A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
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25 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 39 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the elections: Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold Readjuster gain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1880–81 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the presidential election of 1880. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1880 and 1881, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[2] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
The Democratic Party lost five seats. The newly elected Readjuster senator William Mahone caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. This changed when Vice President Chester Arthur ascended to the Presidency on September 19, 1881: with the Vice Presidency vacant during the remainder of Arthur's term, the Senate became evenly divided for the first of three times in history.
Results summary
Senate party division, 47th Congress (1881–1883)
- Majority party: Republican (37)
- Minority party: Democratic (37)
- Other parties: Independent (1); Readjuster (1)
- Total seats: 76
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | ||
D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 |
D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 |
D29 Ran |
D30 Ran |
D31 Ran |
D32 Ran |
D33 Ran |
D34 Ran |
D35 Ran |
D36 Ran |
D37 Ran |
D38 Ran |
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Majority → | D39 Unknown | ||||||||
R29 Unknown |
R30 Retired |
R31 Retired |
R32 Retired |
AM1 Retired |
I1 | D42 Retired |
D41 Unknown |
D40 Unknown | |
R28 Unknown |
R27 Ran |
R26 Ran |
R25 Ran |
R24 Ran |
R23 Ran |
R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 |
R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 |
R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |