United States Senate elections, 2020
From Ballotpedia
(Redirected fromU.S. Senate elections, 2020)
Jump to:navigation,search
- Presidential election
- Congress elections
- State elections
- Local elections
- Voter information
←2018 2022→ |
 |
November 3, 2020 |
Elections to theU.S. Senate were held onNovember 3, 2020. A total of33 of the 100 seats were up for regular election.
Those elected to the U.S. Senate in the 33 regular elections on November 3, 2020, began their six-year terms on January 3, 2021.
Special elections were also held to fill vacancies that occurred in the116th Congress, including 2020 special U.S. Senate elections inArizona for the seat thatJohn McCain (R) won in2016 and inGeorgia for the seat thatJohnny Isakson (R) won in2016.
Twelve seats held by Democrats and 23 seats held by Republicans were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans had a majority with 53 seats. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats, or three in addition to winning the presidential election, to take control of the chamber. The vice president casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate.
On this page, you will find:
- Thecurrent and historical partisan balance of the U.S. Senate
- Alist of special elections for the 116th Congress
- The seats that areup for election in 2020
- Information on2020's battleground races
- The number offiled candidates by political party
- A list of incumbentsnot seeking re-election in 2020
- A list ofimportant dates and deadlines for the 2020 election cycle
- Information onstates held by a party opposite the winning 2016 presidential candidate
- A list ofrace ratings
- Information on historicalwave elections
2020 election analysis and context
Updated 5:10 p.m. ET on January 6, 2021
As a result of the2020 U.S. Senate elections, Democrats and Republicans split the chamber 50-50, with Vice President (starting January 20, 2021, DemocratKamala Harris) having the tie-breaking vote. Heading into the November 3, 2020, elections, Republicans held 53 seats in the U.S. Senate, with Democrats holding 45 and independents who caucus with Democrats holding the remaining two.
Democrats won control of the U.S. Senate following two runoff elections in Georgia on January 5, 2021.Raphael Warnock (D) won thespecial runoff election andJon Ossoff (D) won theregular runoff election. Before the runoffs, Republicans had secured 50 seats and Democrats had secured 48 seats (including among them two seats held by independents who caucus with Democrats).
Democrats flipped four seats and Republicans flipped one:
- Tommy Tuberville (R) defeated incumbentDoug Jones (D) inAlabama.
- Mark Kelly (D) defeated incumbentMartha McSally (R) inArizona's special election.
- John Hickenlooper (D) defeated incumbentCory Gardner (R) inColorado.
- Raphael Warnock (D) defeatedKelly Loeffler (R) inGeorgia.
- Jon Ossoff (D) defeatedDavid Perdue (R) inGeorgia.
Thirty-five of the 100 seats were up in 2020, including two special elections. Twenty-three of those seats were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats, giving Republicans greaterpartisan risk in 2020.
Ballotpedia tracked16 of the 35 races as battlegrounds, including 12 for Republican-held seats and four for Democratic-held seats. Both parties defended two seats that the other party's presidential nominee won in 2016, with Democrats defending seats in Alabama and Michigan and Republicans defending seats in Colorado and Maine. The last time this set of seats was up, in 2014, nine flipped, all from Democratic to Republican.
Four of the seats up wereopen, meaning the incumbent was not running for re-election. Three of those seats were held by Republicans and one by a Democrat. The four senators were retiring from public office.
Partisan breakdown
Democrats gained a net three Senate seats in the2020 general elections, winning control of the chamber. Republicans held 50 seats following the election, while Democrats had 48 seats and independents who caucus with Democrats held the remaining two. Vice PresidentKamala Harris (D) had the tiebreaking vote.
| U.S. Senate Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of January 3, 2019 | After the 2020 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 45 | 48[1] | |
| Republican Party | 53 | 50 | |
| Independent | 2 | 2[1] | |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
The chart below shows historical partisan breakdown information for the chamber.
