- United States Senate elections, 1986
Infobox Election
election_name = United States Senate elections, 1986
country = United States
type = legislative
ongoing = no
previous_election = United States Senate elections, 1984
previous_year = 1984
next_election = United States Senate elections, 1988
next_year = 1988
seats_for_election = 34 seats in theUnited States Senate
election_date =November 8 ,1986
map_size = 300px
map_caption = legend|#800|Republican holdslegend|#00f|Democratic pickupstitle = Majority Leader
before_election =Bob Dole
before_party = Republican Party (United States)
after_election =Robert Byrd
after_party = Democratic Party (United States)The U.S. Senate election, 1986 was an election for the
United States Senate in the middle ofRonald 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 elected onReagan's coattails in1980 .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) andRobert 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 inMaryland andNevada 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), andSlade Gorton (R-WA). Broyhill was the only defeated Republican not elected in 1980. However, he was appointed to the seat left vacant by the death ofJohn P. East , a Republican elected in 1980.Notable new Senators in 1986 include
John McCain (R-AZ), elected to the seat left byBarry Goldwater 's retirement, futureSenate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), who retookGeorge McGovern 's old seat from Abdnor, and futureSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).In 1987,
Edward Zorinsky (D-NE) died and was replaced byDavid K. Karnes (R-NE). This is not included in the party balance totals.enate contests in 1986
A bolded state name indicates an article about that state's election.
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