook (Democratic) 38.3%
Rhode Island	Claiborne Pell	Democratic	1960 1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Claiborne Pell (Democratic) 75.1% ▌James G. Reynolds (Republican) 24.9%
South Carolina	Strom Thurmond	Republican	1954 (write-in)[g] 1954 (Appointed) 1956 (Resigned) 1956 (special) 1960 1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Strom Thurmond (Republican) 55.6% ▌Charles D. Ravenel (Democratic) 44.4%
South Dakota	James Abourezk	Democratic	1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican gain.	▌Y Larry Pressler (Republican) 66.8% ▌Don Barnett (Democratic) 33.2%
Tennessee	Howard Baker	Republican	1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Howard Baker (Republican) 55.5% ▌Jane Eskind (Democratic) 40.3% ▌Thomas Anderson (Independent) 4.0% ▌Fern Lucius Keasler (Independent) 0.2%
Texas	John Tower	Republican	1961 (special) 1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y John Tower (Republican) 49.8% ▌Bob Krueger (Democratic) 49.3% ▌Luis A. Diaz de Leon (Raza Unida) 0.8% ▌Miguel Pendas (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
Virginia	William L. Scott	Republican	1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. Incumbent resigned January 1, 1979 to give successor preferential seniority. Successor appointed January 2, 1979 to finish the term.	▌Y John Warner (Republican) 50.2% ▌Andrew P. Miller (Democratic) 49.8%
West Virginia	Jennings Randolph	Democratic	1958 (special) 1960 1966 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Jennings Randolph (Democratic) 50.5% ▌Arch A. Moore Jr. (Republican) 49.5%
Wyoming	Clifford Hansen	Republican	1966 1972	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Republican hold. Incumbent resigned December 31, 1978 to give successor preferential seniority. Successor appointed January 1, 1979 to finish the term.	▌Y Alan Simpson (Republican) 62.2% ▌Raymond B. Whitaker (Democratic) 37.8%

Closest races

Nine races had a margin of victory under 10%:

State	Party of winner	Margin
Virginia	Republican	0.38%
Texas	Republican	0.53%
West Virginia	Democratic	0.96%
New Hampshire	Republican (flip)	2.20%
Iowa	Republican (flip)	3.21%
Michigan	Democratic (flip)	4.29%
New Mexico	Republican	6.82%
Illinois	Republican	7.87%
North Carolina	Republican	9.02%

Oklahoma was the tipping point state with a margin of 32.6%.

Alabama

There were two elections in Alabama, due to the death of senator

.

Alabama (regular)

Alabama general election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Howell Heflin Jerome B. Couch Party Democratic Prohibition Popular vote 547,054 34,951 Percentage 94% 6%

County results Heflin:      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election John Sparkman Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Howell Heflin Democratic

Democrat John Sparkman retired and was succeeded by Howell Heflin, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. Heflin, the Democratic candidate, faced no Republican opponent in the general election, defeating Prohibition Party nominee Jerome B. Couch.

General election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Howell Heflin	547,054	93.99%
	Prohibition	Jerome B. Couch	34,951	6.01%
Majority			512,103	87.98%
Turnout			582,005
	Democratic hold

Alabama (special)

Alabama special election

← 1974 1980 →

Nominee Donald W. Stewart James D. Martin Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 401,852 316,170 Percentage 55.1% 43.3%

County results Stewart:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Martin:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Maryon Pittman Allen Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Donald W. Stewart Democratic

Following the death of senator

to serve the remaining two years of the term.

General election^[2][3][4][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Donald W. Stewart	401,852	54.93%
	Republican	James D. Martin	316,170	43.22%
	Libertarian	Michael R. A. Erdey	6,006	0.82%
	Prohibition	A. J. Killingsworth	5,814	0.80%
	Peace and Freedom	Joseph T. Robino	1,768	0.24%
Majority			85,682	11.74%
Turnout			731,610
	Democratic hold

Alaska

Alaska election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Ted Stevens Donald Hobbs Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 92,783 29,574 Percentage 75.59% 24.10%

Results by state house district Stevens:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election Ted Stevens Republican Elected U.S. Senator Ted Stevens Republican

Republican Ted Stevens won reelection to a second full (his third total) term, defeating Democrat Donald Hobbs.

