1978 United States Senate elections

1978 United States Senate elections

← 1976 November 7, 1978 1980 →

35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate
51 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Robert Byrd Howard Baker
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since January 3, 1977 January 3, 1977
Leader's seat West Virginia Tennessee
Seats before 61 38
Seats after 58 41
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 3
Popular vote 15,302,929[1] 14,794,225[1]
Percentage 49.9% 48.2%
Seats up 18 17
Races won 15 20

  Third party
 
Party Independent
Seats before 1
Seats after 1[a]
Seat change Steady
Seats up 0
Races won 0

1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama1978 United States Senate election in Alabama1978 United States Senate election in Alaska1978 United States Senate election in Arkansas1978 United States Senate election in Colorado1978 United States Senate election in Delaware1978 United States Senate election in Georgia1978 United States Senate election in Idaho1978 United States Senate election in Illinois1978 United States Senate election in Iowa1978 United States Senate election in Kansas1978 United States Senate election in Kentucky1978 United States Senate election in Louisiana1978 United States Senate election in Maine1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts1978 United States Senate election in Michigan1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi1978 United States Senate election in Montana1978 United States Senate election in Nebraska1978 United States Senate election in New Hampshire1978 United States Senate election in New Jersey1978 United States Senate election in New Mexico1978 United States Senate election in North Carolina1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma1978 United States Senate election in Oregon1978 United States Senate election in Rhode Island1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina1978 United States Senate election in South Dakota1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee1978 United States Senate election in Texas1978 United States Senate election in Virginia1978 United States Senate election in West Virginia1978 United States Senate election in Wyoming
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Republican gain
     Democratic hold      Republican hold
     No election
Rectangular inset (Ala. & Minn.): both seats up for election

Majority Leader before election

Robert Byrd
Democratic

Elected Majority Leader

Robert Byrd
Democratic

The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.

Thirteen seats changed hands between parties, resulting in a net gain of three seats for the Republicans allowing them to break the Democrats' filibuster-proof majority. Democrats nevertheless retained a 58–41 majority.

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