The 1972 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of Republican President Richard Nixon. Despite Nixon's landslide victory, Democrats increased their majority by two seats. The Democrats picked up open seats in Kentucky and South Dakota, and defeated four incumbent senators: Gordon Allott of Colorado, J. Caleb Boggs of Delaware, Jack Miller of Iowa, and Margaret Chase Smith of Maine. The Republicans picked up open seats in New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and defeated one incumbent, William B. Spong Jr. of Virginia.

After the elections, Democrats held 56 seats, and Republicans held 42 seats, with one Conservative and one independent senator in the chamber as well. These were the first elections in which all citizens at least 18 years of age (instead of 21 and older) could vote, due to the 1971 passage of the 26th Amendment.

, this is the last time a Republican was elected to a Senate seat in New Jersey. This is also the earliest Senate election cycle where at least one first-elected member is still alive, with two from the 1972 freshman class still being alive. One of them, and the most notable, is Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States (2021–2025) and 47th vice president (2009–2017), who defeated J. Caleb Boggs in the election in Delaware. The other is Sam Nunn, who defeated appointed senator David H. Gambrell in the Democratic primary and won in the dual special and regular elections in Georgia.

Results summary

+ ↓ 56 1 1 42 Democratic I C Republican

Parties Total Democratic Republican Conservative Independent Other Last elections (1970)Before these elections 54 44 1 1 0 100 Not up 40 25 1 1 — 67 Up 14 19 0 0 — 33 Incumbent retired 3 3 — — — 6 1 1 — — — 2 2 Republicans replaced by 2 Democrats2 Democrats replaced by 2 Republicans — — — 4 Result 3 3 0 0 0 6 Incumbent ran 11 16 — — — 27 8 12 — — — 20 4 Republicans replaced by 4 Democrats1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican — — — 5 1 0 — — — 1 1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican — — — 1 Result 13 14 0 0 0 27 Total elected 16 17 0 0 0 33 Net gain/loss 2 2 2 Nationwide vote 17,199,567 19,821,203 42,348 318,238 427,742 37,809,098 Share 45.49% 52.42% 0.11% 0.84% 1.13% 100% Result 56 42 1 1 0 100

Source:

Gains, losses, and holds Retirements Three Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

StateSenatorReplaced by Idaho Kentucky Louisiana New Mexico Oklahoma South Dakota

Defeats Four Republicans and three Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election.

StateSenatorReplaced by Colorado Delaware Georgia Iowa Maine North Carolina Virginia

Post-election changes

StateSenatorReplaced by Ohio(Class 3)

Change in composition Before the elections After the January 7, 1972, Vermont special election.

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D R R R R C I D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Elections results

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D R R C I D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R Key: C D Democratic R Republican I Independent

Race summaries

Special elections during the 92nd Congress In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1972 or before January 3, 1973; ordered by election date, then state.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Vermont(Class 1) Robert Stafford Republican 1971 Interim appointee elected January 7, 1972. Georgia(Class 2) David H. Gambrell Democratic 1971 Interim appointee lost nomination.New senator elected November 7, 1972 and was seated the next day.Democratic hold.Winner also elected to the next term, see below.

Elections leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1973; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Alabama Democratic 1946 1948195419601966 Incumbent re-elected. Alaska Republican 1968 1970 Incumbent re-elected. Arkansas Democratic 19421948195419601966 Incumbent re-elected. Colorado Republican 195419601966 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Delaware Republican 19601966 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Georgia Democratic 1971 Interim appointee lost nomination.Democratic hold.Winner also elected to finish the term, see above. Idaho Republican 1962 1962 1966 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Illinois Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Iowa Republican 19601966 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Kansas Republican 1962 1962 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Kentucky Republican 1946 1948 1952 1954 1956 19601966 Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. Louisiana Democratic 1972 Interim appointee ineligible to run.Democratic hold.Interim appointee resigned November 13, 1972, to give successor preferential seniority.Winner appointed November 14, 1972. Maine Republican 1948195419601966 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Massachusetts Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Michigan Republican 1966 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Minnesota DFL 1964 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Mississippi Democratic 19421948195419601966 Incumbent re-elected. Montana Democratic 19601966 Incumbent re-elected. Nebraska Republican 195419601966 Incumbent re-elected. New Hampshire Democratic 1962 1966 Incumbent re-elected. New Jersey Republican 195419601966 Incumbent re-elected. New Mexico Democratic 1948195419601966 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. North Carolina Democratic 1958 1958 19601966 Incumbent lost renomination.Republican gain. Oklahoma Democratic 1964 1966 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Oregon Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Rhode Island Democratic 19601966 Incumbent re-elected. South Carolina Republican 1954 (write-in)1954 1956 1956 19601966 Incumbent re-elected. South Dakota Republican 19481948 195419601966 Incumbent retired.Democratic gain. Tennessee Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Texas Republican 1961 1966 Incumbent re-elected. Virginia Democratic 1966 Incumbent lost re-election.Republican gain. West Virginia Democratic 1958 19601966 Incumbent re-elected. Wyoming Republican 1966 Incumbent re-elected.