| Click "show" to the right to read about changes in partisan control in the Senate since 2000. | |
|---|---|
From 2000 to 2018, partisan control of the U.S. Senate changed four times. Republicans controlled the chamber entering 2000. Democrats temporarily took a one-vote majority in the Senate after Vermont Sen.Jim Jeffords decided to leave the Republican Party, serve as an independent, and caucus with the Democrats in 2001. Shortly before the 2002 midterm election, however, Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone (D) was killed in a plane crash. His replacement, former Vice PresidentWalter Mondale (D), was defeated byNorm Coleman (R). Following the midterm election, Coleman became the 51st Republican senator.[2] In 2005 and 2006, Republicans reached a high of 55 seats compared to the Democrats' 45. Republicans lost control of the Senate in 2007 following the previous year's midterm election. Democrats won a 51-49 majority that year, which grew to a 59-41 split in 2010. The Senate changed hands again following the 2014 midterm election, and Republicans held a 54-46 majority in 2015 and 2016. This majority fell to a 52-48 split in 2017, and with thespecial election victory of Alabama Sen.Doug Jones (D) shrinking the Republican majority to 51-49 in 2018. Republicans won two seats in the 2018 elections, bringing their majority to 53-47 at the start of 2019. The majority of the U.S. Senate can sometimes shift due to unexpected circumstances. A historical example of this would be 1953, when the Republican majority in the Senate shrank to 48-47 after Oregon Sen.Wayne Morse left the Republican Party to become an independent. Nine senators died from 1953 to 1955. When Ohio Sen. Robert Taft (R) died during the summer of 1953, a Democrat was appointed to replace him, which gave the Democratic Party a one-vote majority. The following summer, Wyoming Sen. Lester Hunt (D) committed suicide and a Republican was appointed to replace him. This flipped the majority back into Republican control.[2] | |
Election results
 | |
Twelve seats held by Democrats and 23 seats held by Republicans were up for election in 2020, including theArizona special election and theGeorgia special election. In 2020, Democrats had a net gain of three seats and controlled 50 seats at the beginning of the117th Congress. The map and table below show what seats were up for election and the incumbent heading into the election in each race.
Incumbents defeated
This section tracked incumbents defeated in 2020.
Incumbents defeated in the general election
The following table lists incumbents defeated in the 2020 general election for U.S. Senate.
| U.S. Senate incumbents defeated in the 2020 general election | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent | Election winner | ||||
| Alabama |  Doug Jones |  Tommy Tuberville | ||||
| Arizona | Martha McSally | Mark Kelly | ||||
| Colorado | Cory Gardner | John Hickenlooper | ||||
| Georgia | David Perdue | Jon Ossoff | ||||
| Georgia | Kelly Loeffler | Raphael Warnock | ||||
Incumbents defeated in primaries
No U.S. Senate incumbents were defeated in primaries in 2020.
Margin of victory
The margin of victory (MOV) for each race is calculated by examining the percentage difference between the two candidates who received the most votes. If the race was uncontested, the margin of victory is listed as 100%. Some quick facts:
- The average margin of victory was 18.1%. This was higher than the 16.8% average in2018, but lower than the 22.1% average in2016 or the 22.6% average in2014.
- On average, Democrats won by smaller margins than Republicans. The average MOV for winning Republicans was 22.0%, while Democratic winners averaged a MOV of 12.8%.
- The closest race was the regularly-scheduled election inGeorgia, where challengerJon Ossoff (D) defeated incumbentDavid Perdue (R) by 0.83 percent of the vote.
Outside ratings
The following table compared U.S. Senate race ratings fromThe Cook Political Report,Sabato's Crystal Ball, andInside Elections prior to the November 2020 elections.
Seats that changed party hands in 2014
- See also:United States Senate elections, 2014
In 2014—the last time the 33 seats up for regular election in 2020 were up for election—nine seats changed party hands. Republicans picked up all nine seats.
| Senate seats that changed party hands, 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Pre-election incumbent | 2014 winner | Margin of victory (% points) | 2020 rating:Cook[3] | 2020 rating:Inside Elections[4] | 2020 rating:Sabato[5] |
| Alaska | Mark Begich | Dan Sullivan | 2.2 | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican |
| Arkansas | Mark Pryor | Tom Cotton | 17.0 | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Safe Republican |
| Colorado | Mark Udall | Cory Gardner | 1.9 | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Likely Democratic |
| Iowa | Tom Harkin | Joni Ernst | 8.3 | Toss-up | Toss-up | Lean Republican |
| Louisiana | Mary Landrieu | Bill Cassidy | 11.8 | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Safe Republican |
| Montana | John Walsh | Steve Daines | 17.7 | Toss-up | Toss-up | Lean Republican |
| North Carolina | Kay Hagan | Thom Tillis | 1.5 | Toss-up | Tilt Democratic | Lean Democratic |
| South Dakota | Tim Johnson | Mike Rounds | 20.9 | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Safe Republican |
| West Virginia | Jay Rockefeller | Shelley Moore Capito | 27.6 | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Safe Republican |
Incumbents who didn't seek re-election in 2020
- 1 Democrat
- 3 Republicans
| Retiring from public office, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Party | State | Date announced | 2020 winner's party | ||
| Lamar Alexander | Republican | Tennessee | December 17, 2018 | Republican | ||
| Mike Enzi | Republican | Wyoming | May 4, 2019 | Republican | ||
| Pat Roberts | Republican | Kansas | January 4, 2019 | Republican | ||
| Tom Udall | Democratic | New Mexico | March 25, 2019 | Democratic | ||
Historical comparison
The following table includes figures on Democratic and Republican members of Congress who either left office during their term or announced that they would not seek re-election for each election year since 2012.