1978 United States Senate election in Alaska^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Ted Stevens (Incumbent)	92,783	75.59%
	Democratic	Donald Hobbs	29,574	24.09%
	Write-ins	Write-ins	384	0.31%
Majority			63,209	51.50%
Turnout			122,741
	Republican hold		Swing

Arkansas

Arkansas election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee David Pryor Thomas Kelly Jr. John G. Black Party Democratic Republican Independent Popular vote 399,916 84,722 37,488 Percentage 76.58% 16.22% 7.18%

County results Pryor:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election Kaneaster Hodges Jr. Democratic Elected U.S. Senator David H. Pryor Democratic

Following the death of senator John L. McClellan, then Kaneaster Hodges Jr. was appointed by governor David Pryor to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held. In this election, Democratic state governor David Pryor defeated former Republican challenger Thomas Kelly Jr. to serve the six-year term.

1978 United States Senate election in Arkansas^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	David Pryor	395,506	76.48%
	Republican	Tom Kelly	84,308	16.30%
	Independent	John G. Black	37,211	7.20%
	None	Write-ins	113	0.02%
Majority			311,198	60.18%
Turnout			517,138
	Democratic hold

Colorado

Colorado election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee William L. Armstrong Floyd Haskell Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 480,801 330,148 Percentage 58.69% 40.30%

County results Armstrong:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Haskell:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Floyd Haskell Democratic Elected U.S. Senator William L. Armstrong Republican

Democrat Floyd Haskell decided to run for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by William L. Armstrong, the Republican nominee and the U.S. Representative.

1978 United States Senate election in Colorado^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William L. Armstrong	480,801	58.69%
	Democratic	Floyd Haskell (Incumbent)	330,148	40.30%
	United States Party	Vedder V. Dorn	5,789	0.71%
	National Statesman	John Shue	2,518	0.31%
Majority			150,653	18.39%
Turnout			819,256
	Democratic

Delaware

Delaware election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Joe Biden James H. Baxter Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 93,930 66,479 Percentage 57.96% 41.02%

County results Biden:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Joe Biden Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Joe Biden Democratic

Democratic

General election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Joe Biden (Incumbent)	93,930	57.96%	+7.48%
	Republican	James H. Baxter Jr.	66,479	41.02%	-8.08%
	American	Donald G. Gies	1,663	1.02%	+0.68%
Majority			27,451	16.94%	+15.56%
Turnout			162,072
	Democratic hold		Swing

Georgia

Georgia election

←  1972 1984  →

Nominee Sam Nunn John W. Stokes Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 536,320 108,808 Percentage 83.1% 16.9%

County results Nunn:      50–60%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election Sam Nunn Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Sam Nunn Democratic

Democrat Sam Nunn won re-election to a second term.^[7]

General election^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Sam Nunn (incumbent)	536,320	83.13%	+29.17%
	Republican	John W. Stokes	108,808	16.87%	-29.14%
Majority			427,512	66.27%	+58.32%
Turnout			645,128
	Democratic hold		Swing

Idaho

Idaho election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee James A. McClure Dwight Jensen Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 194,412 89,635 Percentage 68.44% 31.56%

County results McClure:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election James A. McClure Republican Elected U.S. Senator James A. McClure Republican

Republican

was elected to a second term in office.

1978 United States Senate election in Idaho^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	James A. McClure (Incumbent)	194,412	68.44%
	Democratic	Dwight Jensen	89,635	31.56%
Majority			104,777	36.88%
Turnout			284,047
	Republican hold		Swing

Illinois

Illinois election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Charles Percy Alex Seith Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,698,711 1,448,187 Percentage 53.34% 45.47%

County results Percy:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Seith:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Charles H. Percy Republican Elected U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy Republican

Republican Charles H. Percy ran for re-election to a third term in the United States Senate. Percy was opposed by Democratic nominee Alex Seith (D), attorney and former member of the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals. Though Percy had been expected to coast to re-election over Seith, a first-time candidate, the election quickly became competitive. In the last few days of the campaign, a desperate Percy ran a television advertisement that featured him apologizing and acknowledging that, "I got your message and you're right."^[9] Percy's last-ditch effort appeared to have paid off, as he was able to edge out Seith to win what would end up being his third and final term in the Senate.

1978 United States Senate election in Illinois^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Charles H. Percy (Incumbent)	1,698,711	53.34%	-8.88%
	Democratic	Alex Seith	1,448,187	45.47%	+8.13%
	Libertarian	Bruce Lee Green	16,320	0.51%
	Socialist Workers	Patricia Grogan	15,922	0.50%
	Socialist Labor	Gerald Rose	5,465	0.18%
	Write-ins		159	0.00%
Majority			250,524	7.87%	-17.00%
Turnout			3,184,764
	Republican hold		Swing

Iowa

Iowa election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Roger Jepsen Dick Clark Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 421,598 395,066 Percentage 51.12% 47.91%

County results Jepsen:      40–50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Clark:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Dick Clark Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Roger Jepsen Republican

Democrat

, the Republican nominee and former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.

