West Virginia Kansas 55 45 24,347,369 23,126,219 Start date November 4, 1986 | 47 seats 53 seats 8 8 50.1% 47.6% | |
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Winner Robert Byrd | ||
United states senate elections 1986
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.
Contents
Results summary
Shading indicates party with largest share of that line.
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
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.