| Outgoing members of Congress, 2012-2018 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Chamber | Democrats not seeking re-election | Republicans not seeking re-election | Total not seeking re-election | Democrats leaving office early | Republicans leaving office early | Total leaving office early |
| 2018 | |||||||
| U.S. Senate | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| U.S. House | 18 | 34 | 52 | 3 | 14 | 17 | |
| Total | 18 | 37 | 55 | 4 | 16 | 20 | |
| 2016 | |||||||
| U.S. Senate | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| U.S. House | 16 | 24 | 40 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| Total | 19 | 26 | 45 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| 2014 | |||||||
| U.S. Senate | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| U.S. House | 16 | 25 | 41 | 3 | 6 | 9 | |
| Total | 21 | 27 | 48 | 6 | 8 | 14 | |
| 2012 | |||||||
| U.S. Senate | 6 | 3 | 10[6] | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| U.S. House | 23 | 20 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| Total | 29 | 23 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
Annual Congressional Competitiveness Report, 2020
Ballotpedia's Annual Congressional Competitiveness report for 2020 includes information on the number of elections featuring candidates from both major parties, the number of open seats, and more.
HIGHLIGHTS
Click here to view the full report.
Battleground elections
- See also:U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2020
Ballotpedia identified16 races as general electionbattlegrounds. Of the 16 seats, four had Democratic incumbents and 12 had Republican incumbents heading into the election.
These battleground seats were selected by examining the results of the2016 presidential election in the state, whether the incumbent was seeking re-election, and whether the incumbent was serving his or her first term in the Senate.Race ratings from theCook Political Report,Sabato's Crystal Ball, andInside Elections with Nathan Gonzales were also considered. For more information on our methodology, clickhere.
The following map displays the 2020 Senate battlegrounds shaded by the incumbent's or most recent incumbent's political affiliation. Hover over a state for more information.
| Battleground U.S. Senate elections, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent | Open seat? | 2014 margin | 2016 presidential margin | 2020 election result | |
| Alabama | Doug Jones | No | R+94.5 | R+27.7 | R+20.4 | |
| Arizona(special) | Martha McSally | No | R+13.0[9] | R+3.5 | D+2.4 | |
| Colorado | Cory Gardner | No | R+1.9 | D+4.9 | D+9.3 | |
| Georgia | David Perdue | No | R+7.7 | R+5.2 | D+1.2 | |
| Georgia(special) | Kelly Loeffler | No | R+13.8[10] | R+5.2 | D+2.0 | |
| Iowa | Joni Ernst | No | R+8.3 | R+9.4 | R+6.5 | |
| Kansas | Pat Roberts | Yes | R+10.6 | R+20.6 | R+11.4 | |
| Kentucky | Mitch McConnell | No | R+15.5 | R+29.8 | R+19.6 | |
| Maine | Susan Collins | No | R+36.2 | D+3.0 | R+8.6 | |
| Michigan | Gary Peters | No | D+13.3 | R+0.2 | D+1.7 | |
| Minnesota | Tina Smith | No | D+10.2 | D+1.5 | D+5.2 | |
| Montana | Steve Daines | No | R+17.7 | R+20.5 | R+10.0 | |
| New Hampshire | Jeanne Shaheen | No | D+3.2 | D+0.4 | D+15.6 | |
| North Carolina | Thom Tillis | No | R+1.6 | R+3.7 | R+1.8 | |
| South Carolina | Lindsey Graham | No | R+17.7 | R+14.2 | R+10.2 | |
| Texas | John Cornyn | No | R+27.2 | R+9.0 | R+9.6 | |
Fundraising by candidate
The following table shows the top U.S. Senate fundraisers of the 2020 election cycle based on FEC filings through October 14, 2020.
