United States Senate elections, 1990

Infobox Election
election_name = United States Senate elections, 1990
country = United States
type = legislative
ongoing = no
previous_election = United States Senate elections, 1988
previous_year = 1988
next_election = United States Senate elections, 1992
next_year = 1992
seats_for_election = 35 seats in the United States Senate
election_date = November 6, 1990

leader1 = George Mitchell
party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
leaders_seat1 = Maine
last_election1 = 55 seats
seats1 = 56
seat_change1 = +1
popular_vote1 =
percentage1 =
swing1 =

leader2 = Bob Dole
party2 = Republican Party (United States)
leaders_seat2 = Kansas
last_election2 = 45 seats
seats2 = 44
seat_change2 = -1
popular_vote2 =
percentage2 =
swing2 =

map_

leader1 = George Mitchell
party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
leaders_seat1 = Maine
last_election1 = 55 seats
seats1 = 56
seat_change1 = +1
popular_vote1 =
percentage1 =
swing1 =

leader2 = Bob Dole
party2 = Republican Party (United States)
leaders_seat2 = Kansas
last_election2 = 45 seats
seats2 = 44
seat_change2 = -1
popular_vote2 =
percentage2 =
swing2 =

map_

---

map_size = 320px
map_caption = legend|#000080|Democratic holdslegend|#00f|Democratic pickupslegend|#800|Republican holds

title = Majority Leader
before_election = George Mitchell
before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
after_election = George Mitchell
after_party = Democratic Party (United States)

The 1990 United States Senate election was an election on Tuesday 1990-11-06 for the United States Senate in which the Democratic Party increased its majority with a net gain of one seat from the Republicans. This was in keeping with the trend that the party of the President often loses seats in a midterm election.

Only one seat actually changed parties in this election, when Paul Wellstone defeated incumbent Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN). Later, the Democrats gained a 57th seat when Harris Wofford won a special election to replace H. John Heinz III, (R-PA), who had died in a plane crash.

Notable races

Democratic gains

*Minnesota: Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN) lost a stunning upset to his Democratic opponent, college professor Paul Wellstone. Wellstone ran a successful grassroots campaign highlighted by a unique series of political advertisements that helped him pull from behind to defeat two-term incumbent Boschwitz.

Democratic holds

*New Jersey: The usually safe Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ) suddenly became very vulnerable in the face of an unpopular income tax hike. Bradley refused to take a stand on the tax hike, initiated by Democratic Governor James Florio, which helped his Republican opponent Christine Todd Whitman. Bradley narrowly held his seat, but Whitman used this momentum to defeat Governor Florio in the 1993 gubernatorial election.

Republican holds

*North Carolina: Controversial conversative Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) narrowly won re-election over former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt (D). The race also featured a controversial late-running ad attacking Gantt's support for affirmative action.

enate contests in 1990

A bolded state name indicates an article about that state's election.

See also

*United States House elections, 1990
*United States gubernatorial elections, 1990
*United States Senate elections, 1988
*United States Senate elections, 1992