1884–1885 United States Senate elections

← 1882 & 1883 Dates vary by state 1886 & 1887 →
27 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections) 39 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader John Sherman[a] George H. Pendleton[b] (Lost re-election) Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1883 March 4, 1881 Leader's seat Ohio Ohio Seats before 38 36 Seats won 10 12 Seats after 37 34 Seat change 1 2 Seats up 11 14   Third party   Party Readjuster Seats before 2 Seats won 0 Seats after 2 Seat change Seats up 0
Results of the elections:      Republican gain      Republican hold      Democratic hold      Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election Republican[1] Elected Majority Party Republican[1]

The 1884–85 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the presidential election of 1884. 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 1884 and 1885, 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 3.

With three state legislatures failing to elect their senators in time, both Republicans and Democrats lost seats. Republicans, nevertheless, retained majority control and the Readjusters joined their caucus. By the beginning of the first session, in December 1885, Republicans had won all three vacant seats, increasing their majority.

Results summary

Senate party division, 49th Congress (1885–1887)

• Majority party: Republican (42)
• Minority party: Democratic (34)
• Other parties: (0)
• Total seats: 76

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the elections