The 1996 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, 1996, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year, in which Democrat Bill Clinton was re-elected president.

Republicans held a 54–46 majority going into 1996, but a January special election in Oregon resulted in Democrats reducing the majority to 53–47. Despite the re-election of Clinton and Al Gore, and despite Democrats picking up a net two seats in the elections to the United States House of Representatives held the same day, the Republicans had a net gain of two seats in the Senate, following major Republican gains two years before in the 1994 elections. As such, combined with neither party making a net gain of Senate seats in 1992, Clinton became the only two-term president to not have any Senate coattails in either of his runs since the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913. The Republicans' 55–45 majority also marked the highest number of Senate seats that the party has held since 1920; this achievement would later be tied with the results of the 1998 and 2004 elections.

The Republicans won open seats previously held by Democrats in Alabama, Arkansas, and Nebraska. The only Democratic pickup occurred in South Dakota, where Democrat Tim Johnson narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Larry Pressler. The cycle featured an unusually high number of retirements, with 13 in total.

Results summary + ↓ 45 55 Democratic Republican

Does not include Oregon's January 1996 special election. Includes Kansas's special election for the Class III seat vacated by Bob Dole.

Parties Total Democratic Republican Libertarian Other Last elections (1994) 48 52 0 0 100 Before these elections 47 53 0 0 100 Not up 32 34 — — 66 Up 15 19 — — 34 15 18 — — 33 — 1 — — 1 Incumbent retired 8 5 — — 13 5 5 — — 10 3 Democrats replaced by 3 Republicans — — 3 Result 5 8 — — 13 Incumbent ran 714 — — 21 7 12 — — 19 1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat — — 1 0 1 — — 1 Result 8 13 — — 21 Total elected 13 21 0 0 34 Net gain/loss 2 2 2 Nationwide vote 23,951,995 24,785,416 362,208 969,246 50,068,865 Share 47.84% 49.50% 0.72% 1.94% 100% Result 45 55 — — 100 Sources: Party Division in the Senate, 1789–Present, via Senate.gov Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives:

Gains, losses, and holds Retirements Five Republicans and eight Democrats retired instead of seeking re-election.

StateSenator Age at end of term AssumedofficeReplaced by Alabama 75 1979 Arkansas 62 1979 Colorado 56 1991 Georgia 58 1972 Illinois 68 1985 Kansas (regular) 64 1978 Louisiana 1972 Maine 56 1979 Nebraska 75 1979 New Jersey 53 1979 Oregon (regular) 74 1967 Rhode Island 78 1961 Wyoming 65 1979

Defeats One Republican sought re-election but lost in the general election. One Republican also sought election to finish the unexpired term but lost in the primary.

StateSenatorAssumedofficeReplaced by Kansas (special) 1996 South Dakota 1979

Vacancies One Republican seat was vacant and was filled by a Democrat.

StateSenatorReplaced by Oregon (special)

Change in composition

Before the November elections After the January 1996 special election in Oregon. D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

After the November elections

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Key D Democratic R Republican

Summary of contests

Special elections during the 104th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated in the fall of 1996 (excluding Oregon), once they qualified and their elections were certified. Sorted by election date, then state, then class.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Oregon(Class 3) Republican 19681974198019861992 Incumbent resigned.New senator elected January 30, 1996 and seated February 6, 1996.Democratic gain. Kansas(Class 3) Republican 1996 Interim appointee lost nomination.New senator elected November 5, 1996 and seated November 7, 1996.Republican hold.

Elections leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1997; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Alabama Democratic 197819841990 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Alaska Republican 1968 19701972197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. Arkansas Democratic 197819841990 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. Colorado Republican 1990 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Delaware Democratic 1972197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. Georgia Democratic 1972 1972197819841990 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Idaho Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected. Illinois Democratic 19841990 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Iowa Democratic 19841990 Incumbent re-elected. Kansas Republican 19781978 19841990 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Kentucky Republican 19841990 Incumbent re-elected. Louisiana Democratic 19721972 197819841990 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. Maine Republican 197819841990 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Massachusetts Democratic 19841990 Incumbent re-elected. Michigan Democratic 197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. Minnesota DFL 1990 Incumbent re-elected. Mississippi Republican 19781978 19841990 Incumbent re-elected. Montana Democratic 197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. Nebraska Democratic 197819841990 Incumbent retired.Republican gain. New Hampshire Republican 19901990 Incumbent re-elected. New Jersey Democratic 197819841990 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. New Mexico Republican 1972197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. North Carolina Republican 1972197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. Oklahoma Republican 1994 (special) Incumbent re-elected. Oregon Republican 19661972197819841990 Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Rhode Island Democratic 196019661972197819841990 Incumbent retired.Democratic hold. South Carolina Republican 1954 (write-in)1954 1956 1956 196019661972197819841990 Incumbent re-elected. South Dakota Republican 197819841990 Incumbent lost re-election.Democratic gain. Tennessee Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected. Texas Republican 19841990 Incumbent re-elected. Virginia Republican 19781979 198419901996 Incumbent re-elected. West Virginia Democratic 19841990 Incumbent re-elected. Wyoming Republican 19781979 19841990 Incumbent retired.Republican hold.

