| ←1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 → Midterm elections | |
| Election day | November 8 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) |
| Next Congress | 42nd |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | 25 of 70 seats[1] |
| Net seat change | Democratic +3[2] |
 | |
| Results: Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican hold Legislature failed to elect | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | All 243 voting seats |
| Net seat change | Democratic +33[2] |
 | |
| Results: Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain Conservative gain | |
Elections occurred in the middle ofRepublican PresidentUlysses S. Grant's first term, during theThird Party System. Members of the42nd United States Congress were chosen in this election. The election took place during theReconstruction Era, and many Southerners were barred from voting. It was also the first election after the passage of the15th Amendment, which prohibits state and federal governments from denying the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude, althoughdisenfranchisement would persist. TheRepublican Party maintained a majority in both houses of Congress, although Democrats picked up several seats in both chambers.
In theHouse, Democrats won major gains, but Republicans retained a solid majority.[3]
In theSenate, Democrats won moderate gains, but Republicans retained a commanding majority.[4]
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