1974 United States elections

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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Update|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox United States elections

| year = 1974

| type = Midterm elections

| election_day = November 5

| incumbent_president = Gerald Ford (Republican)

| next_congress = 94th

| senate_seats_contested = 34 of 100 seats

| senate_control = Democratic hold

| senate_net_change = Democratic +4

| senate_map = {{1974 United States Senate elections imagemap}}

| senate_map_caption = 1974 Senate election results{{paragraph break}}

{{legend0|#0671B0|Democratic gain}} {{legend0|#92C5DE|Democratic hold}}
{{legend0|#CA0120|Republican gain}} {{legend0|#F48882|Republican hold}}

| house_seats_contested = All 435 voting seats

| house_control = Democratic hold

| house_pv_margin = Democratic +16.8%

| house_net_change = Democratic +45

| house_map = 400px

| house_map_caption = 1974 House of Representatives election results{{paragraph break}}

{{legend0|#0671B0|Democratic gain}} {{legend0|#92C5DE|Democratic hold}}
{{legend0|#CA0120|Republican gain}} {{legend0|#F48882|Republican hold}}

| governor_seats_contested = 37 (35 states, 2 territories)

| governor_net_change = Democratic +4

| governor_map = {{1974 United States gubernatorial elections imagemap}}

| governor_map_caption = 1974 gubernatorial election results
Territorial races not shown{{paragraph break}}

{{legend0|#0671B0|Democratic gain}} {{legend0|#92C5DE|Democratic hold}}
{{legend0|#CA0120|Republican gain}} {{legend0|#F48882|Republican hold}}
{{legend0|#808080|Independent gain}}

}}

Elections were held on November 5, 1974. The elections occurred in the wake of the Watergate scandal and three months into the term of Republican President Gerald Ford. Democrats expanded their majorities in both houses of Congress.

Ford's granting of a pardon to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, along with soaring inflation caused by the 1973 oil crisis, created a tough environment for the Republican Party. Democrats won net gains of four seats in the Senate, 49 seats in the House of Representatives, and four seats in the gubernatorial elections. Many of the newly elected Democrats were Northern liberals, shifting the balance of power away from conservative Southern Democrats.