1978 United States Senate election in Iowa^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Roger Jepsen	421,598	51.13%
	Democratic	Dick Clark (Incumbent)	395,066	47.91%
	Independent	Gerald Leo Baker	4,223	0.51%
	Libertarian	Ben L. Olson	3,689	0.45%
Majority			26,532	3.22%
Turnout			824,576
	Democratic

Kansas

Kansas election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Nancy Kassebaum Bill Roy Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 403,354 317,602 Percentage 53.86% 42.41%

County results Kassebaum:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Roy:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election James B. Pearson Republican Elected U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Republican

Republican James B. Pearson retired and was succeeded by Nancy Kassebaum, the daughter of Alf Landon, defeating Democratic nominee William R. Roy, the former U.S. Representative. Roy also lost to Bob Dole in the 1974 election for Kansas' other Senate seat.

1978 United States Senate election in Kansas^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Nancy Kassebaum	403,354	53.86%
	Democratic	William R. Roy	317,602	42.41%
	Conservative	James R. Maher	22,497	3.00%
	Prohibition	Russell Mikels	5,386	0.72%
Majority			85,752	11.45%
Turnout			748,839
	Republican hold

Kentucky

Kentucky election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Walter Huddleston Louie R. Guenthner Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 290,730 175,766 Percentage 60.98% 36.87%

County results Huddleston:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Guenthner:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%

U.S. senator before election Walter Huddleston Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Walter Huddleston Democratic

Democrat

was re-elected to a second term.

General election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Walter Huddleston (Incumbent)	290,730	60.98%
	Republican	Louie R. Guenthner Jr.	175,766	36.86%
	American	Anthony Albert McCord	10,244	2.15%
	None	Write-Ins	32	0.01%
Majority			114,964	24.12
Turnout			476,783
	Democratic hold

Louisiana

Louisiana election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee J. Bennett Johnston Party Democratic

U.S. senator before election J. Bennett Johnston Democratic Elected U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston Democratic

Democrat J. Bennett Johnston won re-election to unopposed and his second term.

1978 United States Senate election in Louisiana^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	J. Bennett Johnston (Incumbent)	Unopposed
	Democratic hold

Maine

Maine election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee William Cohen William Hathaway Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 212,294 127,327 Percentage 56.59% 33.94%   Nominee Hayes Gahagan Party Independent Popular vote 27,824 Percentage 7.42%

County results Cohen:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election William Hathaway Democratic Elected U.S. Senator William Cohen Republican

Democrat

1978 United States Senate election in Maine^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	William Cohen	212,294	56.59%	+9.83%
	Democratic	William Hathaway (Incumbent)	127,327	33.94%	-19.29%
	Independent	Hayes E. Gahagan	27,824	7.42%
	Independent	John J. Jannace	5,553	1.48%
	Independent	Plato Truman	2,116	0.56%
Majority			84,967	22.65%	+16.19%
Turnout			375,114
	Democratic		Swing

Massachusetts

Massachusetts election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Paul Tsongas Edward Brooke Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,093,283 890,584 Percentage 55.06% 44.85%

County results Municipality results Tsongas   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80% Brooke   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%

U.S. senator before election Edward Brooke Republican Elected U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas Democratic

Republican

.

Republican primary^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Edward Brooke (Incumbent)	146,351	53.25%
	Republican	Avi Nelson	128,388	46.72%
		All others	78	0.03%

Democratic primary^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul Tsongas	296,915	35.55%
	Democratic	Paul Guzzi	258,960	31.01%
	Democratic	Kathleen Sullivan Alioto	161,036	19.28%
	Democratic	Howard Phillips	65,397	7.83%
	Democratic	Elaine Noble	52,464	6.28%
		All others	379	0.05%

General election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul E. Tsongas	1,093,283	55.06%
	Republican	Edward Brooke (Incumbent)	890,584	44.85%
		All others	1,833	0.09%
Total votes			1,985,700	68.01%
Majority			202,699	10.21%
	Republican

Michigan

Michigan election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Carl Levin Robert P. Griffin Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,484,193 1,362,165 Percentage 52.1% 47.9%

County results Levin:      50–60%      60–70% Griffin:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Robert P. Griffin Republican Elected U.S. Senator Carl Levin Democratic

Republican Robert P. Griffin ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by the Democratic candidate, and former Detroit City Council President Carl Levin.

