1994 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

1994 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

November 8, 1994

Nominee John Chafee Linda Kushner Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 222,856 122,532 Percentage 64.52% 35.48%

Chafee:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election John Chafee Republican Elected U.S. Senator John Chafee Republican

The 1994 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Chafee won re-election to a fourth term. Chafee died of heart-failure on October 24, 1999, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, having already announced his intention to retire in 2000 on March 15, 1999. His son Lincoln, then the mayor of Warwick, was appointed to replace him by Governor Lincoln Almond.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Linda Kushner, State Representative

Results

Kushner faced no opposition in the Democratic primary.

Republican primary

Candidates

• John Chafee, incumbent U.S. Senator
• Robert A. Post, Jr.

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Chafee (Incumbent)	27,906	69.03
	Republican	Robert A. Post, Jr.	12,517	30.97
Total votes			40,423	100.00

General election

Candidates

• John Chafee (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
• Linda Kushner (D), State Representative

Polling

Source	Date	Chaffee (R)	Kushner (D)
Brown University	October 2, 1994	55%	24%
Providence Journal-Bulletin	November 4, 1994	58%	27%

Results

Chafee was re-elected in what would be his final Senate term. He would die in 1999 and be succeeded by his son, Lincoln Chafee.

General election results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	John Chafee (Incumbent)	222,856	64.52%	+9.93%
	Democratic	Linda Kushner	122,532	35.48%	−9.93%
Majority			100,324	29.05%	+19.86%
Turnout			345,388
	Republican hold		Swing

See also

• 1994 United States Senate elections