1940 United States elections

The 1940 United States elections was 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
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 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 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
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested34
Net seat changeRepublican +2
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

References
  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. "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.
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