The 1960 United States Senate elections coincided with the election of John F. Kennedy as president on November 8, 1960. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. A special election was also held on June 28, 1960, for a mid-term vacancy in North Dakota. The Republicans gained two seats at the expense of the Democrats. However, Republican Senator-elect Edwin Keith Thomson of Wyoming died December 9, 1960, and was replaced by appointee Democratic John J. Hickey at the beginning of the Congress, reducing Republican gains to one seat. The Democrats nonetheless retained a commanding lead in the Senate with 65 seats to 35. As Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson was elected Vice President, Mike Mansfield became the new Majority Leader. Results summary Source: Gains, losses, and holds Retirements Two Republicans and four Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election. Defeats One Democrat sought re-election but lost in the general election. Post-election changes One Republican senator-elect died on December 9, 1960, and was replaced by a Democrat. Another Democratic senator-elect resigned and was replaced by a Democrat. Change in composition After the June special election Before the November elections Result of the November elections Beginning of the next Congress Race summaries Special elections during the 86th Congress In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1960 or before January 3, 1961; ordered by election date. Elections leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1961; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats. Alabama Incumbent John J. Sparkman won re-election, having served since 1946. He faced nominal opposition from Republican Julian E. Elgin in the then-deeply Democratic state of Alabama. Sparkman served from 1946 to 1979 in the Senate before retiring and being succeeded by Howell Heflin. Alaska Incumbent Democrat Bob Bartlett was easily re-elected to his second (his first full) term in the U.S. Senate over Republican dentist Lee McKinley after originally being elected in 1958 upon Alaska's anticipated admission as a state into the United States. Bartlett had previously served as the last delegate from Alaska to Congress. Arkansas Incumbent senator John L. McClellan was re-elected to a fourth term with nominal opposition from write-in independent candidate Marvin Fuchs, who received just 449 of 377,485 votes. Colorado Incumbent Gordon Allott was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating lieutenant governor