List of United States Senate elections (1788–1913)

Key: AJ Anti-Jacksonian A Anti–Administration C Conservative D Democratic DR Democratic–Republican F Federalist FL Farmer–Labor FS Free Soil I Independent ID Independent Democratic J Jacksonian KN Know Nothing N Nullifier P Pro-Administration Pg Progressive RA Readjuster R Republican U Union UU Unconditional Union V Vacant

1788 and 1789 elections

These were the first Senate elections, which coincided with the election of President George Washington. As of this election, formal organized political parties had yet to form in the United States, but two political factions were present: The coalition of senators who supported George Washington's administration were known as "Pro-Administration," and the senators against him as "Anti-Administration." Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.

V A A A A A A A P P P Majority → P P P P P P P P P P V

1790 and 1791 elections

These were the second series of elections. In these elections, terms were up for the nine Senators in Class 1. As of these elections, formal organized political parties had yet to form in the United States, but two political factions were present: The coalition of Senators who supported President George Washington's administration were known as the Pro-Administration Party, and the Senators against him as the Anti-Administration Party.

Note: There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.

A A A A A A A V P P P P P Majority → P P P P P P P P P P P P P

1792 and 1793 elections

These elections coincided with President George Washington's unanimous re-election. In these elections, terms were up for the ten senators in class 2.

Note: There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.

A A A A A A A A A A A V P P P Majority → P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P

1794 and 1795 elections

These elections had the formation of organized political parties in the United States, with the Federalist Party emerging from the Pro Administration coalition, and the Democratic-Republican Party emerging from the Anti-Administration coalition.

A A A A A A A A DR DR V F F F F   F P P P P P P F F F P P P P P

1796 and 1797 elections

These elections coincided with John Adams's election as President. His ruling Federalist Party gained one seat.

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V F F F F F Majority → F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F

1798 and 1799 elections

These elections were held at the middle of President John Adams's administration and had no net change in political control of the Senate. DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V F F F F F F Majority → F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F

1800 and 1801 elections

Coinciding with their takeover of the White House, the Democratic-Republicans took control of the Senate. Although the Federalists began the next (7th) Congress with a slim majority, they lost their majority shortly thereafter due to mid-year special elections. DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V F Majority → F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F

1802 and 1803 elections These elections had the Democratic-Republicans assume an overwhelming control of the Senate.

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F V DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F

1804 and 1805 elections

These elections expanded the Democratic-Republicans' overwhelming control of the Senate. The Federalists went into the elections with such a small share of seats (9 out of 34, or 26%) that even had they won every election, they would have still remained a minority caucus.

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F

1806 and 1807 elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F

1808 and 1809 elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F

1810 and 1811 elections

The Democratic-Republicans held their majority unchanged. The minority Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats (8 out of 34, or 23.5%) that they had won all of the elections, they would still not have controlled a majority. DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR V DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F

1812 and 1813 elections

Coinciding with President James Madison's re-election, the Democratic-Republican Party lost two seats but still retained an overwhelming majority in the Senate. As in recent elections, the minority Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats that if they had won every one of the elections, they would still not have controlled a majority.

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR V DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V F F F F F F F

1814 and 1815 elections

The Democratic-Republicans lost a seat but still retained an overwhelming majority in the Senate. Unlike in recent elections, the minority Federalists had gone into the elections with a change of regaining their long-lost majority had they swept almost all the seats. However, only one seat switched parties. Two seats held by Democratic-Republicans were left unfilled until long after the next Congress began.

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F V V DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F

1816 and 1817 elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F F DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F F

1818 and 1819 elections

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR V DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V F F F F F F F F F

1820 and 1821 elections

  DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR V V V F   F F F

1822 and 1823 elections

  DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR1 DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR   F F F V

1824 and 1825 elections

The elections of 1824 and 1825 saw the Jacksonians gain a majority over the Anti-Jacksonians (sometimes called the "National Republican Party").

Factions: DRa/Fa = Adams-Clay factions DRc = Crawford faction DRj = Jackson faction   AJ AJ AJ AJ DRc DRc DRc DRa DRa DRa V V AJ AJ DRc DRc DRc DRc DRc DRc J J J J   DRj DRj DRj DRc DRc DRc DRc DRc J J DRj DRj DRj DRj DRj DRj DRj DRj J J   Fa Fa Fa Fa

1826 and 1827 elections

  AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ V J J J Majority → J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J   J J J J

1828 and 1829 elections

  AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ J J Majority → J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J   J J J J

1830 and 1831 elections

  AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ V N J J Majority → J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J   J J J J

1832 and 1833 elections

  AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ N Plurality ↑ N J J J J J J J V V J J J J J J J J J J   J J J J

1834 and 1835 elections

  AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ Plurality → J J J J J J J N N V J J J J J J J J J J   J J J J

1836 and 1837 elections

  AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ W W W W AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ AJ W N D D D D D D D D Majority → J J J J J J D D D D J J J J J J J J J J   J J J J J J

1838 and 1839 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 Majority → D W W W W V V V V D W W W W W W W W W W   W W W W W W

1840 and 1841 elections

  D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D V V V W Majority → W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W   W W W W W W

1842 and 1843 elections

  D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D V V W Majority → W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W   W W W W W W

1844 and 1845 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 Majority → W W W W W W W V V V W W W W W W W W W W   W W W W W W W

1846 and 1847 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 Majority → D V V V ID D D D D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

1848 and 1849 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 Majority → D W W W W W ID FS D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

1850 and 1851 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 Majority → D V V FS FS V V V D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W  

1852 and 1853 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 Majority → D KN FS FS V V D D D D V V V W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W  

1854 and 1855 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 Majority → D V V V V V V V V D V KN FS FS R R R W W W W W W W W W W W W W W  

1856 and 1857 elections

The young Republican Party assumed its position as one of the United States's two main political parties. The Whigs and Free Soilers were gone by the time the next Congress began. 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 Majority → D FS KN KN V V V V D D R R R R R R R R R R W W R R R R R R R R W  

1858 and 1859 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 Majority → D R R KN KN V D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R  

1860 and 1861 elections

V V V   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 Plurality ↑ KN 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 V V V  

1862 and 1863 elections

V V V V   V V V V V V D D D D U U U U D D D D D D U UU R R R 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 V V V V V V R R R R V V V V  

1864 and 1865 elections

These elections, corresponding with Abraham Lincoln's re-election as president, saw the Republicans gain two seats. As these elections occurred during the Civil War, most of the Southern states were absent.

V V V V V   V V V V V V D D D D UU UU UU U U D D D D D UU R R R R 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 V V V V V V R R R R V V V V V  

1866 and 1867 elections

V V V V V V   V V V V D D D D D D R R R UU U U D D D D R R R R R 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 V V V V R R R R R R V V V V V V  

1868 and 1869 elections

D D D V V V V   D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R 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 V V V V  

1870 and 1871 elections

D D D D D D D   D D D D D D D V V R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R 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  

1872 and 1873 elections

D D D D D D D   D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R V D D R R R R R 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  

1874 and 1875 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 AM V LR LR 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  

1876 and 1877 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 I AM 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  

1878 and 1879 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 Majority → D R R R V AM I D D D 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  

1880 and 1881 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 I Plurality ↓ RA 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  

1882 and 1883 elections