General election^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Carl Levin	1,484,193	52.1%	N/A
	Republican	Robert P. Griffin (Incumbent)	1,362,165	47.8%	-4.29%
	Independent	Others	272	0.01%	-52.13%
Majority			122,028	4.29%
Turnout			2,846,630
	Republican		Swing

Minnesota

There were two elections in Minnesota, due to the death of Hubert Humphrey.

Minnesota (regular)

Minnesota general election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Rudy Boschwitz Wendell Anderson Party Ind.-Republican Democratic (DFL) Popular vote 894,092 638,375 Percentage 56.57% 40.39%

County results Boschwitz:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Anderson:      40–50%

U.S. senator before election Wendell Anderson Democratic (DFL) Elected U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz Ind.-Republican

Democrat

.

In 1978, all three key statewide races in Minnesota were up for election—the Governorship, and both Senate Seats (the other Senate seat belonged to Hubert Humphrey, who died in 1978). But, there was a particular oddity to the three races—all three had incumbents who were never elected to the office in the first place. This became a well played issue by the Republicans—a billboard put up across the state read, "The DFL is going to face something scary -- an election".

When Walter Mondale resigned after being elected to the Vice Presidency in 1976, sitting Governor Wendell Anderson resigned in order to be appointed by his successor Rudy Perpich to the open seat. This act did not sit well with the electorate. Plywood magnate Rudy Boschwitz campaigned as a liberal Republican and spent freely of his own money, but all that seemed to really matter was that he was neither a DFLer or Wendell Anderson in an election cycle where both were rejected by the voters. The result was not even close—the challenger Boschwitz won in a 16-point landslide as all three statewide offices switched into Republican hands.

Democratic primary election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic (DFL)	Wendell Anderson (Incumbent)	286,209	56.9%
	Democratic (DFL)	John S. Connolly	159,974	31.8%
	Democratic (DFL)	Daryl W. Anderson	23,159	4.6%
	Democratic (DFL)	Lloyd M. Roberts	12,709	2.5%
	Democratic (DFL)	Dick Bullock	11,485	2.3%
	Democratic (DFL)	Emil L. Moses	9,580	1.9%

Republican primary election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Ind.-Republican	Rudy Boschwitz	185,393	86.8%
	Ind.-Republican	Harold Stassen	28,170	13.2%

General election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Ind.-Republican	Rudy Boschwitz	894,092	56.57%
	Democratic (DFL)	Wendell Anderson (Incumbent)	638,375	40.39%
	American	Sal Carlone	23,261	1.47%
	Socialist Workers	William Peterson	9,856	0.62%
	Independent	Brian J. Coyle	8,083	0.51%
	Workers League	Jean T. Brust	3,891	0.25%
	Libertarian	Leonard J. Richards	2,992	0.19%
	Others	Write-ins	72	0.01%
Majority			255,717	16.18%
Turnout			1,580,622
	Democratic (DFL)

Minnesota (special)

Minnesota special election

← 1976 1982 →

Nominee David Durenberger Bob Short Party Ind.-Republican Democratic (DFL) Popular vote 957,908 538,675 Percentage 61.47% 34.57%

County results Durenberger:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Short:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Muriel Humphrey Democratic (DFL) Elected U.S. senator David Durenberger Ind.-Republican

Incumbent Muriel Humphrey retired. Democratic candidate Bob Short was defeated by Republican candidate David Durenberger.

In 1978, all three key statewide races in Minnesota were up for election—the

in 1976). But, there was a particular oddity to the three races—all three had incumbents who were never elected to the office in the first place. This became a well played issue by the Republicans: a billboard put up across the state read, "The DFL is going to face something scary — an election".

When

, creating an unusual race in which the DFL candidate was positioned to the right of the Independent-Republican candidate. In addition to the general sense of dissatisfaction voters felt for the DFL, the DFL also had to contend with a large number of liberal members of the DFL, who were dissatisfied with Short's positions on hot button issues such as abortion, motorboat usage in the Boundary Waters Canoe area, and government spending, crossing party lines to vote for Durenberger. As a result, Durenberger won in a 26.9-percent landslide as the governorship and both U.S. Senate seats switched into Republican hands.

