The 1916 United States Senate elections were elections that coincided with the re-election of President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

. Republicans gained a net of two seats from the Democrats.

Senate Party Division,
65th Congress The 65th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1917, to ...
(1917–1919)

Majority Party: Democratic (54 seats) Minority Party: Republican (42 seats) Other Parties: 0 Total Seats: 96

Gains and losses

Republicans picked up seven seats: * Harry S. New (IN) * James E. Watson (IN)--won in a special election * Frederick Hale (ME) * Joseph I. France (MD) * Joseph S. Freylinghuysen (NJ) * William M. Calder (NY) *

Howard Sutherland Howard Sutherland (September 8, 1865March 12, 1950) was an American politician. He was a Republican who represented West Virginia in both houses of the United States Congress. Sutherland was born near Kirkwood, Missouri. He lived in Missouri un ...

(WV) Democrats picked up five seats: * Josiah O. Wolcott (DE) * Andrieus A. Jones (NM) * Peter G. Gerry (RI) * William H. King (UT) *

John B. Kendrick John Benjamin Kendrick (September 6, 1857 – November 3, 1933) was an American politician and cattleman who served as a United States senator from Wyoming and as the ninth Governor of Wyoming as a member of the Democratic Party. Early life ...

(WY)

Change in composition

Before the elections

Elections results

Race summaries

Special elections during the 64th Congress

In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1916 or before March 4, 1917; ordered by election date.

Elections leading to the 65th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1917; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Arizona

Arkansas (Special)

Three-term Democratic

Senate President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase '' pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being ...

James Paul Clarke James Paul Clarke (August 18, 1854 – October 1, 1916) was a United States Senator and the 18th Governor of Arkansas as well as a white supremacist. Biography Clarke was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. His father died when Clarke was seven y ...

died October 1, 1916. Democrat William F. Kirby was elected November 7, 1916 to finish the term. He served only the rest of this term, losing renomination in 1920.

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Indiana

There were two elections held November 7, 1916 due to a vacancy. The elections converted both seats from Democratic to Republican, thus marking the first time since the popular-election of Senators was mandated by the Seventeenth Amendment three years earlier that both Senate seats in a state flipped from one party to the other in a single election cycle.

Indiana (Special)

Two-term Democrat Benjamin F. Shively was re-elected in 1914 and served until he died March 14, 1916. Democrat

Thomas Taggart Thomas Taggart (November 17, 1856March 6, 1929) was an Irish-American politician who was the political boss of the Democratic Party in Indiana for the first quarter of the twentieth century and remained an influential political figure in loca ...

was appointed by Governor Samuel Ralston on March 20th to continue the term until a November 7, 1916 special election. Taggart lost the special election to Republican

James Eli Watson James Eli Watson (November 2, 1864July 29, 1948) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Indiana. He was the Senate's second official majority leader. While an article published by the Senate (see References) gives his year of birth as ...

. Watson would finish out the term, be re-elected twice, and serve until his 1932 re-election loss.

Indiana (Regular)

One-term Democrat John W. Kern was elected in 1911. He lost re-election to Republican

Harry Stewart New Harry Stewart New (December 31, 1858 – May 9, 1937) was a U.S. politician, journalist, and Spanish–American War veteran. He served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, a United States senator from Indiana, and United States P ...

. New served only until losing renomination in 1922. Kern died on August 17, 1917, the same year he left the U.S Senate.

Maine

There were two elections due to a vacancy. Both elections were held September 11, 1916, as Maine routinely held its annual elections in September at the time.

Maine (Special)

One-term Republican

Edwin C. Burleigh Edwin Chick Burleigh (November 27, 1843June 16, 1916) was an American politician who served as the 42nd Governor of Maine from 1889 to 1893. A member of the Republican Party, he went on to hold federal office, first in the United States House ...

was elected in 1913, and died June 16, 1916. Republican

Bert M. Fernald Bert Manfred Fernald (April 3, 1858August 23, 1926) was an American farmer, businessman, and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician who became the List of Governors of Maine, 47th Governor of Maine and a United States senator. ...

was elected September 12, 1916 to finish the term. Fernand would later be re-elected twice and serve until his 1926 death.

Maine (Regular)

One-term Democrat

Charles Fletcher Johnson Charles Fletcher Johnson (February 14, 1859 – February 15, 1930) was a United States senator from Maine and a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Johnson was nominated by President Woodrow W ...

was elected in 1911. He lost re-election to Republican Frederick Hale. Hale would later be re-elected three times and serve until his 1935 retirement.

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

The 1916 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 7, 1916. It was the second direct election for the U.S. Senate to take place in Vermont following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the first for Vermont's Class I seat. The incumbent, Republican Carroll S. Page successfully ran for re-election to a second full term. In the primary election, which was held on September 11, Page gained re-nomination by winning 62 percent of the vote to defeat former governor Allen M. Fletcher (20.3) and current governor Charles W. Gates (17.7). With the Republican Party dominant in Vermont, as it had been since its founding in the 1850s, Democratic candidate Oscar C. Miller was little more than a token opponent for Page. In the general election, Page defeated Miller 74.4 percent to 23.5.