Fundraising by party
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
TheDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2021-22 election cycle:
| Monthly fundraising for the DSCC for the 2021-22 election cycle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month (Dates covered) | Total receipts | Total disbursements | Cash on hand (end of month) | Debts owed (end of month) | FEC document |
| Year-End 2022 (November 29-December 31, 2022) | $9,865,360.61 | $14,916,360.74 | $8,595,217.87 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| Post-General 2022 (October 20-November 28, 2022) | $35,320,088.66 | $55,785,192.43 | $13,646,218.00 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| Pre-General 2022 (October 1-19, 2022) | $37,191,286.44 | $39,542,256.21 | $34,111,521.77 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| October 2022 (September 1-30, 2022) | $28,769,311.90 | $38,151,774.31 | $36,459,491.54 | $0.00 | Filing |
| September 2022 (August 1-31, 2022) | $12,578,749.01 | $20,881,341.49 | $45,841,953.95 | $0.00 | Filing |
| August 2022 (July 1-31, 2022) | $10,102,351.75 | $9,496,094.09 | $54,144,546.43 | $0.00 | Filing |
| July 2022 (June 1-30, 2022) | $12,566,902.59 | $11,167,743.78 | $53,538,288.77 | $0.00 | Filing |
| June 2022 (May 1-31, 2022) | $11,900,623.32 | $6,599,838.15 | $52,139,129.96 | $0.00 | Filing |
| May 2022 (April 1-30, 2022) | $8,269,244.48 | $5,995,292.65 | $45,983,531.45 | $0.00 | Filing |
| April 2022 (March 1-31, 2022) | $12,524,106.59 | $6,681,395.51 | $43,709,579.62 | $0.00 | Filing |
| March 2022 (Feb. 1-28, 2022) | $15,012,444.42 | $6,401,962.44 | $37,866,868.54 | $0.00 | Filing |
| February 2022 (Jan. 1-31, 2022) | $10,666,141.34 | $5,104,332.75 | $29,256,386.56 | $0.00 | Filing |
| Year-End 2021 (Dec. 1-31, 2021) | $10,128,189.49 | $4,646,697.73 | $23,694,577.97 | $0.00 | Filing |
| December 2021 (Nov. 1-30, 2021) | $6,846,254.23 | $4,523,655.04 | $18,213,086.21 | $0.00 | Filing |
| November 2021 (Oct. 1-31, 2021) | $6,981,887.03 | $4,481,716.90 | $15,890,487.02 | $0.00 | Filing |
| October 2021 (Sept. 1-30, 2021) | $8,037,630.15 | $5,145,998.03 | $13,390,316.89 | $0.00 | Filing |
| September 2021 (Aug. 1-31, 2021) | $6,153,202.01 | $5,922,536.51 | $10,498,684.77 | $0.00 | Filing |
| August 2021 (July 1-31, 2021) | $6,473,053.97 | $7,770,185.85 | $10,268,019.27 | $2,000,000.00 | Filing |
| July 2021 (June 1-30, 2021) | $10,123,541.88 | $11,190,766.21 | $11,565,151.15 | $5,000,000.00 | Filing |
| June 2021 (May 1-31, 2021) | $7,168,163.64 | $7,258,068.33 | $12,632,375.48 | $8,000,000.00 | Filing |
| May 2021 (April 1-30, 2021) | $6,642,177.58 | $7,100,453.56 | $12,722,280.17 | $11,000,000.00 | Filing |
| April 2021 (March 1-31, 2021) | $9,292,748.21 | $6,315,393.50 | $13,180,556.15 | $15,000,000.00 | Filing |
| March 2021 (Feb. 1-28, 2021) | $7,265,921.55 | $6,108,300.17 | $10,203,201.44 | $18,000,000.00 | Filing |
| February 2021 (Jan. 1-31, 2021) | $6,094,399.76 | $6,833,277.29 | $9,045,580.06 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
TheDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2019-20 election cycle:
| Monthly fundraising for the DSCC for the 2019-20 election cycle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month (Dates covered) | Total receipts | Total disbursements | Cash on hand (end of month) | Debts owed (end of month) | FEC document |
| Year-End 2020 (Nov. 24 - Dec. 31, 2020) | $23,980,459.46 | $31,688,232.18 | $9,784,457.59 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| Post-General 2020 (Oct. 15 - Nov. 23, 2020) | $35,600,342.20 | $49,865,876.04 | $17,492,230.31 | $20,621,140.69 | Filing |
| Pre-General 2020 (Oct. 1-14, 2020) | $35,331,507.60 | $33,622,084.90 | $31,757,764.15 | $0.00 | Filing |
