Democratic caucus held 59 of 100 Senate seats after the 1978 election cycle. 31 mapped seats were decided that year; the interactive map below highlights those states.
Balance After Election
Democrats 58 seats
Republicans 41 seats
Independents 1 seats
31 seats decided in this cycle · 100 total Senate seats after the election cycle.
1978 Senate Background
The 1978 U.S. Senate election cycle was part of the regular staggered Senate election schedule. This cycle was held under the direct-election system created by the Seventeenth Amendment. 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.
- From 1914 forward, Senate elections were generally decided by statewide popular vote.
- Use the interactive map above to inspect the regular Senate seats decided in this cycle.