Republican and Democratic US Senate Streaks

[ElectionsGuy]

Not that this is particularly relevant to any election, but I thought it would be interesting to put here to discuss. I will note that the years are the year the person lost/retired, not the year they actually exited (January 3rd the year after).

Democrat Streaks:

Nevada: No Republican since 2018 (Dean Heller)
Illinois: No Republican since 2016 (Mark Kirk)
New Hampshire: No Republican since 2016 (Kelly Ayotte)
Massachusetts: No Republican since 2012 (Scott Brown)
Minnesota: No Republican since 2008 (Norm Coleman)
New Mexico: No Republican since 2008 (Pete Domenici)
Oregon: No Republican since 2008 (Gordon Smith)
Virginia: No Republican since 2008 (John Warner)
Rhode Island: No Republican since 2006 (Lincoln Chafee)
Vermont: No Republican since 2001 (Jim Jeffords)
Delaware: No Republican since 2000 (William Roth)
Michigan: No Republican since 2000 (Spencer Abraham)
Washington: No Republican since 2000 (Slade Gorton)
New York: No Republican since 1998 (Al D'Amato)
California: No Republican since 1992 (John Seymour)
Connecticut: No Republican since 1988 (Lowell Weicker)
Maryland: No Republican since 1986 (Charles Mathias)
New Jersey: No Republican since 1978 (Clifford Case)*
Hawaii: No Republican since 1976 (Hiram Fong)


Republican Streaks:

Florida: No Democrat since 2018 (Bill Nelson)
Indiana: No Democrat since 2018 (Joe Donnelly)
Missouri: No Democrat since 2018 (Claire McCaskill)
North Dakota: No Democrat since 2018 (Heidi Heitkamp)
Alaska: No Democrat since 2014 (Mark Begich)
Arkansas: No Democrat since 2014 (Mark Pryor)
Iowa: No Democrat since 2014 (Tom Harkin)
Louisiana: No Democrat since 2014 (Mary Landrieu)
North Carolina: No Democrat since 2014 (Kay Hagan)
South Dakota: No Democrat since 2014 (Tim Johnson)
Nebraska: No Democrat since 2012 (Ben Nelson)
Georgia: No Democrat since 2004 (Zell Miller)
South Carolina: No Democrat since 2004 (Ernest Hollings)
Kentucky: No Democrat since 1998 (Wendell Ford)
Alabama: No Democrat since 1996 (Howell Heflin)
Arizona: No Democrat since 1994 (Dennis DeConcini)
Maine: No Democrat since 1994 (George Mitchell)
Oklahoma: No Democrat since 1994 (David Boren)
Tennessee: No Democrat since 1994 (Jim Sasser)
Texas: No Democrat since 1993 (Bob Krueger)**
Mississippi: No Democrat since 1988 (John Stennis)
Idaho: No Democrat since 1980 (Frank Church)
Utah: No Democrat since 1976 (Frank Moss)
Wyoming: No Democrat since 1976 (Gale McGee)
Kansas: No Democrat since 1938! (George McGill)

** Krueger was appointed to finish Lloyd Benton's term, but then went on to lose to Kay Bailey Hutchison in a special election, so really Bentson was the last one.
* Not including the appointed Jeffrey Chiesa in 2013, or the appointed Nicholas Bradly in 1982.

So the longest streak is Kansas, 76 years. West Virginia will very likely break its 56 year streak this year! Its interesting that so many republican streaks were ended in 2008, the dems really cleaned house that year! Let me know if I missed any states.

[Vosem]

Brady of New Jersey, like Chiesa, was also an appointed Senator. The last Republican elected to the Senate from New Jersey was Clifford Case, who was primaried out in 1978 for being too left-wing and, at 74, too old.

[ElectionsGuy]

Brady of New Jersey, like Chiesa, was also an appointed Senator. The last Republican elected to the Senate from New Jersey was Clifford Case, who was primaried out in 1978 for being too left-wing and, at 74, too old.

My mistake, I corrected that. But wow, that's a long time for a state that went republican at the presidential and state level at the time.

[GaussLaw]

If Chad Taylor wins, that would be crazy.....

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Any blue state would be lucky to have a Senator as good as Frank Church. But somehow he served 4 terms in Idaho.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Looks like WV's streak will fall, but KS will keep goin' strong.

[Never]

Looks like WV's streak will fall, but KS will keep goin' strong.

I definitely hope that will happen.

[Vega]

New Jersey and Hawaii look to keep up the streak, so that's cool.

[nclib]

What are the longest streaks by Senate seat? Landrieu's has been Democratic since reconstruction.

[ElectionsGuy]

What are the longest streaks by Senate seat? Landrieu's has been Democratic since reconstruction.

Vermont's class 1 was Republican from 1856-2001, so that's probably it for republicans. I'm sure you can find similar things with Maine.