Democratic special primary election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic (DFL)	Bob Short	257,289	48.0%
	Democratic (DFL)	Donald M. Fraser	253,818	47.4%
	Democratic (DFL)	Sharon Anderson	16,094	3.0%
	Democratic (DFL)	Richard A. Palmer	8,425	1.6%

Republican special primary election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Ind.-Republican	David Durenberger	139,187	67.3%
	Ind.-Republican	Malcolm Moos	32,314	15.6%
	Ind.-Republican	Ken Nordstrom	14,635	7.1%
	Ind.-Republican	Will Lundquist	12,261	5.9%
	Ind.-Republican	Adell H. Campbell	8,523	4.1%

Special election^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Ind.-Republican	David Durenberger	957,908	61.47%
	Democratic (DFL)	Bob Short	538,675	34.57%
	American	Paul Helm	45,402	2.91%
	Socialist Workers	Christine Frank	11,397	0.73%
	Libertarian	Frederick Hewitt	4,116	0.26%
	Others	Write-ins	878	0.06%
Majority			419,233	26.90%
Turnout			1,558,376
	Democratic (DFL)

Mississippi

Mississippi election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Thad Cochran Maurice Dantin Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 267,302 187,541 Percentage 45.3% 31.8%   Nominee Charles Evers Party Independent Popular vote 133,646 Percentage 22.6%

County results Cochran:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Dantin:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Evers:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election James Eastland Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Thad Cochran Republican

Democrat James Eastland retired. Republican Thad Cochran won the open seat over Democrat Maurice Dantin, former District Attorney^[16] and Independent Charles Evers, Mayor of Fayette.

Evers was the first African American elected since the Reconstruction era to be mayor in any Mississippi city in 1969. He ran as an independent, and as a result his campaign divided the Democrats and allowed Cochran to win the senate seat with a 45 percent plurality.^[17] This made him the first Republican in a century to win a statewide election in Mississippi for any office except US President.^[18] Eastland resigned on December 27, 1978, to give Cochran a seniority advantage over new incoming senators.^[19]

Mississippi U.S. Senate Election, 1978^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Thad Cochran	267,302	45.3%
	Democratic	Maurice Dantin	187,541	31.8%
	Independent	Charles Evers	133,646	22.6%
	Independent	Henry Jay Kirksey	1,747	0.3%
Majority			79,761	13.52%
Turnout			590,236
	Democratic

Montana

Montana election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Max Baucus Larry R. Williams Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 160,353 127,589 Percentage 55.69% 44.31%

County results Baucus:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Williams:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Paul G. Hatfield Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Max Baucus Democratic

Following the death of senator Lee Metcalf on January 12, 1978, Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul G. Hatfield was appointed to serve for the remainder of Metcalf's term. Hatfield opted to run for a full term in office, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by Congressman Max Baucus of the 1st congressional district. Baucus advanced to the general election, where he was opposed by Larry R. Williams, an author and the Republican nominee. Baucus ended up defeating Williams by a solid margin to win his first term in the Senate, and, following Hatfield's resignation on December 12, 1978, he began serving his first term in the Senate.

Democratic Party primary^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Max Baucus	87,085	65.25%
	Democratic	Paul G. Hatfield (Incumbent)	25,789	19.32%
	Democratic	John Driscoll	18,184	13.62%
	Democratic	Steve Shugrue	2,404	1.80%
Total votes			133,462	100.00%

Republican Primary^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Larry R. Williams	35,479	61.66%
	Republican	Bill Osborne	16,436	28.57%
	Republican	Clancy Rich	5,622	9.77%
Total votes			57,537	100.00%

1978 United States Senate election in Montana^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Max Baucus	160,353	55.69%	+3.74%
	Republican	Larry R. Williams	127,589	44.31%	-3.74%
Majority			32,764	11.38%	+7.48%
Turnout			287,942
	Democratic hold		Swing

Nebraska

Nebraska election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee J. James Exon Donald Eugene Shasteen Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 334,096 159,708 Percentage 67.7% 32.3%

County results Exon:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Shasteen:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Carl Curtis Republican Elected U.S. Senator J. James Exon Democratic

Republican Carl Curtis retired instead of seeking a fifth term. In the elections, Democratic nominee J. James Exon won the open seat over Republican Donald Eugene Shasteen.

General election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	J. James Exon	334,096	67.66%	+20.82%
	Republican	Donald Eugene Shasteen	159,708	32.34%	-20.82%
Majority			174,390	35.32%	+28.99%
Turnout			493,802
	Republican		Swing

New Hampshire

New Hampshire election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Gordon J. Humphrey Thomas J. McIntyre Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 133,745 127,945 Percentage 50.71% 48.51%

County results Humphrey:      50–60%      60–70% McIntyre:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Thomas J. McIntyre Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Gordon J. Humphrey Republican

Incumbent Democrat Thomas J. McIntyre decided to run for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Gordon J. Humphrey, the Republican nominee also a professional pilot and conservative activist.