| October 2020 (Sept. 1-30, 2020) | $43,766,388.33 | $54,708,807.24 | $30,048,341.45 | $664,202.94 | Filing |
| September 2020 (Aug. 1-31, 2020) | $26,933,943.47 | $25,951,407.81 | $40,990,760.36 | $685,632.46 | Filing |
| August 2020 (July 1-31, 2020) | $13,126,055.11 | $10,856,069.90 | $40,008,224.70 | $707,011.35 | Filing |
| July 2020 (June 1-30, 2020) | $13,594,066.34 | $8,212,855.51 | $37,738,239.49 | $728,395.24 | Filing |
| June 2020 (May 1-31, 2020) | $11,241,636.65 | $7,691,856.06 | $32,357,028.66 | $749,595.76 | Filing |
| May 2020 (Apr. 1-30, 2020) | $8,956,862.79 | $5,028,784.99 | $28,807,248.07 | $770,411.86 | Filing |
| April 2020 (Mar. 1-31, 2020) | $10,992,303.31 | $6,057,453.55 | $24,879,170.27 | $790,686.39 | Filing |
| March 2020 (Feb. 1-29, 2020) | $8,887,049.10 | $8,693,457.16 | $19,944,320.51 | $1,810,934.04 | Filing |
| February 2020 (Jan. 1-31, 2020) | $8,546,346.55 | $7,464,236.52 | $19,750,728.57 | $4,830,923.92 | Filing |
| Year-End 2019 (Dec. 1-31, 2019) | $7,321,304.42 | $5,989,621.81 | $18,668,618.52 | $6,850,905.89 | Filing |
| December 2019 (Nov. 1-30, 2019) | $5,751,538.91 | $5,768,449.98 | $17,336,935.91 | $7,870,851.77 | Filing |
| November 2019 (Oct. 1-31, 2019) | $5,385,905.73 | $5,634,676.70 | $17,353,846.98 | $9,890,430.12 | Filing |
| October 2019 (Sept. 1-30, 2019) | $6,758,475.89 | $5,344,759.24 | $17,602,617.95 | $11,909,994.54 | Filing |
| September 2019 (Aug. 1-31, 2019) | $4,740,235.97 | $5,500,212.89 | $16,188,901.30 | $13,929,262.72 | Filing |
| August 2019 (July 1-31, 2019) | $4,787,675.39 | $2,629,871.71 | $16,948,878.22 | $15,948,312.35 | Filing |
| July 2019 (June 1-30, 2019) | $5,546,286.08 | $3,863,708.54 | $14,791,074.54 | $15,967,382.88 | Filing |
| June 2019 (May 1-31, 2019) | $4,512,788.16 | $5,330,937.09 | $13,108,497.00 | $0.00 | Filing |
| May 2019 (Apr. 1-30, 2019) | $4,360,277.62 | $3,217,150.73 | $13,921,920.07 | $19,005,065.53 | Filing |
| April 2019 (Mar. 1-31, 2019) | $5,875,324.31 | $4,298,364.03 | $12,778,793.18 | $19,163,559.94 | Filing |
| March 2019 (Feb. 1-28, 2019) | $3,836,700.57 | $1,584,704.25 | $11,201,832.90 | $21,042,710.77 | Filing |
| February 2019 (Jan. 1-31, 2019) | $4,045,134.75 | $1,280,456.07 | $8,949,836.58 | $21,061,176.57 | Filing |
National Republican Senatorial Committee
TheNational Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2021-22 election cycle:
| Monthly fundraising for the NRSC for the 2021-22 election cycle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month (Dates covered) | Total receipts | Total disbursements | Cash on hand (end of month) | Debts owed (end of month) | FEC document |
| Year-End 2022 (November 29-December 31, 2022) | $3,372,124.04 | $5,784,107.36 | $8,177,735.85 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| Post-General 2022 (October 20-November 28, 2022) | $12,054,403.63 | $15,155,797.37 | $10,589,719.17 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| Pre-General 2022 (October 1-19, 2022) | $15,468,969.33 | $15,452,555.70 | $13,691,112.91 | $20,000,000.00 | Filing |
| October 2022 (September 1-30, 2022) | $25,016,489.17 | $27,341,833.7 | $13,674,699.28 | $0.00 | Filing |
| September 2022 (August 1-31, 2022) | $12,613,097.87 | $19,778,682.06 | $16,000,043.81 | $0.00 | Filing |
| August 2022 (July 1-31, 2022) | $8,050,263.06 | $13,337,920.86 | $23,165,628.00 | $0.00 | Filing |
| July 2022 (June 1-30, 2022) | $9,456,309.22 | $17,006,565.16 | $28,453,285.80 | $0.00 | Filing |
| June 2022 (May 1-31, 2022) | $8,018,426.36 | $17,132,632.32 | $36,003,541.74 | $0.00 | Filing |
| May 2022 (April 1-30, 2022) | $8,146,970.56 | $7,164,015.84 | $45,117,747.70 | $0.00 | Filing |
