United States Senate elections, 1986

United States Senate elections, 1986

November 4, 1986

34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority   Majority party Minority party   Leader Robert Byrd Bob Dole Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat West Virginia Kansas Last election 47 seats 53 seats Seats won 55 45 Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 24,347,369 23,126,219 Percentage 50.1% 47.6% Swing 0.3% 1.7% Seats up 12 22

Republican hold   Republican gain   Democratic hold   Democratic gain

Majority Leader before election Bob Dole Republican Elected Majority Leader Robert Byrd Democratic

The United States Senate elections, 1986 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term. The Republicans had to defend an unusually large number of freshman Senate incumbents who had been elected on President Ronald Reagan's coattails in 1980. Democrats won a net of eight seats, defeating seven freshman incumbents and regaining control of the Senate for the first time since January 1981. The party not controlling the presidency gained seats, as usually occurs in mid-term elections.

Results summary

Shading indicates party with largest share of that line.

Parties								Total
		Democratic	Republican	Conservative	Independent	Libertarian	Other
Last election: 1984		47	53	0	0	0	0	100
Before this election		47	53	0	0	0	0	100
Not Up		35	31	0	0	0	0	66
Up		12	22	0	0	0	0	34
Incumbent retired	Replaced by other party	2	1	—	—	—	—	3
	Held by same party	1	2	—	—	—	—	3
Incumbent ran	Won re-election	9	12	—	—	—	—	21
	Lost re-election	0	7	—	—	—	—	7
	Lost renomination, but held by same party	0	0	—	—	—	—	0
Summary	Total Won	11	13	—	—	—	—	24
	Total Lost	1	9	—	—	—	—	9
	Total Picked-up	9	1	—	—	—	—	10
	Change	8	8
	Elected	20	14	0	0	0	0	34
Popular vote	Votes	24,347,369	23,126,219	212,101	155,032	104,338	665,946	48,611,005
	Share	50.1%	47.6%	0.4%	0.3%	0.2%	1.4%	100%
Result		55	45	0	0	0	0	100

Change in Senate composition

Senate composition before the elections

Senate composition as a result of the elections

Democratic gains

In this Senate election, the Democrats gained a net of eight seats, and recaptured control of the Senate from the Republicans with a 55 - 45 majority. Robert Dole (R-Kansas) and Robert C. Byrd (D-West Virginia) exchanged positions as the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader.

This was the last election — until 2016 — in which the Democrats in this Class of Senators (1/3 of the Senate) amassed a gain in seats (not including special elections held in off-years in some states to fill the seats that had been vacated by Senators due to death, resignation, or otherwise).

Republican gain

The only win by the Republican Party was for one "open seat" in Missouri. On the other hand, the Democratic Party won the "open seats" in Maryland and Nevada, and the Democrats also defeated seven incumbent Republican Senators, six of them who were first-term senators who had been elected in 1980.

Incumbents who lost re-election

• Jeremiah Denton (R-Alabama)
• Paula Hawkins (R-Florida)
• Mack Mattingly (R-Georgia)
• James T. Broyhill (R-North Carolina). Broyhill was the only Republican who was defeated who had not been elected for the first time in 1980. However, Broyhill had been appointed to the seat that had been left vacant by the suicide of John P. East, a Republican who had been elected in 1980.
• Mark Andrews (R-North Dakota)
• James Abdnor (R-South Dakota)
• Slade Gorton (R-Washington).

Subsequent action

During 1987, Edward Zorinsky (D-Nebraska) died and was replaced by David K. Karnes (R-Nebraska). This result has not been included in these summaries and totals.

Complete list of races

See also

• United States elections, 1986
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1986
• 99th United States Congress
• 100th United States Congress