1940 United States elections

The 1940 United States elections were held on November 5. The Democratic Party continued to dominate national politics, as it defended its congressional majorities and retained the presidency. It was the last election prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into World War II.

1940 United States elections
1938          1939          1940          1941          1942
Presidential election year
Election dayNovember 5
Incumbent presidentFranklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic)
Next Congress77th
Presidential election
Partisan controlDemocratic hold
Popular vote marginDemocratic +9.9%
Electoral vote
Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)449
Wendell Willkie (R)82
1940 United States presidential election in California1940 United States presidential election in Oregon1940 United States presidential election in Washington (state)1940 United States presidential election in Idaho1940 United States presidential election in Nevada1940 United States presidential election in Utah1940 United States presidential election in Arizona1940 United States presidential election in Montana1940 United States presidential election in Wyoming1940 United States presidential election in Colorado1940 United States presidential election in New Mexico1940 United States presidential election in North Dakota1940 United States presidential election in South Dakota1940 United States presidential election in Nebraska1940 United States presidential election in Kansas1940 United States presidential election in Oklahoma1940 United States presidential election in Texas1940 United States presidential election in Minnesota1940 United States presidential election in Iowa1940 United States presidential election in Missouri1940 United States presidential election in Arkansas1940 United States presidential election in Louisiana1940 United States presidential election in Wisconsin1940 United States presidential election in Illinois1940 United States presidential election in Michigan1940 United States presidential election in Indiana1940 United States presidential election in Ohio1940 United States presidential election in Kentucky1940 United States presidential election in Tennessee1940 United States presidential election in Mississippi1940 United States presidential election in Alabama1940 United States presidential election in Georgia1940 United States presidential election in Florida1940 United States presidential election in South Carolina1940 United States presidential election in North Carolina1940 United States presidential election in Virginia1940 United States presidential election in West Virginia1940 United States presidential election in Maryland1940 United States presidential election in Delaware1940 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania1940 United States presidential election in New Jersey1940 United States presidential election in New York1940 United States presidential election in Connecticut1940 United States presidential election in Rhode Island1940 United States presidential election in Vermont1940 United States presidential election in New Hampshire1940 United States presidential election in Maine1940 United States presidential election in Massachusetts1940 United States presidential election in Maryland1940 United States presidential election in Delaware1940 United States presidential election in New Jersey1940 United States presidential election in Connecticut1940 United States presidential election in Rhode Island1940 United States presidential election in Massachusetts1940 United States presidential election in Vermont1940 United States presidential election in New Hampshire
1940 presidential election results. Red denotes states won by Willkie, blue denotes states won by Roosevelt. Numbers indicate the electoral votes won by each candidate.
Senate elections
Overall controlDemocratic hold
Seats contested36 of 96 seats
(32 Class 1 seats + 4 special elections)
Net seat changeRepublican +4[1]
1940 United States Senate special election in Idaho1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois1940 United States Senate special election in Kentucky1940 United States Senate special election in Vermont1940 United States Senate election in Arizona1940 United States Senate election in California1940 United States Senate election in Connecticut1940 United States Senate election in Delaware1940 United States Senate election in Florida1940 United States Senate election in Indiana1940 United States Senate election in Maine1940 United States Senate election in Maryland1940 United States Senate election in Massachusetts1940 United States Senate election in Michigan1940 United States Senate election in Minnesota1940 United States Senate election in Mississippi1940 United States Senate election in Missouri1940 United States Senate election in Montana1940 United States Senate election in Nebraska1940 United States Senate election in Nevada1940 United States Senate election in New Jersey1940 United States Senate election in New Mexico1940 United States Senate election in New York1940 United States Senate election in North Dakota1940 United States Senate election in Ohio1940 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania1940 United States Senate election in Rhode Island1940 United States Senate election in Tennessee1940 United States Senate election in Texas1940 United States Senate election in Utah1940 United States Senate election in Vermont1940 United States Senate election in Virginia1940 United States Senate election in Washington1940 United States Senate election in West Virginia1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin1940 United States Senate election in Wyoming
1940 Senate results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold
  Republican gain   Republican hold

  Progressive hold
House elections
Overall controlDemocratic hold
Seats contestedAll 435 voting members
Popular vote marginDemocratic +5.8%
Net seat changeDemocratic +5
1940 House election results map
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested34
Net seat changeRepublican +2
1940 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1940 Illinois gubernatorial election1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1940 Iowa gubernatorial election1940 Arkansas gubernatorial election1940 Kansas gubernatorial election1940 Texas gubernatorial election1940 New Mexico gubernatorial election1940 Arizona gubernatorial election1940 Florida gubernatorial election1940 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1940 Michigan gubernatorial election1940 Nebraska gubernatorial election1940 South Dakota gubernatorial election1940 Minnesota gubernatorial election1940 Maine gubernatorial election1940 Colorado gubernatorial election1940 Ohio gubernatorial election1940 Tennessee gubernatorial election1940 Connecticut gubernatorial election1940 Idaho gubernatorial election1940 Georgia gubernatorial election1940 New Jersey gubernatorial election1940 Delaware gubernatorial election1940 Indiana gubernatorial election1940 Missouri gubernatorial election1940 Montana gubernatorial election1940 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1940 North Carolina gubernatorial election1940 North Dakota gubernatorial election1940 Utah gubernatorial election1940 Vermont gubernatorial election1940 Washington gubernatorial election1940 West Virginia gubernatorial election
1940 gubernatorial election results

  Democratic gain   Democratic hold

  Republican gain   Republican hold

In the presidential election, Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to serve an unprecedented third term, defeating Republican businessman Wendell Willkie of New York. Although Willkie fared better than the previous two Republican presidential candidates, Roosevelt crushed Willkie in the electoral college and won the popular vote by ten points. At the 1940 Democratic National Convention, Roosevelt overcame opposition from Vice President John Nance Garner and Postmaster General James Farley to win on the first ballot. Willkie won the Republican nomination on the sixth ballot, defeating Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft and Manhattan District Attorney Thomas Dewey.[2][3]

The Democrats gained five seats in the House of Representatives, furthering their majority over the Republicans. The Democrats also maintained a majority in the U.S. Senate; however, they lost three seats to the Republicans in that house.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Republicans picked up three seats in the regularly-scheduled elections and picked up an additional seat in the special elections.
  2. ^ "1940 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk. Retrieved 28 December 2011.