| April 2022 (March 1-31, 2022) | $13,280,793.52 | $10,790,212.26 | $44,134,792.98 | $0.00 | Filing |
| March 2022 (Feb. 1-28, 2022) | $11,707,886.37 | $9,172,518.56 | $41,644,211.72 | $0.00 | Filing |
| February 2022 (Jan. 1-31, 2022) | $18,019,008.84 | $11,692,567.55 | $39,108,843.91 | $0.00 | Filing |
| Year-End 2021 (Dec. 1-31, 2021) | $11,236,079.02 | $8,541,350.07 | $32,782,402.62 | $0.00 | Filing |
| December 2021 (Nov. 1-30, 2021) | $8,389,156.42 | $7,985,767.53 | $30,087,673.67 | $0.00 | Filing |
| November 2021 (Oct. 1-31, 2021) | $9,001,481.07 | $7,089,100.08 | $29,684,284.78 | $0.00 | Filing |
| October 2021 (Sept. 1-30, 2021) | $9,531,613.39 | $6,998,909.18 | $27,771,903.79 | $0.00 | Filing |
| September 2021 (Aug. 1-31, 2021) | $8,004,299.83 | $6,902,129.94 | $25,239,199.58 | $0.00 | Filing |
| August 2021 (July 1-31, 2021) | $7,467,414.93 | $8,404,026.26 | $24,137,029.69 | $0.00 | Filing |
| July 2021 (June 1-30, 2021) | $10,523,491.53 | $6,153,766.10 | $25,073,641.02 | $0.00 | Filing |
| June 2021 (May 1-31, 2021) | $10,375,900.98 | $3,921,710.51 | $20,703,915.59 | $0.00 | Filing |
| May 2021 (April 1-30, 2021) | $7,206,465.03 | $5,290,732.63 | $14,249,725.12 | $0.00 | Filing |
| April 2021 (March 1-31, 2021) | $8,336,221.77 | $11,153,372.57 | $12,333,992.72 | $0.00 | Filing |
| March 2021 (Feb. 1-28, 2021) | $6,427,393.63 | $8,492,567.28 | $15,151,143.52 | $5,400,000.00 | Filing |
| February 2021 (Jan. 1-31, 2021) | $8,340,640.22 | $5,536,186.82 | $17,216,317.17 | $9,000,000.00 | Filing |
TheNational Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2019-20 election cycle:
| Monthly fundraising for the NRSC for the 2019-20 election cycle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month (Dates covered) | Total receipts | Total disbursements | Cash on hand (end of month) | Debts owed (end of month) | FEC document |
| Year-End 2020 (Nov. 24 - Dec. 31, 2020) | $43,032,018.48 | $65,451,234.64 | $14,411,863.77 | $9,000,000.00 | Filing |
| Post-General 2020 (Oct. 15 - Nov. 23, 2020) | $75,545,792.20 | $57,053,982.04 | $36,831,079.93 | $18,023,850.00 | Filing |
| Pre-General 2020 (Oct. 1-14, 2020) | $19,310,128.33 | $23,608,784.20 | $18,339,269.77 | $10,000,000.00 | Filing |
| October 2020 (Sept. 1-30, 2020) | $32,704,196.62 | $23,655,932.90 | $22,637,925.64 | $6,000,000.00 | Filing |
| September 2020 (Aug. 1-31, 2020) | $19,011,898.74 | $21,811,488.95 | $13,589,661.92 | $0.00 | Filing |
| August 2020 (July 1-31, 2020) | $15,049,387.89 | $29,204,894.32 | $16,389,252.13 | $0.00 | Filing |
| July 2020 (June 1-30, 2020) | $14,010,051.79 | $23,499,907.40 | $30,544,758.56 | $0.00 | Filing |
| June 2020 (May 1-31, 2020) | $10,104,413.14 | $7,894,583.70 | $40,034,614.17 | $0.00 | Filing |
| May 2020 (Apr. 1-30, 2020) | $11,507,707.90 | $6,218,053.90 | $37,827,284.73 | $0.00 | Filing |
| April 2020 (Mar. 1-31, 2020) | $9,085,278.89 | $6,924,004.69 | $32,537,630.73 | $0.00 | Filing |
| March 2020 (Feb. 1-29, 2020) | $11,177,348.56 | $6,035,717.70 | $30,376,356.53 | $0.00 | Filing |
| February 2020 (Jan. 1-31, 2020) | $10,054,892.65 | $4,830,386.02 | $25,234,725.67 | $0.00 | Filing |
| Year-End 2019 (Dec. 1-31, 2019) | $7,011,164.74 | $5,011,674.33 | $20,010,219.04 | $0.00 | Filing |
| December 2019 (Nov. 1-30, 2019) | $6,239,031.10 | $3,233,010.22 | $18,010,728.63 | $0.00 | Filing |
| November 2019 (Oct. 1-31, 2019) | $6,693,286.68 | $4,757,833.35 | $15,004,707.75 | $0.00 | Filing |
| October 2019 (Sept. 1-30, 2019) | $5,070,354.27 | $3,636,725.01 | $13,069,254.42 | $0.00 | Filing |
| September 2019 (Aug. 1-31, 2019) | $3,711,685.29 | $3,778,870.03 | $11,635,625.16 | $1,275,000.00 | Filing |
| August 2019 (July 1-31, 2019) | $4,346,443.23 | $5,207,700.04 | $11,702,809.90 | $2,275,000.00 | Filing |
