1938 United States elections

1938 United States elections
Willhsmit · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Election name	1938 United States elections
Type	midterm
Election date	November 8, 1938
Incumbent president	Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic)
Next congress	76th
Senate seats contested	35 of 96 seats
Senate control	Democratic hold
Senate net change	Republican +8
Senate map	frameless|250px, Results of the elections:
House seats contested	All 435 voting seats
House control	Democratic hold
House net change	Republican +81
House map	frameless|250px, Results of the elections:
Governor seats contested	33
Governor net change	Republican +12
Governor map	frameless|250px, Results of the elections:

1938 United States elections were held on November 8, constituting a significant midterm setback for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal coalition. The Republican Party made substantial gains in both chambers of the United States Congress and in gubernatorial races across the nation. This election marked a decisive end to the era of large Democratic majorities that had dominated since the 1932 United States elections, signaling a more conservative and resistant political landscape for the remainder of Roosevelt's second term.

Background and political climate

The political environment was shaped by the severe economic downturn known as the Recession of 1937–1938, which undermined confidence in the New Deal's economic policies. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's unsuccessful attempt to expand the Supreme Court of the United States through the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 alienated many voters and emboldened conservative Democrats, such as those in the Conservative Coalition. Rising tensions in Europe, including Adolf Hitler's Anschluss of Austria and the Munich Agreement, began to shift some public attention toward foreign policy. Additionally, Roosevelt's active involvement in several Democratic primaries through his Purge of 1938 largely backfired, intensifying intra-party divisions.

United States House of Representatives elections

Elections for all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives resulted in a net gain of 81 seats for the Republican Party, one of the largest midterm swings in history. Despite these losses, the Democratic Party retained a reduced but solid majority, controlling 262 seats to the Republicans' 169. Key Democratic losses occurred in the Midwest and New England, with Republicans picking up seats in states like Illinois, Indiana, and New York. Notable new members elected included future Speaker Joseph William Martin Jr. from Massachusetts.

United States Senate elections

In the United States Senate elections for 35 of the 96 seats, Republicans achieved a net gain of eight seats. This significantly reduced the Democratic majority but did not threaten their control of the chamber. Several prominent Democratic incumbents were defeated, including Alben W. Barkley's colleague in Kentucky, Happy Chandler. Republicans won key races in Ohio, where Robert A. Taft began his long Senate career, and in Colorado, capturing the seat previously held by Alva B. Adams. The elections strengthened the conservative bloc within the Senate, which would frequently oppose further New Deal legislation.

Gubernatorial elections

The Republican Party had its most successful gubernatorial cycle since the 1928 United States elections, scoring a net gain of twelve governorships. They won high-profile races in pivotal states like Ohio, where John W. Bricker was elected, and Michigan, where Luren Dickinson succeeded. In New York, incumbent Herbert H. Lehman narrowly won re-election against Thomas E. Dewey. The results shifted the balance of state-level power dramatically, giving Republicans control of key executive offices that would influence the 1940 United States presidential election.

Analysis and aftermath

The 1938 elections are widely interpreted as a sharp rebuke of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the direction of the New Deal. The gains by the Republican Party, combined with the strengthened Conservative Coalition of Republicans and conservative Southern Democrats in Congress, effectively halted the expansion of domestic reform programs. This new political reality forced the Roosevelt administration to focus more on foreign policy in the face of growing threats from Nazi Germany and Japan. The election results also solidified the Republican comeback as a national force and set the stage for the contentious 1940 United States presidential election.

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