the united states senate elections of 1930 occurred in the middle of republican president herbert hoover's term. with the great depression beginning to take hold, republican incumbents became unpopular, and democrats picked up a net of eight seats, erasing the republican gains from the previous election cycle. republicans retained control of the u.s. senate since vice president charles curtis cast the tie-breaking vote. this was the first of four consecutive senate elections in the depression in which democrats made enormous gains, achieving a cumulative pick-up of 34 seats.