Republicans held 44 of 80 Senate seats after the 1896 election cycle. 31 mapped seats were decided that year; the interactive map below highlights those states.
Balance After Election
Republicans 44 seats
Democrats 34 seats
S
Silver 2 seats
31 seats decided in this cycle · 80 total Senate seats after the election cycle.
1896 Senate Background
The 1896 U.S. Senate election cycle was part of the regular staggered Senate election schedule. This cycle was before the Seventeenth Amendment, when senators were generally chosen by state legislatures. The app includes an interactive state-by-state map of the Senate seats decided in this cycle.
Key Notes
- Only about one-third of Senate seats normally stand for election in a regular cycle.
- Each state has two senators, with seats divided into three staggered classes.
- Before 1914, state legislatures usually selected U.S. senators.
- Use the interactive map above to inspect the regular Senate seats decided in this cycle.