1890–91 United States Senate elections

← 1888 & 1889 Dates vary by state 1892 & 1893 →
29 of the 88 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections) 45 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader George F. Edmunds[a] (retired) Arthur Pue Gorman[b] Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1885 March 4, 1889 Leader's seat Vermont Maryland Seats before 38 37 Seats won 12 14 Seats after 47 39 Seat change 9 2 Seats up 16 12   Third party Fourth party   Party Populist Independent Seats before 0 0 Seats won 1 1 Seats after 1 1 Seat change 1 1 Seats up 0 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Populist gain      Independent gain      Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election Republican Elected Majority Party Republican

The 1890–91 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 1890 and 1891, 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 Republican Party lost four seats, though still retaining a slim majority. That majority was increased, however, upon the admission of two more states with Republican senators.

Results summary

Senate party division, 52nd Congress (1891–1893)

• Majority party: Republican (47)
• Minority party: Democratic (39)
• Other parties: Populist (2)
• Total seats: 88

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the admission of Montana's new senators in January 1890.

After the class 3 elections