1946 United States elections
The 1946 United States elections were held on November 5, 1946, and elected the members of the 80th United States Congress. In the first election after World War II, incumbent President Harry S. Truman (who took office on April 12, 1945, upon the death of his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt) and the Democratic Party suffered large losses. After having been in the minority of both chambers of Congress since 1932, Republicans took control of both the House and the Senate.
| ← 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 → Midterm elections | |
| Election day | November 5 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Harry S. Truman (Democratic) |
| Next Congress | 80th |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Republican gain |
| Seats contested | 37 of 96 seats (32 Class 1 seats + 8 special elections) |
| Net seat change | Republican +12 |
| 1946 Senate election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Republican gain |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting seats |
| Popular vote margin | Republican +8.5% |
| Net seat change | Republican +55 |
| 1946 House election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 34 |
| Net seat change | Republican +3 |
| 1946 gubernatorial election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
This Republican wave reflected the public backlash against President Truman for the post-war economic hardships the country suffered, straining American-Soviet relations, and his handling of the United Auto Workers strike. Afterwards, Truman was widely expected to face a tough reelection environment in the subsequent presidential election, but he ultimately defied expectations.