1868–69 United States Senate elections

← 1866 & 1867 Dates vary by state (And other dates for special elections) 1870 & 1871 →
25 of the 66 (8 vacant)/74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 34 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Henry B. Anthony[a] Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1863 Leader's seat Rhode Island Last election 39 seats 10 seats Seats before 57 9 Seats won 17 5 Seats after 57 9 Seat change Seats up 17 5
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Unreconstructed states
Majority Party before election Republican Elected Majority Party Republican

The 1868–69 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. 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 1868 and 1869, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.^[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.

The Republican Party maintained their Senate majority. Six former Confederate states were then readmitted separately from the regular election, each electing two Republicans. This increased the Republicans' already overwhelming majority to the largest proportion of seats ever controlled by the party.

Results summary

Senate party division, 41st Congress (1869–1871)

• Majority party: Republican (57)
• Minority party: Democratic (9)
• Other parties: (0)
• Vacant: (8)
• Total seats: 74

Change in Senate composition

Beginning of 1868

After the readmission of the Confederate states