The 1968 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate. Held on November 5, the 34 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year. Although Richard Nixon won the presidential election narrowly, the Republicans picked up five net seats in the Senate. This saw Republicans win a Senate seat in Florida for the first time since Reconstruction. Republicans would gain another seat after the election when Alaska Republican Ted Stevens was appointed to replace Democrat Bob Bartlett, reducing Democrats' majority to 57-43. Results summary Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Gains, losses, and holds Retirements Three Republicans and three Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. Defeats One Republican and seven Democrats sought re-election but lost in the primary or general election. Post-election changes One Democrat died on December 11, 1968, and a Republican was appointed on December 24, 1968. Change in composition Before the elections After the general elections Beginning of the next Congress Race summary Elections leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1969; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats. Alabama Alaska Democrat Ernest Gruening lost renomination to fellow Democrat Mike Gravel. Gruening then ran as an Independent, but lost again to Gravel in the general election, thereby keeping the seat in Democratic hands. Two months after the election, on December 11, 1968, the other Alaskan senator, Democrat Bob Bartlett, died. Republican Ted Stevens was then appointed to that other seat. Arizona Incumbent Democrat Carl Hayden did not run for re-election to an eighth term, with his long-time staff member Roy Elson running as the Democratic Party nominee to replace him. Elson beat State Treasurer of Arizona Bob Kennedy in the primary. Elson was defeated by a wide margin, however, by former U.S. senator and Republican Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater. Prior to Goldwater's election, the seat had been held for decades by the Democratic Party under Carl Hayden, and would remain under Republican Party control until 2020. Elson had previously challenged U.S. senator Paul Fannin in 1964, when Goldwater vacated his seat to run for President against Lyndon B. Johnson. Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Talmadge sought another term to the Senate and was easily re-elected. The election was notable for the Georgia Republican