United States Senate elections, 1886 and 1887

Dates vary by state

25 of the 76 seats in the U.S. Senate
(as well as special elections)
39 seats needed for a majority

	Majority party	Minority party

Party	Republican	Democratic
Seats before	40	34
Seats won	13	11
Seats after	38	36
Seat change	2	2
Seats up	15	9

	Third party

Party	Readjuster
Seats before	2
Seats won	0
Seats after	1
Seat change	1
Seats up	1

Majority Party before election

Republican

Elected Majority Party

Republican

The United States Senate elections of 1886 and 1887 were elections that had the Republican Party lose two seats in the United States Senate. At the beginning of the 50th Congress, therefore, Republicans had the slimmest possible majority due to a vacant Democratic seat: 38 out of 75 seats. Once that vacancy was filled, Republicans maintained control as the single Readjuster Senator caucused with them.

As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.

After August 4, 1886 special election in California.

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1886 or in 1887 before March 4; ordered by election date.

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1887; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1887 after March 4; ordered by date.

The election in New York was held from January 18 to 20, 1887. Republican Warner Miller had been elected to this seat in a special election in 1881 to succeed Thomas C. Platt who had resigned. Miller's term would expire on March 3, 1887. At the State election in November 1885, 20 Republicans and 12 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1886-1887) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1886, 74 Republicans and 54 Democrats were elected for the session of 1887 to the Assembly. The 110th New York State Legislature met from January 4 to May 26, 1887, at Albany, New York.

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