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1970 United States elections

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1970 United States elections
1968          1969          1970          1971          1972
Midterm elections
Election dayNovember 3
Incumbent presidentRichard Nixon (Republican)
Next Congress92nd
Senate elections
Overall controlDemocratic hold
Seats contested35 of 100 seats
(33 seats of Class 1 + 2 special elections)
Net seat changeRepublican +2[1]
1970 United States Senate election in Illinois1970 United States Senate election in Alaska1970 United States Senate election in Arizona1970 United States Senate election in California1970 United States Senate election in Connecticut1970 United States Senate election in Delaware1970 United States Senate election in Florida1970 United States Senate election in Hawaii1970 United States Senate election in Indiana1970 United States Senate election in Maine1970 United States Senate election in Maryland1970 United States Senate election in Massachusetts1970 United States Senate election in Michigan1970 United States Senate election in Minnesota1970 United States Senate election in Mississippi1970 United States Senate election in Missouri1970 United States Senate election in Montana1970 United States Senate election in Nebraska1970 United States Senate election in Nevada1970 United States Senate election in New Jersey1970 United States Senate election in New Mexico1970 United States Senate election in New York1970 United States Senate election in North Dakota1970 United States Senate election in Ohio1970 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania1970 United States Senate election in Rhode Island1970 United States Senate election in Tennessee1970 United States Senate election in Texas1970 United States Senate election in Utah1970 United States Senate election in Vermont1970 United States Senate election in Virginia1970 United States Senate election in Washington1970 United States Senate election in West Virginia1970 United States Senate election in Wisconsin1970 United States Senate election in Wyoming
1970 Senate election results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold
  Republican gain   Republican hold

  Conservative gain   Independent gain
House elections
Overall controlDemocratic hold
Seats contestedAll 435 voting seats
Popular vote marginDemocratic +8.7%
Net seat changeDemocratic +12
1970 House of Representatives election results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold

  Republican gain   Republican hold
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested37 (35 states, 2 territories)
Net seat changeDemocratic +11
1970 Alabama gubernatorial election1970 Alaska gubernatorial election1970 Arizona gubernatorial election1970 Arkansas gubernatorial election1970 California gubernatorial election1970 Colorado gubernatorial election1970 Connecticut gubernatorial election1970 Florida gubernatorial election1970 Georgia gubernatorial election1970 Hawaii gubernatorial election1970 Idaho gubernatorial election1970 Iowa gubernatorial election1970 Kansas gubernatorial election1970 Maine gubernatorial election1970 Maryland gubernatorial election1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1970 Michigan gubernatorial election1970 Minnesota gubernatorial election1970 Nebraska gubernatorial election1970 Nevada gubernatorial election1970 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1970 New Mexico gubernatorial election1970 New York gubernatorial election1970 Ohio gubernatorial election1970 Oklahoma gubernatorial election1970 Oregon gubernatorial election1970 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election1970 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1970 South Carolina gubernatorial election1970 South Dakota gubernatorial election1970 Tennessee gubernatorial election1970 Texas gubernatorial election1970 Vermont gubernatorial election1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1970 Wyoming gubernatorial election
1970 gubernatorial election results
Territorial races not shown

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold

  Republican gain   Republican hold

The 1970 United States elections were held on November 3, and elected the members of the 92nd United States Congress. The election took place during the Vietnam War, in the middle of Republican President Richard Nixon's first term. The Democratic Party defended their control of Congress by retaining its Senate majority and increasing its majority in the House of Representatives.

In the House of Representatives, the Democrats picked up twelve seats at the expense of the Republican Party.[2] In the Senate, Republicans picked up two seats, and James L. Buckley won the election as a member of the Conservative Party of New York. He is the most recent individual to win election to the Senate as a member of a third party and remain affiliated with that party after the election. Democrats also gained a net 11 governorships and maintained majorities in state legislatures.

Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew campaigned heavily for Republican candidates, with Nixon encouraging voters to respond to anti-war and civil rights activists by voting the Republican ticket. In an October speech, he declared, "My friends, I say that the answer to those that engage in disruption--to those that shout their filthy slogans, to those that try to shout down speakers--is not to answer in kind, but go to the polls on election day, and in the quiet of that ballot box, stand up and be counted: the great silent majority of America."[3][4]

This was the first time that Republicans gained Senate seats while losing House seats in a midterm, which also later occurred in 2018.[5] Democrats did this in 1914 and 1962 as well.

This election saw future president Jimmy Carter win the election to the governorship in Georgia.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Republicans gained two seats in the regularly-scheduled elections but lost one seat in a special election.
  2. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1970" (PDF). U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. ^ "1970 Election, Nixon's Nominations". United Press International. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  4. ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Richard Nixon; Remarks in Kansas City, Missouri; October 19, 1970". The American Presidency Project. UC Santa Barbara. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  5. ^ Kane, Paul (13 October 2018). "Stark political divide points to a split decision in midterm elections". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 June 2020.