1860–61 United States Senate elections

← 1858 & 1859 Various dates 1862 & 1863 →
22 of the 66 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 34 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader John P. Hale[a] Party Democratic Republican Leader since March 4, 1859 Leader's seat New Hampshire Last election 38 seats 25 seats Seats before 38 26 Seats won 30 29 Seat change 8 3 Seats up 14 7   Third party   Party Know Nothing Last election 2 seats Seats before 2 Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Seats up 1
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Senator left for the Confederacy
Majority party before election Democratic Elected Majority party Democratic

The 1860–61 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 1860 and 1861, 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.

These elections corresponded with Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency. The nascent Republican Party increased their Senate seats in the regular elections, and after southern Democrats withdrew to join the Confederacy, Republicans gained control of the Senate. To establish a quorum with fewer members, a lower total seat number was taken into account.

Results summary

Senate party division, 37th Congress (1861–1863)

• Majority party: Republican (29), later rose to 30
• Minority party: Democratic (30), later dropped to 14
• Other parties: Unionist (1), later rose to 4
• Vacant: (8), later rose to 20
• Total seats: 68

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the October 2, 1860 special election in Oregon.

As a result of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress