U.S. Senate election, 1986

United States Senate elections, 1986

← 1984 November 4, 1986 1988 →
34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Robert Byrd Bob Dole Party Democratic Republican Leader's seat West Virginia Kansas Last election 47 seats 53 seats Seats won 55 45 Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 24,347,369 23,126,219 Percentage 50.1% 47.6% Swing 0.3% 1.7% Seats up 12 22
Republican hold   Republican gain   Democratic hold   Democratic gain
Majority Leader before election Bob Dole Republican Elected Majority Leader Robert Byrd Democratic

Bob Dole
Republican

Robert Byrd
Democratic

The United States Senate elections, 1986 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term. The Republicans had to defend an unusually large number of freshman Senate incumbents who had been elected on President Ronald Reagan's coattails in 1980. Democrats won a net of eight seats, defeating seven freshman incumbents and regaining control of the Senate for the first time since January 1981. The party not controlling the presidency gained seats, as usually occurs in mid-term elections.

Shading indicates party with largest share of that line.

In this Senate election, the Democrats gained a net of eight seats, and recaptured control of the Senate from the Republicans with a 55 - 45 majority. Robert Dole (R-Kansas) and Robert C. Byrd (D-West Virginia) exchanged positions as the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader.

This was the last election — until 2016 — in which the Democrats in this Class of Senators (1/3 of the Senate) amassed a gain in seats (not including special elections held in off-years in some states to fill the seats that had been vacated by Senators due to death, resignation, or otherwise).

The only win by the Republican Party was for one "open seat" in Missouri. On the other hand, the Democratic Party won the "open seats" in Maryland and Nevada, and the Democrats also defeated seven incumbent Republican Senators, six of them who were first-term senators who had been elected in 1980.

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