1978 United States Senate election in New Hampshire^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Gordon J. Humphrey	133,745	50.71%
	Democratic	Thomas J. McIntyre (Incumbent)	127,945	48.51%
	Libertarian	Craig Franklin	2,070	0.78%
Majority			5,800	2.20%
Turnout			263,760
	Democratic

New Jersey

New Jersey election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Bill Bradley Jeff Bell Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,082,960 844,200 Percentage 55.32% 43.13%

County Results Bradley:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Bell:      40-50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Clifford P. Case Republican Elected U.S. Senator Bill Bradley Democratic

Republican Clifford P. Case narrowly lost renomination to anti-tax conservative Jeff Bell, but the Democratic nominee, former professional basketball player Bill Bradley, easily won the general election.

New Jersey Democratic primary^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bill Bradley	217,502	58.90%
	Democratic	Richard Leone	97,667	26.45%
	Democratic	Alexander J. Menza	32,386	8.77%
	Democratic	Kenneth C. McCarthy	9,524	2.58%
	Democratic	Wesley K. Bell	8,800	2.38%
	Democratic	Ray Rollinson	3,374	0.91%
Total votes			369,253	100.00%

Republican primary results^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jeff Bell	118,555	50.74%
	Republican	Clifford P. Case (incumbent)	115,082	49.26%
Total votes			233,637	100.00%

New Jersey general election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bill Bradley	1,082,960	55.32%
	Republican	Jeff Bell	844,200	43.13%
	Independent	Herbert H. Shaw	4,736	0.24%
	Independent	Bill Gahres	3,817	0.19%
	Independent	Jack Moyers	3,809	0.19%
	U.S. Labor	Robert Bowen	3,656	0.19%
	Independent	J. M. Carter Jr.	3,618	0.18%
	Independent	Jasper C. Gould	2,955	0.15%
	Independent	William R. Thorn	2,776	0.14%
	Independent	Paul Ferguson	2,604	0.13%
	Independent	Alice Conner	2,384	0.12%
Majority			238,760	12.19%
Turnout			1,957,515
	Republican

New Mexico

New Mexico election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Pete Domenici Toney Anaya Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 183,442 160,045 Percentage 53.4% 46.6%

County results Domenici:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Anaya:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Pete Domenici Republican Elected U.S. Senator Pete Domenici Republican

Republican senator Pete Domenici successfully ran for re-election to a second term, defeating Democrat Toney Anaya, Attorney General of New Mexico.

General election^[23][1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Pete Domenici (Incumbent)	183,442	53.41%
	Democratic	Toney Anaya	160,045	46.59%
Majority			23,397	6.81%
Total votes			343,487	100.00%
	Republican hold

North Carolina

North Carolina election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Jesse Helms John Ingram Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 619,151 516,663 Percentage 54.5% 45.5%

County results Helms:      50– 60%      60–70%      70–80% Ingram:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Jesse Helms Republican Elected U.S. Senator Jesse Helms Republican

The general election was fought between the Republican Incumbent Jesse Helms and Democrat John Ingram. Helms won re-election, by a slightly wider margin than in 1972.

1978 North Carolina U.S. Senate Democratic primary election – First round^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Luther H. Hodges Jr.	260,868	40.08%
	Democratic	John Ingram	170,715	26.23%
	Democratic	Lawrence Davis	105,381	16.19%
	Democratic	McNeill Smith	82,703	12.71%
	Democratic	Dave McKnight	9,422	1.45%
	Democratic	William Griffin	8,907	1.37%
	Democratic	Tom Sawyer	8,482	1.30%
Turnout			650,942

1978 North Carolina U.S. Senate Democratic primary election – Second round^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Ingram	244,469	54.24%	+28.01%
	Democratic	Luther H. Hodges Jr.	206,223	45.76%	+5.68%
Turnout			450,692

Jesse Helms won the Republican Party's nomination unopposed.

1978 North Carolina U.S. Senate election^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Jesse Helms (Incumbent)	619,151	54.51%	+0.50%
	Democratic	John Ingram	516,663	45.49%	-0.50%
Turnout			1,135,814

Oklahoma

Oklahoma election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee David Boren Robert B. Kamm Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 493,953 247,857 Percentage 65.49% 32.86%

County results Boren:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Kamm:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Dewey F. Bartlett Republican Elected U.S. Senator David Boren Democratic

Republican Dewey F. Bartlett retired instead of seeking a second term due to his declining health. In the elections, Democratic nominee David Boren won the open seat over Republican Robert B. Kamm.