| July 2019 (June 1-30, 2019) | $5,716,943.47 | $4,425,850.59 | $12,564,066.71 | $4,500,000.00 | Filing |
| June 2019 (May 1-31, 2019) | $4,841,510.07 | $4,872,670.02 | $11,272,973.83 | $6,000,000.00 | Filing |
| May 2019 (Apr. 1-30, 2019) | $4,525,407.72 | $5,312,206.62 | $11,304,133.78 | $7,500,000.00 | Filing |
| April 2019 (Mar. 1-31, 2019) | $7,549,651.35 | $5,030,433.85 | $12,090,932.68 | $9,000,000.00 | Filing |
| March 2019 (Feb. 1-28, 2019) | $6,384,969.14 | $4,402,730.52 | $9,571,715.18 | $12,000,000.00 | Filing |
| February 2019 (Jan. 1-31, 2019) | $5,579,820.31 | $5,488,279.53 | $7,589,476.56 | $14,000,000.00 | Filing |
Special elections
Special elections toUnited States Senate are often required in the event of vacancies. This table lists special Senate elections from 2019 to 2020.
| Results of special elections to the 116th Congress (Senate) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Election date | Incumbent | Winner | Election MOV | Previous election MOV | 2016 Presidential election MOV |
| U.S. Senate in Arizona | November 3, 2020 | Martha McSally[11] | Mark Kelly | D+3 | D+2 | R+4 |
| U.S. Senate in Georgia | January 5, 2021 (runoff) | Kelly Loeffler[12] | Raphael Warnock | D+2.1 | R+14 | R+5 |
Historical special election data
Special elections, 2013-2022
From 2013 to 2022, 67 special elections to the United States Congress were called during the 113th through 117th Congresses. During that time, special elections were called for 23 seats vacated by Democrats and 44 vacated by Republicans.
The table below details how many congressional seats changed parties as the result of a special election between 2013 and 2022. The numbers on the left side of the table reflect how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the numbers on the right side of the table show how many vacant seats each party won in special elections.
| Congressional special election vacancies and results, 113th Congress to 117th Congress | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress | Total elections held | Vacancies before elections | Seats held after elections | Net change | ||
| Democrats | Republicans | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| 117th Congress | 17 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | No change |
| 116th Congress | 10 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 | +1D, -1R |
| 115th Congress | 17 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 9 | +4 D, -4 R |
| 114th Congress | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | No change |
| 113th Congress | 16 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | No change |
| Averages | 13 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 7 | N/A |
| U.S. Senate special election partisan change from special elections, 113th Congress to 117th Congress | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of special election | After special election | ||||
| Democrats | 5 | 8 | ||||
| Republicans | 7 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 12 | 12 | ||||
| U.S. House special election partisan change from special elections, 113th Congress to 117th Congress | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of special election | After special election | ||||
| Democrats | 18 | 20 | ||||
| Republicans | 37 | 35 | ||||
| Total | 55 | 55 | ||||
To see a list of all the Congressional special elections referenced in the table above, click [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special elections, 1986-2012
The table below presents the results of special elections to Congress from 1986 to 2012. Contact Ballotpedia ateditor@ballotpedia.org for access to earlier data.