Closest races Seventeen races had a margin of victory under 10%:

State Party of winner Margin Colorado Democratic (flip) 1.0% Delaware Democratic (flip) 1.4% Kentucky Democratic (flip) 3.3% Oklahoma Republican (flip) 3.8% Montana Democratic 3.9% Virginia Republican (flip) 5.4% Georgia (special) Democratic 5.5% Michigan Republican 6.0% Nebraska Republican 6.3% Maine Democratic (flip) 6.4% Idaho Republican 6.8% Oregon Republican 7.5% Georgia Democratic 7.95% Rhode Island Democratic 8.0% New Mexico Republican (flip) 8.0% North Carolina Republican (flip) 8.0% Texas Republican 9.1%

Alabama

In 1946, John H. Bankhead II suffered a stroke during a U.S. Senate hearing and died three weeks later. John Sparkman, who had served as U.S. representative since 1937 and was House Majority Whip, secured the endorsements of party leaders and ran unopposed to win the remainder of Bankhead's term. Sparkman was then re-elected in 1948, 1954, 1960, and 1966 all by wide margins. At the time, the Democratic Party was dominant in Alabama; winning the Democratic primary virtually guaranteed a general election victory. Until 1966, Sparkman never faced an opponent in the general election who garnered more than 30% of the vote. Sparkman also served as the running mate of Adlai Stevenson II in an unsuccessful 1952 presidential campaign.

However, in 1966, the Democratic Party began to feel the backlash of civil rights legislation in the South, and Sparkman faced his closest political contest to date. He defeated John Grenier with just 60% of the vote. Richard Nixon's election in 1968 also helped Republicans gain recognition in Alabama. In 1972, Sparkman faced Winton M. Blount, who was serving as postmaster general.

Sparkman ultimately increased his vote share in a lopsided victory over Blount, who won just two counties, Houston county and, fittingly, the phonetically similar Winston county. This would be Sparkman's final term as U.S. senator. He retired in 1979 and was succeeded by Howell Heflin.

Alaska

Republican Ted Stevens was originally elected to the U.S. Senate in 1970, succeeding Democrat Bob Bartlett. He won election to the remainder of Barlett's term with nearly 60% of the vote.

In 1972, he faced Democrat Gene Guess in the general election. Stevens won re-election in a landslide even as Democrat Mike Gravel served as the state's other senator. On election day, Stevens won re-election to a second term (his first full term) against Guess, 77–23%. Stevens would be re-elected in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, and 2002 with at least 66% of the vote, before losing re-election in 2008 amid criminal charges.

Arkansas

Incumbent Democrat John Little McClellan was re-elected.

Colorado

Incumbent Republican Senator Gordon Allott was defeated by Floyd K. Haskell.

Delaware

Incumbent Republican Senator J. Caleb Boggs, running for a third term, faced off against future President Joe Biden, then a New Castle County councilman. Though Boggs was expected to easily win a third term over the then-unknown Biden, it ended up being the closest Senate election in 1972, and Biden narrowly beat out Boggs by a little over three thousand votes, winning what would be his first of seven terms.

Boggs, a longtime Delaware political figure, was considering retirement, which would likely have led to a primary campaign between two Republicans, U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell Jr. To avoid the anticipated divisive primary fight, President Richard M. Nixon helped convince Boggs to run again with full party support.

No other Democrat wanted to run against Boggs besides Biden., p. 43. Biden's campaign had virtually no money and was given no chance of winning. It was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens (who would manage his future campaigns as well) and staffed by other members of his family, and relied on handed-out newsprint position papers. Biden did receive some assistance from the AFL–CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell. Biden's campaign issues focused on withdrawal from Vietnam, the environment, civil rights, mass transit, more equitable taxation, health care, the public's dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual, and "change".

During the summer, Biden trailed by almost 30 percentage points, but his energetic campaign, attractive young family, and ability to connect with voters' emotions gave the surging Biden an advantage over the ready-to-retire Boggs., p. 364. Biden won the November 7, 1972, election in an upset by a margin of 3,162 votes.

At the time of the election, Biden was a little less than 30 years old; age 30 is a constitutional requirement for the U.S. Senate, and he reached that on November 20, in time for the Senate term beginning January 3. After his election he became the sixth-youngest senator in history.

Georgia

Seven-term Democrat Richard Russell Jr. had served as U.S. senator since 1933, but he died on January 21, 1971, while serving as president pro tempore. Russell had supported segregation in the South and opposed civil rights legislation, as was common among Southern Democrats of the time. Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter appointed Democrat David H. Gambrell, the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, as interim senator, pending a special election.

Georgia (special)