For democrats, its seems to be that Georgia's class 2 takes the cake, as it was democratic from 1852-2002. For most states in the south, there's a common pattern. Democratic at first, some Republicans during reconstruction, and then Democratic pretty all the way until post-Civil Rights. Georgia's class 2 is the only one I've seen where it didn't elect at least one Republican during reconstruction. 

[ElectionsGuy]

This thread is from a few months ago, but I felt like it was worth updating.

[Türkisblau]

What are the longest streaks by Senate seat? Landrieu's has been Democratic since reconstruction.

Vermont's class 1 was Republican from 1856-2001, so that's probably it for republicans. I'm sure you can find similar things with Maine.

For democrats, its seems to be that Georgia's class 2 takes the cake, as it was democratic from 1852-2002. For most states in the south, there's a common pattern. Democratic at first, some Republicans during reconstruction, and then Democratic pretty all the way until post-Civil Rights. Georgia's class 2 is the only one I've seen where it didn't elect at least one Republican during reconstruction. 

Do you know the context there? How did they manage to elect Democrats during Reconstruction?

[ElectionsGuy]

What are the longest streaks by Senate seat? Landrieu's has been Democratic since reconstruction.

Vermont's class 1 was Republican from 1856-2001, so that's probably it for republicans. I'm sure you can find similar things with Maine.

For democrats, its seems to be that Georgia's class 2 takes the cake, as it was democratic from 1852-2002. For most states in the south, there's a common pattern. Democratic at first, some Republicans during reconstruction, and then Democratic pretty all the way until post-Civil Rights. Georgia's class 2 is the only one I've seen where it didn't elect at least one Republican during reconstruction. 

Do you know the context there? How did they manage to elect Democrats during Reconstruction?

I don't know. It was at least 40% black at the time so I can't imagine a Republican not getting elected.

[morgieb]

What are the longest streaks by Senate seat? Landrieu's has been Democratic since reconstruction.

Vermont's class 1 was Republican from 1856-2001, so that's probably it for republicans. I'm sure you can find similar things with Maine.

For democrats, its seems to be that Georgia's class 2 takes the cake, as it was democratic from 1852-2002. For most states in the south, there's a common pattern. Democratic at first, some Republicans during reconstruction, and then Democratic pretty all the way until post-Civil Rights. Georgia's class 2 is the only one I've seen where it didn't elect at least one Republican during reconstruction. 

Do you know the context there? How did they manage to elect Democrats during Reconstruction?

I don't know. It was at least 40% black at the time so I can't imagine a Republican not getting elected.

That was pre-17th Amendment, so there was still a good chance that the state legislature was Democrat controlled.

[Miles]

The Fix had a post on this topic last week:

[Beet]

Any blue state would be lucky to have a Senator as good as Frank Church. But somehow he served 4 terms in Idaho.

And yet Texas would somehow elect a Democrat before Idaho? Makes no sense.

[ElectionsGuy]

What are the longest streaks by Senate seat? Landrieu's has been Democratic since reconstruction.

Vermont's class 1 was Republican from 1856-2001, so that's probably it for republicans. I'm sure you can find similar things with Maine.

For democrats, its seems to be that Georgia's class 2 takes the cake, as it was democratic from 1852-2002. For most states in the south, there's a common pattern. Democratic at first, some Republicans during reconstruction, and then Democratic pretty all the way until post-Civil Rights. Georgia's class 2 is the only one I've seen where it didn't elect at least one Republican during reconstruction.  

Do you know the context there? How did they manage to elect Democrats during Reconstruction?

I don't know. It was at least 40% black at the time so I can't imagine a Republican not getting elected.

That was pre-17th Amendment, so there was still a good chance that the state legislature was Democrat controlled.

Oh yeah. Sort of forgot about that

[ElectionsGuy]

I've updated this very old thread, still interesting to consider.

There are now only 8 states that have a senator of each party (assuming Scott and Sinema end up winning): Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. That has to be some kind of record low.

[Gass3268]

Another streak that lived another 6 years is the Curse of Joe McCarthy. No Republican has held that seat in Wisconsin since he passed away in 1957, now over 60 years.

[Roll Roons]

Funny thing about Heitkamp's seat is that before her loss this year, Dems had an unbroken streak of holding it since 1960!!!

[Person Man]

I've updated this very old thread, still interesting to consider.

There are now only 8 states that have a senator of each party (assuming Scott and Sinema end up winning): Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. That has to be some kind of record low.

The death of the Senatorial swing state?

[Xing]

I've updated this very old thread, still interesting to consider.

There are now only 8 states that have a senator of each party (assuming Scott and Sinema end up winning): Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. That has to be some kind of record low.

What about Alabama? What’s crazy is that there could be even fewer after 2020, since Alabama and Colorado are the most promising pick-up opportunities for each party.