The 1922 United States Senate elections were elections that occurred in the middle of RepublicanPresidentWarren G. Harding's term. The 32 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. With the Republicans divided between conservative and progressive factions, the Democrats gained six net seats from the Republicans while the Farmer–Labor party gained one. The Republicans retained their Senate majority.
Mid-term vacancies would reduce the Republican majority by a further two seats, with the Democrats and the Farmer Labors picking up another seat each, reducing Republicans to a 51-43-2 majority.
Gains, losses, and holds
Retirements
One Republican and two Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. One Republican retired instead of seeking election to finish the unexpired term and one Democrat retired instead of seeking election to finish the unexpired term.
Nine Republicans and three Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election. One Republican sought election to finish the unexpired term and sought election to a full term but lost in both the special election and the regular election.
One-term Republican Philander C. Knox died October 12, 1921, and Republican state senator William E. Crow was appointed October 24, 1921 to continue the term, pending a special election. Crow then died August 2, 1922, and Republican attorney David A. Reed was appointed, also to continue the term, pending a special election. Reed won that election as well as the election to the next term.
Five-term Republican Boies Penrose died December 31, 1921, and Republican attorney George W. Pepper was appointed January 9, 1922 to continue the term, pending a special election, which he then won.
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Charles Culberson ran for re-election to a fifth term, but he lost the Democratic primary.[5] Railroads Commissioner Earle Bradford Mayfield defeated former Governor Pa Ferguson in the primary runoff. Mayfield won the runoff, but because of his support of the resurgent Ku Klux Klan, anti-Klan activists in the Democratic Party including George Peddy attempted to have him stripped of the nomination.[6] After this failed, Peddy ran as the candidate of the "Independent Democrats."[7] The Texas Republican Party also backed Peddy, but after a lengthy court battle, they were unable to have him included on the general election ballot as their official nominee.[8] Peddy instead ran as a write-in candidate, but he lost the general election to Mayfield.[9]