1976 United States Senate election in Missouri

1976 United States Senate election in Missouri

← 1970 November 2, 1976 1982 →

Nominee John Danforth Warren E. Hearnes Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,090,067 813,571 Percentage 56.9% 42.5%

County results Danforth:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Hearnes:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Stuart Symington Democratic Elected U.S. Senator John Danforth Republican

Elections in Missouri
Federal government U.S. President 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 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 Dem Rep 2004 Dem Rep 2008 Dem Rep 2012 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep Missouri bellwether U.S. Senate 1821 1825 1827 1830 1833 1836 1839 1842 1843 sp 1845 1849 1851 1857 1857 sp 1861 1863 1863 sp 1868 1871 sp 1874 1879 1879 sp 1881 1885 1887 1891 1893 1897 1899 1903 1905 1909 1911 1911 1914 1916 1918 sp 1920 1922 1926 1926 sp 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1950 1952 1956 1958 1960 sp 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 sp 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 1820 1822 1824 1826 1828 1831 1832–1833 1835 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1st sp 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 10th sp 1920 1921 4th sp 1922 1924 1926 11th sp 1928 1929 4th sp 1930 1931 7th sp 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1943 6th sp 1944 1946 1948 10th sp 1950 1951 11th sp 1952 1954 1956 1958 1959 4th sp 1960 1962 1964 9th sp 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 8th sp 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013 8th sp 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
State government Gubernatorial elections 1820 1824 1825 (special) 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1857 (special) 1860 1864 1868 1870 1872 1874 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 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 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 Attorney General elections 2012 2016 2020 State Auditor elections 2010 2014 2018 2022 State Treasurer elections 2012 2016 2020 Secretary of State elections 2012 2016 2020 Missouri Senate elections 2010 2018 2020 Missouri House elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
Ballot measures 1999 Proposition B 2004 Amendment 2 2006 Amendment 2 2020 Amendment 2
Columbia Mayoral elections 2016 2019 2022
Kansas City Mayoral elections 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Springfield Mayoral elections 2021
St. Louis Mayoral elections 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
v t

The 1976 United States Senate election in Missouri took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Stuart Symington decided to retire, instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican John Danforth won the open seat, defeating Democrat Warren Hearnes. (Jerry Litton had won the Democratic nomination earlier, but died in a plane crash on the night of the primary election, and Hearnes was chosen by the party committee.)

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

• Warren Hearnes, former Governor of Missouri
• Horace Kingery
• Jerry Litton, U.S. Representative from Chilicothe
• Terry Richards
• Lee Sutton, former State Representative
• James W. Symington, U.S. Representative from Ladue and son of incumbent Senator Stuart Symington
• William McKinley Thomas, perennial candidate
• Norman L. Tucker
• Jim C. Tyler
• Charles Wheeler, Mayor of Kansas City

Results[]

On primary night, Representative Litton and his entire family died in a plane crash en route to his victory party.^[2] To replace Litton on the general election ticket, the Missouri Democratic State Committee held a meeting and elected runner-up Warren Hearnes as the party's nominee. He was chosen over State Treasurer of Missouri Jim Spainhower.

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

• John Danforth, Attorney General of Missouri and nominee for Senate in 1970
• Gregory Hansman, candidate for Lt. Governor in 1972 and Senate in 1974

Results[]

Independents and third parties[]

Independent[]

• Lawrence "Red" Petty, unsuccessful candidate for the American Party nomination for Senate in 1970

General election[]

Results[]

General election results^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	John Danforth	1,090,067	56.94%	8.79
	Democratic	Warren E. Hearnes	813,571	42.50%	8.54
	Independent	Lawrence "Red" Petty	10,822	0.57%	N/A
Turnout			1,914,460	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic

See also[]

• 1976 United States Senate elections

References[]