PolitiFinder

1956 California U.S. Senate Election

California · 3 candidates · See every 1956 U.S. Senate race

Who won the 1956 California U.S. Senate Election?

Thomas H. Kuchel won the 1956 California U.S. Senate Election. Thomas H. Kuchel received 2,892,918 popular votes (53.96%). The main challenger was Richard Richards (45.62%).

See the full head-to-head between Kuchel and Richards

Kuchel +8.3 pts · won by 447,102 votes
Thomas H. KuchelRepublicanWINNER53.96%
2,892,918 votes
Richard RichardsDemocratic45.62%
2,445,816 votes
Ray GourleyProhibition0.42%
22,410 votes
Popular-vote totals for this U.S. Senate election come from the Constituency-Level Elections Archive (CLEA) and the official public record.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.