1842–43 United States Senate elections

← 1840 & 1841 Various dates 1844 & 1845 →
17 of the 52 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 27 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Whig Democratic Last election 29 seats 22 seats Seats before 30 20 Seats won 4 13 Seats after 27 23 Seat change 3 3 Seats up 7 10
Results:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Whig hold
Majority Party before election Whig Elected Majority Party Whig

The 1842–43 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 1842 and 1843, 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 3.

The Whigs lost seats but maintained control of the Senate. Although they lost three seats in the regular elections, they gained two of them back by the start of the first session in special elections.

Results summary

Senate party division, 28th Congress (1843–1845)

• Majority party: Whig (27)
• Minority party: Democratic (22–23)
• Other parties: (0–1)
• Total seats: 52–54

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After July 1842 appointment in New Jersey.

Result of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress

Beginning of the first session of the next Congress (December 4, 1843)