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██ Republican holds ██ Republican pickups ██ Democratic holds ██ Democratic pickups
The U.S. Senate election, 1986 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term. In a midterm election, the opposition Democrats held the traditional advantage. Also, Republicans had to defend an unusually large number of freshman incumbents, who'd been elected on Reagan's coattails in 1980. However, 1986 was unusual in that it was the first time since 1918 where the chamber had changed hands in a second term midterm.
In the election, the Democrats gained a net eight seats, and recaptured control of the Senate from the Republicans with a 55-45 majority. Robert Dole (R-KS) and Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) exchanged positions as majority and minority leader.
The only Republican gain was one open seat in Missouri. On the other hand, the Democrats gained open seats in Maryland and Nevada and defeated seven incumbent Republican senators, six of them first-term senators elected in 1980. The incumbents were: Jeremiah Denton (R-AL), Paula Hawkins (R-FL), Mack Mattingly (R-GA), James Broyhill (R-NC), Mark Andrews (R-ND), James Abdnor (R-SD), and Slade Gorton (R-WA).
Notable new Senators in 1986 include John McCain (R-AZ), elected to the seat left by Barry Goldwater's retirement, Tom Daschle (D-SD), who retook George McGovern's old seat from Abdnor, and soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
In 1987, Edward Zorinsky (D-NE) died and was replaced by David K. Karnes (R-NE). This is not included in the party balance totals.
[edit] Senate contests in 1986
| State |
Incumbent |
Party |
Status |
Opposing Candidates |
| Alabama |
Jeremiah Denton |
Republican |
Defeated, 50.9 - 49.1 |
Richard C. Shelby (Democrat)
|
| Alaska |
Frank H. Murkowski |
Republican |
Re-elected, 54.9 - 45.1 |
Glenn Olds (Democrat)
|
| Arizona |
Barry Goldwater |
Republican |
Retired: Republican victory, 60.6 - 39.4 |
John McCain (Republican)
Richard Kimball (Democrat)
|
| Arkansas |
Dale Bumpers |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 62.9 - 37.1 |
Asa Hutchinson (Republican)
|
| California |
Alan Cranston |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 50.8 - 49.2 |
Ed Zschau (Republican)
|
| Colorado |
Gary Warren Hart |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, 50.8 - 49.2 |
Timothy E. Wirth (Democrat)
Ken Kramer (Republican)
|
| Connecticut |
Christopher J. Dodd |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 64.8 - 35.2 |
Roger W. Eddy (Republican)
|
| Florida |
Paula Hawkins |
Republican |
Defeated, 55.0 - 45.0 |
Bob Graham (Democrat)
|
| Georgia |
Mack Mattingly |
Republican |
Defeated, 50.9 - 49.1 |
Wyche Fowler, Jr. (Democrat)
|
| Hawaii |
Daniel K. Inouye |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 73.6 - 26.4 |
Frank Hutchinson (Republican)
|
| Idaho |
Steven D. Symms |
Republican |
Re-elected, 51.4 - 48.6 |
John V. Evans (Democrat)
|
| Illinois |
Alan J. Dixon |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 65.4 - 34.1 |
Judy Koehler (Republican)
|
| Indiana |
Dan Quayle |
Republican |
Re-elected, 61.1 - 38.9 |
Jill L. Long (Democrat)
|
| Iowa |
Charles E. Grassley |
Republican |
Re-elected, 66.0 - 34.0 |
John P. Roehrick (Democrat)
|
| Kansas |
Bob Dole |
Republican |
Re-elected, 70.1 - 29.9 |
Guy MacDonald (Democrat)
|
| Kentucky |
Wendell H. Ford |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 74.3 - 25.7 |
Jackson M. Andrews (Republican)
|
| Louisiana |
Russell B. Long |
Democrat |
Retired: Democratic victory, 52.8 - 47.2 |
John Breaux (Democrat)
W. Henson Moore (Republican)
|
| Maryland |
Charles Mathias, Jr. |
Republican |
Retired: Democratic victory, 60.8 - 39.2 |
Barbara A. Mikulski (Democrat)
Linda Chavez (Republican)
|
| Missouri |
Thomas F. Eagleton |
Democrat |
Retired: Republican victory, 52.6 - 47.4 |
Christopher S. Bond (Republican)
Harriett Woods (Democrat)
|
| Nevada |
Paul Laxalt |
Republican |
Retired: Democrat victory, 52.9 - 47.1 |
Harry Reid (Democrat)
Jim Santini (Republican)
|
| New Hampshire |
Warren B. Rudman |
Republican |
Re-elected, 66.0 - 34.0 |
Endicott Peabody (Democrat)
|
| New York |
Alfonse D'Amato |
Republican |
Re-elected, 57.7 - 40.9 |
Mark J. Green (Democrat)
|
| North Carolina |
James T. Broyhill1 |
Republican |
Defeated, 51.9 - 48.1 |
Terry Sanford (Democrat)
|
| North Dakota |
Mark Andrews |
Republican |
Defeated, 49.8 - 49.0 |
Kent Conrad (Democrat)
|
| Ohio |
John Glenn |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 62.4 - 37.6 |
Thomas N. Kindress (Republican)
|
| Oklahoma |
Don Nickles |
Republican |
Re-elected, 54.5 - 45.5 |
James R. Jones (Democrat)
|
| Oregon |
Bob Packwood |
Republican |
Re-elected, 63.5 - 36.5 |
Rick Bauman (Democrat)
|
| Pennsylvania |
Arlen Specter |
Republican |
Re-elected, 56.9 - 43.1 |
Bob Edgar (Democrat)
|
| South Carolina |
Ernest F. Hollings |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 63.9 - 36.1 |
Henry D. McMaster (Republican)
|
| South Dakota |
James Abdnor |
Republican |
Defeated, 51.7 - 48.3 |
Tom Daschle (Democrat)
|
| Utah |
Jake Garn |
Republican |
Re-elected, 73.0 - 27.0 |
Craig Oliver (Democrat)
|
| Vermont |
Patrick J. Leahy |
Democrat |
Re-elected, 63.7 - 34.7 |
Richard A. Snelling (Republican)
|
| Washington |
Slade Gorton |
Republican |
Defeated, 51.2 - 48.8 |
Brock Adams (Democrat)
|
| Wisconsin |
Bob Kasten |
Republican |
Re-elected, 51.8 - 48.2 |
Ed Garvey (Democrat)
|
1Broyhill was appointed to the seat on July 3, 1986, following the death of John Porter East (R-NC).
[edit] See also
[edit] Senate composition before and after elections
