1974 United States Senate election in Kansas

1974 United States Senate election in Kansas

← 1968 November 5, 1974 1980 →

Nominee Bob Dole William R. Roy Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 403,983 390,451 Percentage 50.85% 49.15%

County results Dole:      50–60%      60–70% Roy:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Bob Dole Republican Elected U.S. Senator Bob Dole Republican

Elections in Kansas
Federal government Presidential elections 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Presidential Primaries Democratic Caucuses 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican Caucuses 2008 2012 U.S. Senate Elections 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1996 special 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 U.S. House Elections 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Special elections 4th district, 2017
State government Gubernatorial elections 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Senate elections 2020 House of Representatives elections 2020 State elections by year 2012 2014 2018 2020
Ballot measures 2005 Amendment 1
Wichita Mayoral elections 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Kansas City Mayoral elections 2013 2017 2021
Overland Park Mayoral elections 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
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The 1974 United States Senate election in Kansas took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bob Dole was narrowly re-elected to a second term in office.

Dole was considered vulnerable due to his close association with President Richard Nixon as chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1971 and 1972. In what would be the closest election of his 35-year Congressional career, Dole won his second term by just 15,533 votes over Democrat William R. Roy, a Topeka physician and two-term U.S. Representative.

Kansas itself has not been represented by a Democrat in the Senate since 1939, when George McGill lost re-election. Roy's 1.7 percent margin of loss in the election is the closest the Democrats have come in winning one of the state's Senate seats.

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

• George Hart, former Kansas Treasurer and perennial candidate from Wichita
• William R. Roy, U.S. Representative from Topeka

Results[]

General election[]

1974 United States Senate election in Kansas^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bob Dole (incumbent)	403,983	50.85%	9.23
	Democratic	William R. Roy	390,451	49.15%	10.49
	Write-in		3	0.00%
Majority			13,532	1.70%
Turnout			794,437
	Republican hold		Swing

See also[]

• 1974 United States Senate elections

References[]