The 1974 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 5, 1974, to elect one of Maryland's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Charles Mathias Jr. won re-election to a second term defeating Baltimore City Councilwoman Barbara Mikulski, who won the Senate election 12 years later for this same seat upon Mathias' retirement.

This election marks the last time either party won a race for Maryland's Class 3 US Senate seat with less than 60% of the vote.

Background As a Republican representing heavily Democratic Maryland, Mathias faced a potentially difficult re-election bid for the 1974 election. State Democrats nominated Barbara Mikulski, then a Baltimore City Councilwoman who was well known to residents in her city as a social activist, but with limited name recognition in the rest of the state. Mathias was renominated by Republicans, fending off a primary election challenge from conservative doctor Ross Pierpont. Pierpont was never a substantial threat to Mathias, whose lack of competition was due in part to fallout from the Watergate scandal.

As an advocate for campaign finance reform, Mathias refused to accept any contribution over $100 to "avoid the curse of big money that has led to so much trouble in the last year". However, he still managed to raise over $250,000, nearly five times Mikulski's total. Ideologically, Mikulski and Mathias agreed on many issues, such as closing tax loopholes and easing taxes on the middle class. On two issues, however, Mathias argued to reform Congress and the U.S. tax system to address inflation and corporate price fixing, contrary to Mikulski. In retrospect, The Washington Post felt the election was "an intelligent discussion of state, national, and foreign affairs by two smart, well-informed people".

General election

Candidates Barbara A. Mikulski (D), Baltimore City Councilwoman Charles McCurdy Mathias, Jr. (R), incumbent U.S. Senator

Results

Results by county

+CountyCharlies Mathias RepublicanBarbara Mikulski DemocraticMarginTotal Votes

Cast#%#%#% Allegany 15893 76.21% 4962 23.79% 10931 52.41% 20855 Anne Arundel 39180 57.97% 28404 42.03% 10776 15.94% 67584 Baltimore (City) 57331 40.10% 85625 59.90% -28294 -19.79% 142956 Baltimore (County) 86651 49.09% 89866 50.91% -3215 -1.82% 176517 Calvert 3023 60.81% 1948 39.19% 1075 21.63% 4971 Caroline 2034 61.75% 1260 38.25% 774 23.50% 3294 Carroll 10102 67.50% 4865 32.50% 5237 34.99% 14967 Cecil 5685 58.16% 4090 41.84% 1595 16.32% 9775 Charles 6270 60.53% 4088 39.47% 2182 21.07% 10358 Dorchester 3472 61.97% 2131 38.03% 1341 23.93% 5603 Frederick 16938 79.39% 4397 20.61% 12541 58.78% 21335 Garrett 4197 76.55% 1286 23.45% 2911 53.09% 5483 Harford 15182 53.72% 13077 46.28% 2105 7.45% 28259 Howard 14561 59.44% 9938 40.56% 4623 18.87% 24499 Kent 2824 64.43% 1559 35.57% 1265 28.86% 4383 Montgomery 114850 69.99% 49239 30.01% 65611 39.99% 164089 Prince George's 64443 57.85% 46961 42.15% 17482 15.69% 111404 Queen Anne's 2111 53.34% 1847 46.66% 264 6.67% 3958 St. Mary's 5012 61.21% 3176 38.79% 1836 22.42% 8188 Somerset 2631 57.28% 1962 42.72% 669 14.57% 4593 Talbot 3744 63.96% 2110 36.04% 1634 27.91% 5854 Washington 16690 74.09% 5837 25.91% 10853 48.18% 22527 Wicomico 7353 63.61% 4206 36.39% 3147 27.23% 11559 Worcester 3046 62.48% 1829 37.52% 1217 24.96% 4875 Total 503223 57.32% 374663 42.68% 128560 14.64% 877886

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Charles St. Mary's

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Baltimore (County)

See also 1974 United States Senate elections 1974 United States elections

References