1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	David Boren	493,953	65.49%
	Republican	Robert B. Kamm	247,857	32.86%
	Independent	Glenn E. Hager	3,875	0.51%
	Independent	Riley Donica	3,355	0.44%
	Independent	Paul Edward Trent	3,015	0.40%
	Independent	Richard King Carter	2,209	0.29%
Majority			246,096	32.63%
Turnout			754,264
	Republican

Bartlett died 2 months after leaving the U.S. Senate

Oregon

Oregon election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Mark Hatfield Vernon Cook Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 550,615 341,616 Percentage 61.66% 38.26%

County results Hatfield:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Cook:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Mark Hatfield Republican Elected U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield Republican

Republican senator Mark Hatfield successfully ran for re-election to a third term, defeating Democrat Vernon Cook, State Legislator and candidate for U.S. Representative in 1970 and 1974.

1978 United States Senate election in Oregon^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Hatfield (Incumbent)	550,165	61.64%
	Democratic	Vernon Cook	341,616	38.28%
	Independent	Write-Ins	737	0.08%
Majority			208,549	23.36%
Turnout			892,518
	Republican hold

Rhode Island

Rhode Island election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Claiborne Pell James G. Reynolds Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 229,557 76,061 Percentage 75.1% 24.9%

County results Municipality results Pell:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election Claiborne Pell Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell Democratic

Democrat Claiborne Pell successfully sought re-election, defeating Republican James G. Reynolds.

Democratic primary^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Claiborne Pell (Incumbent)	69,729	87.01%
	Democratic	Raymond J. Greiner	6,076	7.58%
	Democratic	Francis P. Kelley	4,330	5.41%
Majority			63,653	79.43%
Total votes			80,135	100.00%

General election^[26][1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Claiborne Pell (Incumbent)	229,557	75.11%
	Republican	James G. Reynolds	76,061	24.89%
Majority			153,496	50.22%
Total votes			305,618	100.00%
	Democratic hold

South Carolina

South Carolina election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Strom Thurmond Charles D. Ravenel Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 351,733 281,119 Percentage 55.6% 44.4%

County results Thurmond:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Ravenel:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Strom Thurmond Republican Elected U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond Republican

Popular incumbent Republican Strom Thurmond defeated Democratic challenger Charles D. Ravenel.

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on June 13, 1978. Charles D. Ravenel, an unsuccessful candidate in the 1974 gubernatorial contest, originally planned to run for governor again in 1978, but was convinced by Vice President Walter Mondale in 1977 to run for senator. He garnered over 50% of the vote in the primary and avoided a runoff election.

South Carolina Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Charles D. Ravenel	205,348	55.9%
	Democratic	John Bolt Culbertson	69,184	18.9%
	Democratic	Tom Triplett	50,957	13.9%
	Democratic	Tom McElveen	41,550	11.3%

Senator Strom Thurmond faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.

Thurmond generally ignored Ravenel on the campaign and refused to debate him. When they did cross paths, Thurmond criticized Ravenel for never having held a political office. Ravenel did not help his cause by his actions in the 1974 gubernatorial race when he refused to endorse the Democratic nominee after he had been disqualified. This irritated many Democrats and they also accused him of being nothing more than a liberal New Yorker. Age was beginning to become an issue with Thurmond, so to combat perceptions of old age, Thurmond often appeared with his children on the campaign trail. While 1978 was generally a Democratic year, Thurmond was able to pull off a commanding victory over Ravenel.

South Carolina general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (Incumbent)	351,733	55.6%	-7.9%
	Democratic	Charles D. Ravenel	281,119	44.4%	+7.9%
	No party	Write-Ins	257	0.0%	0.0%
Majority			70,614	11.2%	-15.8%
Turnout			633,109	57.7%	-7.5%
	Republican hold		Swing

South Dakota

South Dakota election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Larry Pressler Don Barnett Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 170,832 84,767 Percentage 66.84% 33.16%

County results Pressler:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80–90% Barnett:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election James Abourezk Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Larry Pressler Republican

Incumbent Democrat James Abourezk retired instead of seeking a second term. In the elections, Republican Congressman Larry Pressler won the open seat over Democratic former Mayor of Rapid City Don Barnett, thus becoming the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the Senate

1978 United States Senate election in South Dakota^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Larry Pressler	170,832	66.84%
	Democratic	Don Barnett	84,767	33.16%
Majority			86,065	33.68%
Turnout			255,599
	Democratic

Tennessee

Tennessee election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Howard Baker Jane Eskind Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 642,644 466,228 Percentage 55.54% 40.30%

County results Baker:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Eskind:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Howard Baker Republican Elected U.S. Senator Howard Baker Republican

Two-term popular incumbent

.

