How did Democrats win 15 Senate seats in the 1958 midterms?

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

 I do know that there was a late 50's recession, but it was relatively mild. Ike said 1958 was the worst year of his life.

Was it because people were terrified of the Soviets winning the space race with Sputnik in 1957?

[OSR stands with Israel]

They won the PV by 12 points in the senate and over 12 in the house too

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

They won the PV by 12 points in the senate and over 12 in the house too

People were stunned at Republicans picking up 9 Senate seats in 2014 or Democrats picking up 8 in 2008. 15 is much more than 8 or 9.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1946_United_States_Senate_elections#/media/File:US_1946_senate_election_map.svg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_United_States_Senate_elections#/media/File:Us_1952_senate_election_map.svg

Look at where the Republicans held all those seats. Their traditional bastions, POST-New Deal. This was product of a midterm election in which Republicans had managed to basically turn the clock back. This was obliterated in the House in 1948, but the Senate class was not up again until 1952 and it was shielded partially by IKE's victory. By 1958, with the economy doing badly and the influence of unions at their peak in the rust belt, led to a blood bath.

The Republicans managed to hold both Pennsylvania and New York, despite both seats being open.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Pennsylvania_Senatorial_Election_Results_by_County%2C_1958.svg/200px-Pennsylvania_Senatorial_Election_Results_by_County%2C_1958.svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_United_States_Senate_elections#/media/File:Us_1958_senate_election_map.svg

And pickup the Governorship of New York, defeating an incumbent to do so:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_New_York_state_election#/media/File:NewYorkGubernatorial1958.svg

Different Times!

[brucejoel99]

Different Times!

And somehow, times that were simultaneously saner & insaner than those in which we currently live.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1946_United_States_Senate_elections#/media/File:US_1946_senate_election_map.svg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_United_States_Senate_elections#/media/File:Us_1952_senate_election_map.svg

Look at where the Republicans held all those seats. Their traditional bastions, POST-New Deal. This was product of a midterm election in which Republicans had managed to basically turn the clock back. This was obliterated in the House in 1948, but the Senate class was not up again until 1952 and it was shielded partially by IKE's victory. By 1958, with the economy doing badly and the influence of unions at their peak in the rust belt, led to a blood bath.

The Republicans managed to hold both Pennsylvania and New York, despite both seats being open.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Pennsylvania_Senatorial_Election_Results_by_County%2C_1958.svg/200px-Pennsylvania_Senatorial_Election_Results_by_County%2C_1958.svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_United_States_Senate_elections#/media/File:Us_1958_senate_election_map.svg

And pickup the Governorship of New York, defeating an incumbent to do so:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_New_York_state_election#/media/File:NewYorkGubernatorial1958.svg

Different Times!

Yea the Democratic coalition of the Solid South, big city machines, blacks and big labor was very strong.

[Badger]

During recent reports about how the second quarter GDP making tracks by as much as 25%, it was noted that the hitherto worst recorded portal Lee drop was just over 10% in 1958. I didn't realize the recession that year was apparently so bad. That plus the six year itch certainly explains a lot. Plus you had a lot of Republican Senators swept in and / or preserved in office because of Ike's 1952 landslide win, so presumably there was some low-hanging fruit there.

[Badger]

During recent reports about how the second quarter GDP making tracks by as much as 25%, it was noted that the hitherto worst recorded portal Lee drop was just over 10% in 1958. I didn't realize the recession that year was apparently so bad. That plus the six year itch certainly explains a lot. Plus you had a lot of Republican Senators swept in and / or preserved in office because of Ike's 1952 landslide win, so presumably there was some low-hanging fruit there.

Oh, plus there were two brand new seats opened in what was then democratic-leaning Alaska. Democrats took both.

[Sumner 1868]

It should also be noted there were several ballot measures that year on "right-to-work" that drove very heavy labor turnout.

https://ballotpedia.org/Category:Labor_and_unions,_1958

[Orwell]

It should also be noted there were several ballot measures that year on "right-to-work" that drove very heavy labor turnout.

https://ballotpedia.org/Category:Labor_and_unions,_1958

And thankfully none of those measures passed.

[Dac10]

Surprised no ones mentioned this, but six years in office (in “normal times”, so no Depresion or WW2 to “help” you keep voters and turnout) will also just naturally hurt any party.