Closest races Sixteen races, as well as the Oregon special election in January, had margins less than 10%: State Party of winner Margin Louisiana Democratic 0.34% Georgia Democratic 1.3% Oregon (special) Democratic (flip) 1.5% South Dakota Democratic (flip) 2.6% New Hampshire Republican 3.0% Oregon (regular) Republican 3.9% Montana Democratic 4.9% Virginia Republican 5.1% Iowa Democratic 5.1% Maine Republican 5.3% Arkansas Republican (flip) 5.4% Colorado Republican 5.7% North Carolina Republican 6.7% Alabama Republican (flip) 7.0% Massachusetts Democratic 7.5% Minnesota Democratic 9.0% South Carolina Republican 9.4%

Alabama

Incumbent Democrat Howell Heflin decided to retire. Republican and future Attorney General of the United States Jeff Sessions won the open seat, becoming only the second Republican U.S. Senator elected to represent Alabama since Reconstruction. This seat would remain controlled by Republicans until the election of Doug Jones in 2017.

In the 1968 presidential election, Alabama supported American Independent Party candidate George Wallace over both Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Wallace was the official Democratic candidate in Alabama, while Humphrey was listed as the "National Democratic". In 1976, Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter from Georgia carried the state, the region, and the nation, but Democratic control of the region slipped after that.

Since 1980, conservative Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the Federal level, especially in Presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and, until 2010, comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature.

Roger Bedford won the Democratic primary over Glen Browder. Sessions won the Republican primary over Sid McDonald and Charles Woods, defeating McDonald in the runoff. Sessions then defeated Bedford by a seven-point margin.

Alaska

Incumbent Republican Ted Stevens ran for re-election to a sixth term. He defeated Republican Dave W. Cuddy in the open primary.

In the general election, Stevens faced off against Democratic nominee Theresa Obermeyer, a former member of the Anchorage School Board, and Green Party nominee Jed Whittaker, a commercial fisherman.

The race drew national attention for Obermeyer's erratic behavior: she blamed Stevens for her husband's failure to pass the bar exam and contended that he had passed the bar by fraud. She "trailed" him to campaign events, frequently wearing a prisoner's outfit and once dragging a ball and chain behind her. During the campaign, she was arrested and served 30 days in prison in California and Oregon for probation violations.

Stevens was re-elected in an overwhelming landslide and Whittaker finished ahead of Obermeyer.

Arkansas

Incumbent Democrat David Pryor decided to retire. Republican Tim Hutchinson ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Arkansas Attorney General Winston Bryant defeated State Senator Lu Hardin narrowly in the Democratic primary runoff. Hutchinson narrowly prevailed in the general election despite Bill Clinton's victory in the state, winning the open seat.

Colorado

Incumbent Republican Hank Brown decided to retire instead of seeking a second term. Republican Congressman Wayne Allard won the open seat after defeating Gale Norton in the primary, beating Democrat Tom Strickland, attorney and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, who himself had defeated Gene Nichol in the Democratic primary.

Delaware

Incumbent Democrat Joe Biden won re-election to a fifth term, beating Republican businessman Raymond Clatworthy, who claimed the Republican nomination in a landslide.

Georgia

Incumbent Democrat Sam Nunn decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. Republicans nominated Guy Millner, a multi-millionaire businessman who had also run unsuccessfully against Zell Miller in the 1994 gubernatorial election. Millner emerged as the victor from a crowded six-person primary in July 1996, which included State Senator Clint Day and former gubernatorial candidate Johnny Isakson. However, Max Cleland, the Secretary of State of Georgia, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Despite this seat being held by Democrats since 1852, the election became tightly contested between Cleland and Millner. It was the closest race for that seat since at least 1852. Nonetheless, Cleland defeated Millner on November 5. Cleland narrowly edged out a victory with 1,103,993 votes (48.87%) to Millner's 1,073,969 votes (47.54%) – a margin of 1.33%.

The Class 2 United States Senate seat had been reliably Democratic, with a member of that party holding it since 1852. Additionally, no Republican had ever held this seat since it was established in 1789. In fact, during the previous election, Sam Nunn was unanimously re-elected and defeated Mike Hicks by an almost 60% margin in 1984. Republican Paul Coverdell narrowly unseated Democrat Wyche Fowler in Georgia's other United States Senate seat in 1992. On October 9, 1995, four-term incumbent Class 2 Senator Sam Nunn announced his retirement. This left the seat open for the first time since 1972.