The winners were elected to six-year terms running from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2025. Senate Democrats had 26 seats up for election (including the seats of two independents who caucus with them) while Senate Republicans had nine seats up for election.
| 116th United States Congress |
|---|
| Senate Majority | Republican |
| House Majority | Democratic |
| Sessions |
| 1st: January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2020 2nd: January 3, 2020 – present |
The United States Senate party membership by state. States with two Democratic U.S. Senators are in blue, states with two Republican U.S. Senators are in red, and those with one of each are in purple.
2018 United States Senate elections
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Leader since | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2017 |
| Leader's seat | Kentucky | New York |
| Last election | 52 | 46 |
| Seats before | 51 | 47 |
Republicans defended that majority in 2016 and 2018, and held 53 Senate seats following the 2018 elections. Democrats held 45 seats after the 2018 elections, while independents caucusing with the Democratic Party held two seats.
The current leaders are Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. The current Assistant Majority Leader is Republican John Thune of South Dakota. The current Assistant Minority Leader is Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois.
Democrats held 45 seats after the 2018 elections, while independents caucusing with the Democratic Party held two seats. Including the special elections in Arizona and Georgia, Republicans will be defending 23 seats in 2020, while the Democratic Party will be defending 12 seats.
Independent Senators are quite rare. In modern politics, Independent Brian Harradine served from 1975 to 2005 with considerable influence at times.
Partisan composition
As of August 2019 (and including the 2020 special elections in Arizona and Georgia), Republicans are expected to defend 23 seats in 2020, while the Democratic Party is expected to defend only 12 seats.| 116th United States Congress |
|---|
| Senate Majority | Republican |
| House Majority | Democratic |
| Sessions |
| 1st: January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2020 2nd: January 3, 2020 – present |
Party affiliation
| Affiliation | Members |
|---|
| Republican Party | 53 |
| Democratic Party | 45 |
| Independent | 2 |
| Total | 100 |
Democrats have held a majority in the
House of Representatives since January 3, 2019 as a result the 2018 elections, when they won 235
seats. To
win a majority,
Republicans would
need a net
gain of 18
seats.
November 3, 2020.
| Last election | 235 | 200 |
| Current seats | 232 | 196 |
| Seats needed | | 18 |
| Party | Independent | |
| Last election | 0 | |
Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every even year. Senators however, serve six-year terms and elections to the Senate are staggered over even years so that only about 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection during any election.
Senate Democrats had 26 seats up for
election (including the seats of two independents who caucus with them) while
Senate Republicans had nine seats up for
election.
2018 United States Senate elections.
| Last election | 52 | 46 |
| Seats before | 51 | 47 |
| Seats after | 53 | 45 |
| Seat change | 2 | 2 |
| Popular vote | 34,723,013 | 52,260,651 |
| United States Congress |
|---|
| President pro tempore of the Senate | Chuck Grassley (R) since January 3, 2019 |
| Structure |
| Seats | 535 voting members 100 senators 435 representatives 6 non-voting members |
| Senate political groups | Republican (53) Democratic (45) Independent (2) |
Senators of the 116th Congress
- Baldwin, Tammy - (D - WI)
- Barrasso, John - (R - WY)
- Blackburn, Marsha - (R - TN)
- Braun, Mike - (R - IN)
- Brown, Sherrod - (D - OH)
- Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA)
- Cardin, Benjamin L. - ( D - MD)
- Carper, Thomas R. - ( D - DE)
The Constitution prescribes that the Senate be composed of two senators from each State (therefore, the Senate currently has 100 Members) and that a senator must be at least thirty years of age, have been a citizen of the United States for nine years, and, when elected, be a resident of the State from which he or she
The Senate is widely considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the House of Representatives due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies, which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere.
Including the special elections in Arizona and Georgia, Republicans will be defending 23 seats in 2020, while the Democratic Party will be defending 12 seats.
Current seniority list
| Current rank | Historical rank | Senator |
|---|
| 1 | 1692 | Patrick Leahy |
| 2 | 1743 | Chuck Grassley |
| 3 | 1766 | Mitch McConnell |
| 4 | 1775 | Richard Shelby |
The nuclear option is a parliamentary procedure that allows the United States Senate to override a standing rule of the Senate, such as the 60-vote rule to close debate, by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the two-thirds supermajority normally required to amend the rules.
The Senate Republican and Democratic floor leaders are elected by the members of their party in the Senate at the beginning of each Congress. Depending on which party is in power, one serves as majority leader and the other as minority leader. The majority leader has also come to speak for the Senate as an institution.
Senators have certain responsibilities that no one else has – including those in the House of Representatives. These responsibilities include agreeing to treaties and confirming federal officials like Supreme Court Justices.
Additional information on many of these topics may be found in reports referenced throughout. The compensation for most Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico is $174,000.
Parliament votes on the proposal by secret ballot, and if two thirds of all representatives agree, the president is impeached. Once impeached, the president's powers are suspended, and the Constitutional Court decides whether or not the President should be removed from office.
Why is the senate referred to as the "upper house"? Because the senate chamber was located above the house in the building where congress first met in New Jersey. The senate has a longer term and the advantage it gives to politicians in terms of not worrying to get re-elected so often.
Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to impeach a government official, in effect serving as prosecutor. The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment trials, essentially serving as jury and judge. Since 1789 the Senate has tried 19 federal officials, including two presidents.
The Senate shares full legislative power with the House of Representatives. In addition, the Senate has exclusive authority to approve–or reject–presidential nominations to executive and judicial offices, and to provide–or withhold–its “advice and consent” to treaties negotiated by the executive.
The Senate also checks the President by having the power to approve or not approve the treaties he makes with other nations. The Senate also approves the appointments that the President makes to his Cabinet, ambassadors, federal judges, and all civilian employees of the government who are not covered by another area.
The Senate has certain responsibilities that the House of Representatives does not. These responsibilities include agreeing to treaties and confirming federal officials like Supreme Court Justices. National Elections take place every even-numbered year.
The Constitution explicitly assigns the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of their Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors.
The United States Constitution does not allow for the dissolution of Congress, instead allowing for prorogation by the President of the United States when Congress is unable to agree on a time of adjournment.
