1956 United States Senate election in Colorado

← 1950 November 6, 1956 1962 →

Nominee John A. Carroll Daniel I. J. Thornton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 319,872 317,102 Percentage 50.22% 49.78%

Results by county Carroll:      50–60%      60–70% Thornton:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Eugene Millikin Republican Elected U.S. Senator John A. Carroll Democratic

Elections in Colorado
Federal government Presidential elections 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential caucuses and primaries Democratic 2000 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1876 1879 1883 sp 1885 1889 1891 1895 1897 1901 1903 1907 1909 1913 1913 sp 1914 1918 1920 1924 1924 sp 1926 1930 1932 1932 sp 1936 1938 1942 1942 sp 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1927 1st sp 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 3rd sp 1941 4th sp 1942 1944 1st sp 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1983 6th sp 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 4th sp
State government General elections 2010 2014 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Secretary of State elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2018 2022 Treasurer elections 2022 Senate elections 2013 (recall) 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures List of Colorado ballot measures 2004 36 2006 38 41 42 43 44 E F G H I J K 2008 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 54 58 59 L 2010 62 2012 64 2018 A 2020 C 113 114 EE 2022 125 126 FF
Colorado Springs Local elections 2019 Mayoral elections 1995 1997 sp 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Denver Mayoral elections 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
El Paso County Local elections 2018
Pueblo Mayoral elections 2023–24

The 1956 United States Senate special election in Colorado took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Republican Senator Eugene Millikin declined to seek re-election to a third term and a competitive election ensued. Former Congressman John A. Carroll, in his third consecutive bid for the Senate, narrowly defeated former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Charles F. Brannan in the Democratic primary and advanced to the general election, where he faced Governor Dan Thornton, the Republican nominee. Despite Democratic presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson's poor performance in Colorado, state-level Democrats fared much better. Carroll ended up narrowly defeating Thornton, winning his only term in the U.S. Senate.

Democratic primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

• John A. Carroll, former U.S. Congressman from Colorado's 1st congressional district, 1950 and 1954 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate
• Charles F. Brannan, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Results[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

• Dan Thornton, former Governor

Results[edit]

General election[edit]

Results[edit]

References[edit]