In the August 3 Democratic primary Eskind won in an open primary against eight other candidates:[27]

• Eskind - 196,156 (34.52%)
• Bruce - 170,795 (30.06%)
• Lee - 89,939 (15.83%)
• Boyd - 48,458 (8.53%)
• Bradley - 22,130 (3.90%)
• Heinsohn - 17,787 (3.13%)
• Foster - 10,671 (1.88%)
• Nyabongo - 7,682 (1.35%)
• Vick - 4,414 (0.78%)
• Write-in - 147 (0.03%)

In the Republican primary, also held August 3, Baker easily emerged as the winner:^[28]

• Baker - 205,680 (83.44%)
• Howard - 21,154 (8.58%)
• Boles - 8,899 (3.61%)
• Patty - 3,941 (1.60%)
• Seiler - 3,831 (1.55%)
• Trapp - 2,994 (1.22%)

Baker won with a 15-point margin in the general election, held on November 7:^[29]

General election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Howard Baker (Incumbent)	642,644	55.54%
	Democratic	Jane Eskind	466,228	40.29%
	Independent	Thomas J. Anderson	45,908	3.97%
	Independent	Fern L. Keasler	2,243	0.19%
	None	Write-Ins	71	0.01%
Majority			176,416	15.25%
Turnout			1,157,094
	Republican hold

Texas

Texas election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee John Tower Bob Krueger Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,151,376 1,139,149 Percentage 49.8% 49.3%

County results Tower:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Krueger:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Tie:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election John Tower Republican Elected U.S. Senator John Tower Republican

Republican incumbent John Tower won re-election to a fourth term over Democrat Bob Krueger, U.S. Congressman of Texas's 21st congressional district.

General election^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Tower (Incumbent)	1,151,376	49.8%
	Democratic	Bob Krueger	1,139,149	49.3%
	Raza Unida	Luis A. Diaz de Leon	17,869	0.8%
	Socialist Workers	Miguel Pendas	4,018	0.2%
	None	Others	128	0.0%
Majority			12,227	0.5%
Turnout			2,312,540
	Republican hold

Virginia

Virginia election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee John Warner Andrew P. Miller Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 613,232 608,511 Percentage 50.2% 49.8%

County and independent city results Warner:      50–60%      60–70% Miller:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election William L. Scott Republican Elected U.S. Senator John Warner Republican

Incumbent William L. Scott retired. Former Secretary of the Navy Republican John Warner beat Attorney General of Virginia Andrew P. Miller. Scott then resigned January 1, 1979 and Warner was appointed January 2, 1979 for early seniority purposes.

1978 United States Senate election in Virginia^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	John Warner	613,232	50.17%	-1.28%
	Democratic	Andrew P. Miller	608,511	49.79%	+3.67%
	Write-ins		513	0.04%	+0.04%
Majority			4,721	0.39%	+0.39%
Turnout			1,222,256
	Republican hold

West Virginia

West Virginia election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Jennings Randolph Arch Moore Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 249,034 244,317 Percentage 50.48% 49.52%

County results Randolph:      50–60%      60–70% Moore:      50–60%      60–70%      70-80%

U.S. senator before election Jennings Randolph Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph Democratic

Democratic incumbent Jennings Randolph won re-election to a fifth term over Republican Arch Moore, former Governor of West Virginia.

1978 United States Senate election in West Virginia^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jennings Randolph (Incumbent)	249,034	50.48%
	Republican	Arch A. Moore Jr.	244,317	49.52%
Majority			4,717	0.92%
Turnout			493,351
	Democratic hold

Wyoming

Wyoming election

← 1972 1984 →

Nominee Alan K. Simpson Raymond B. Whitaker Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 82,908 50,456 Percentage 62.17% 37.83%

County results Simpson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Whitaker:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Clifford Hansen Republican Elected U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson Republican

Incumbent Republican

won the open seat over Democrat Raymond B. Whitaker, an attorney from Casper and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1960.

1978 United States Senate election in Wyoming^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Alan Simpson	82,908	62.17%
	Democratic	Raymond B. Whitaker	50,456	37.83%
Majority			32,452	24.34%
Turnout			133,364
	Republican hold

See also

• 1978 United States elections
  • 1978 United States gubernatorial elections
  • 1978 United States House of Representatives elections
• 95th United States Congress
• 96th United States Congress

Notes

References

• Bass, Jack; Marilyn W. Thompson (1998). Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond. Longstreet. pp. 290–292.
• State Election Commission (1979). Report of the South Carolina State Election Commission. Columbia, SC: State Election Commission. p. 54.
• "Challenging a Southern Legend". Time. October 16, 1978. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2008.