1974 United States Senate election in Vermont

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1974 United States Senate election in Vermont

← 1968 November 5, 1974 (1974-11-05) 1980 →
  Patrick Leahy 1979 congressional photo.jpg Richard W. Mallary.jpg
Nominee Patrick Leahy Richard Mallary
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 70,629 66,223
Percentage 49.5% 46.4%

1974 United States Senate election in Vermont results map by county.svg
County results
Leahy:      40–50%      50–60%
Mallary:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

George Aiken
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Patrick Leahy
Democratic

The 1974 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 5, 1974. The incumbent Republican Senator, George Aiken, did not run for re-election to another term in the United States Senate. The Democratic nominee, attorney and prosecutor Patrick Leahy, defeated Republican nominee, then-Rep. Richard W. Mallary, to become Aiken's successor.

This election featured future Mayor of Burlington, U.S. Representative, and Leahy's future U.S. Senate colleague, Bernie Sanders, who was the nominee for the Liberty Union Party. Sanders won only 4.1% of the vote and failed to win any counties but managed to obtain 5.6% of the vote in Chittenden County, where the city of Burlington is located, which he would later go on to become the mayor of.

This election marked the first time in the state's history that Vermont elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate. Leahy, who still holds this seat as of 2022, remains the only Democrat ever elected to the Senate in the state. The last non-Republican elected to the Senate from Vermont at this point in time was Lawrence Brainerd, who was elected as a member of the Free Soil Party in 1854. Sanders would later be elected to Vermont's other U.S. Senate seat in 2006; he has caucused with the Democratic Party but serves as an independent.

Republican primary[]

Results[]

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard W. Mallary 27,221 59.1%
Republican Charles R. Ross 14,479 35.8%
Republican T. Serse Ambrosini 2,265 4.9%
None Scattering 61 0.1%
Total votes 44,026 100.00%

Democratic primary[]

Results[]

Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Patrick Leahy 19,801 83.9%
Democratic Nathaniel Frothingham 3,703 15.7%
None Scattering 97 0.4%
Total votes 23,601 100.00%

General election[]

Results[]

1974 United States Senate election in Vermont[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Patrick Leahy 70,629 49.47%
Republican Richard W. Mallary 66,223 46.38%
Liberty Union Bernie Sanders 5,901 4.13%
Write-in 19 0.01%
Total votes 142,772 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

See also[]

  • 1974 United States Senate elections

References[]

  1. ^ Douglas, James H. (1989). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 134 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Douglas, James H. (1989). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 135 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "1974 U.S. Senate General Election". Retrieved December 1, 2020.
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