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

Quick Facts 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1994 United States Senate elections

← 1992 November 8, 1994 1996 →
← 1993 (TX)
35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Bob Dole George Mitchell (retired) Party Republican Democratic Leader since January 3, 1985 January 3, 1989 Leader's seat Kansas Maine Seats before 44 56 Seats after 52[lower-alpha 1] 48 Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 29,155,739[1] 25,627,430[1] Percentage 50.0% 44.0% Seats up 13 22 Races won 21 14
Results of the elections:      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      No election Rectangular inset (Tennessee): both seats up for election
Majority leader before election George Mitchell Democratic Elected Majority leader Bob Dole Republican

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

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

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

More information Parties, Total ...

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

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

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

Arizona election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Jon Kyl Sam Coppersmith Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 600,999 442,510 Percentage 53.7% 39.5%   Nominee Scott Grainger Party Libertarian Popular vote 75,493 Percentage 6.8%

County results Kyl:      40–50%      50–60% Coppersmith:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Dennis DeConcini Democratic Elected U.S. senator Jon Kyl Republican

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

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California election

← 1992 (special) 2000 →

Nominee Dianne Feinstein Michael Huffington Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,979,152 3,817,025 Percentage 46.74% 44.83%

County results Feinstein:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Huffington:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Dianne Feinstein Democratic Elected U.S. senator Dianne Feinstein Democratic

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

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

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

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

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Connecticut election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Joe Lieberman Jerry Labriola Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 723,842 334,833 Percentage 67.0% 31.0%

County results Municipality results Lieberman:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Labriola:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Joe Lieberman Democratic Elected U.S. senator Joe Lieberman Democratic

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

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Delaware election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee William Roth Charles Oberly Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 111,074 84,540 Percentage 55.8% 42.5%

County results Roth:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election William Roth Republican Elected U.S. senator William Roth Republican

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

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Florida election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Connie Mack III Hugh Rodham Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,895,200 1,210,577 Percentage 70.5% 29.5%

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

U.S. senator before election Connie Mack III Republican Elected U.S. senator Connie Mack III Republican

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

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

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

Hawaii election

← 1990 2000 →

Nominee Daniel Akaka Maria Hustace Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 256,189 86,320 Percentage 71.8% 24.2%

County results Akaka:      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Daniel Akaka Democratic Elected U.S. senator Daniel Akaka Democratic

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

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Indiana election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Richard Lugar Jim Jontz Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,039,625 470,799 Percentage 67.4% 30.5%

County results Lugar:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Jontz:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Richard Lugar Republican Elected U.S. senator Richard Lugar Republican

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

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

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Maine election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Olympia Snowe Tom Andrews Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 308,244 186,042 Percentage 60.24% 36.36%

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

U.S. senator before election George J. Mitchell Democratic Elected U.S. senator Olympia Snowe Republican

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

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Maryland election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Paul Sarbanes Bill Brock Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 809,125 559,908 Percentage 59.1% 40.9%

County results Sarbanes:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Brock:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Paul S. Sarbanes Democratic Elected U.S. senator Paul S. Sarbanes Democratic

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

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Massachusetts election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Ted Kennedy Mitt Romney Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,265,997 894,000 Percentage 58.1% 41.0%

County Results Municipality Results Kennedy   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90% Romney   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%

U.S. senator before election Ted Kennedy Democratic Elected U.S. senator Ted Kennedy Democratic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

Michigan election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Spencer Abraham Bob Carr Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,578,770 1,300,960 Percentage 51.9% 42.7%

County results Abraham:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Carr:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Don Riegle Democratic Elected U.S. senator Spencer Abraham Republican

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

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

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

Minnesota election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Rod Grams Ann Wynia Party Ind.-Republican Democratic (DFL) Popular vote 869,653 781,860 Percentage 49.1% 44.1%   Nominee Dean Barkley Party Reform Popular vote 95,400 Percentage 5.4%

Grams:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Wynia:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election David Durenberger Ind.-Republican Elected U.S. senator Rod Grams Ind.-Republican

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

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Mississippi election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Trent Lott Ken Harper Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 418,333 189,752 Percentage 68.8% 31.2%

County results Lott:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Harper:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Trent Lott Republican Elected U.S. senator Trent Lott Republican

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

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Missouri election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee John Ashcroft Alan Wheat Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,060,149 633,697 Percentage 59.7% 35.7%

County results Ashcroft:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Wheat:      60–70%

U.S. senator before election John Danforth Republican Elected U.S. senator John Ashcroft Republican

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

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

Montana election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Conrad Burns Jack Mudd Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 218,542 131,845 Percentage 62.4% 37.6%

County results Burns:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Mudd:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election Conrad Burns Republican Elected U.S. senator Conrad Burns Republican

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

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

Nebraska election

← 1988 2000 →

Nominee Bob Kerrey Jan Stoney Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 317,297 260,668 Percentage 54.8% 45.0%

County results Kerrey:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Stoney:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Bob Kerrey Democratic Elected U.S. senator Bob Kerrey Democratic

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