1884–85 United States Senate elections
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27 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections) 39 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the elections: Republican gain Republican hold Democratic hold Legislature failed to elect | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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. 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.