| Results of special elections to Congress (1986-2012) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election cycle | Total special elections | U.S. House elections | Seats changing partisan control | U.S. Senate elections | Seats changing partisan control | |
| 2011-2012 | 11 | 11 | None | None | None | |
| 2009-2010 | 15 | 10 | 3 (2 Democratic gains; 1 Republican gain) | 5 | 2 (all Republican gains) | |
| 2007-2008 | 14 | 12 | 3 (2 Republican gains; 1 Democratic gain) | 2 | None | |
| 2005-2006 | 12 | 12 | 3 (all Democratic gains) | None | None | |
| 2003-2004 | 6 | 6 | None | None | None | |
| 2001-2002 | 6 | 5 | 2 (all Democratic gains) | 1 | 1 (Republican gain) | |
| 1999-2000 | 9 | 8 | 1 (Republican gain) | 1 | 1 (Democratic gain) | |
| 1997-1998 | 3 | 3 | None | None | None | |
| 1995-1996 | 11 | 9 | 1 (Republican gain) | 2 | 1 (Democratic gain) | |
| 1993-1994 | 9 | 6 | 1 (Republican gain) | 3 | 3 (all Republican gains) | |
| 1991-1992 | 10 | 7 | 2 (all Republican gains) | 3 | 1 (Democratic gain) | |
| 1989-1990 | 10 | 8 | 1 (Democratic gain) | 2 | None | |
| 1987-1988 | 12 | 12 | 3 (2 Democratic gains; 1 Republican gain) | None | None | |
| 1985-1986 | 8 | 8 | 1 (Republican gain) | None | None | |
| Total | 136 | 117 | 21 (11 Democratic gains; 10 Republican gains) | 19 | 9 (6 Republican gains; 3 Democratic gains) | |
Presidential election data
- Democrats were defending 2 seats in stateswon by Donald Trump (R) in the 2016 presidential election:Alabama (held by Doug Jones) andMichigan (held by Gary Peters). Trump won Alabama by 28 points and Michigan by less than 1 percentage point.
- Republicans were defending 2 seats in stateswon by Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election:Colorado (held by Cory Gardner) andMaine (held by Susan Collins). Clinton won Colorado by 5 points and Maine by 3 points.
| States that held presidential and U.S. Senate elections in 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | U.S. Senate winner | U.S. Senate margin | Presidential winner | Presidential margin | Difference between margins[24] |
| Alabama | Tommy Tuberville | R+20.4 | Donald Trump | R+25.4 | R+5.0 |
| Alaska | Daniel S. Sullivan | R+12.7 | Donald Trump | R+10.0 | D+2.7 |
| Arizona | Mark Kelly | D+2.4 | Joe Biden | D+0.3 | R+2.1 |
| Arkansas | Tom Cotton | R+33.1 | Donald Trump | R+27.6 | D+5.5 |
| Colorado | John Hickenlooper | D+9.3 | Joe Biden | D+13.5 | D+4.2 |
| Delaware | Chris Coons | D+21.5 | Joe Biden | D+18.9 | R+2.6 |
| Georgia | Jon Ossoff | D+0.8 | Joe Biden | D+0.2 | R+0.6 |
| Georgia(special election) | Raphael Warnock | D+1.7 | Joe Biden | D+0.2 | R+1.5 |
| Idaho | Jim Risch | R+29.4 | Donald Trump | R+30.7 | R+1.3 |
| Illinois | Dick Durbin | D+16.1 | Joe Biden | D+17.0 | D+0.9 |
| Iowa | Joni Ernst | R+6.6 | Donald Trump | R+8.2 | R+1.6 |
| Kansas | Roger Marshall | R+11.4 | Donald Trump | R+14.6 | R+3.2 |
| Kentucky | Mitch McConnell | R+19.5 | Donald Trump | R+25.9 | R+6.4 |
| Louisiana | Bill Cassidy | R+40.3 | Donald Trump | R+18.6 | D+21.7 |
| Maine | Susan Collins | R+8.6 | Joe Biden | D+9.1 | D+17.7 |
| Massachusetts | Edward Markey | D+33.1 | Joe Biden | D+33.5 | D+0.4 |
| Michigan | Gary Peters | D+1.7 | Joe Biden | D+2.8 | D+1.1 |
| Minnesota | Tina Smith | D+5.3 | Joe Biden | D+7.1 | D+1.8 |
| Mississippi | Cindy Hyde-Smith | R+10.0 | Donald Trump | R+16.5 | R+6.5 |
| Montana | Steve Daines | R+10.0 | Donald Trump | R+16.4 | R+6.4 |
| Nebraska | Ben Sasse | R+38.3 | Donald Trump | R+19.1 | D+19.2 |
| New Hampshire | Jeanne Shaheen | D+15.7 | Joe Biden | D+7.3 | R+8.4 |
| New Jersey | Cory Booker | D+16.3 | Joe Biden | D+15.9 | R+0.4 |
| New Mexico | Ben Ray Lujan | D+6.1 | Joe Biden | D+10.8 | D+4.7 |
| North Carolina | Thom Tillis | R+1.8 | Donald Trump | R+1.3 | D+0.5 |
| Oklahoma | Jim Inhofe | R+30.2 | Donald Trump | R+33.1 | R+2.9 |
| Oregon | Jeff Merkley | D+17.6 | Joe Biden | D+16.1 | R+1.5 |
| Rhode Island | Jack Reed | D+33.1 | Joe Biden | D+20.8 | R+12.3 |
| South Carolina | Lindsey Graham | R+10.3 | Donald Trump | R+11.7 | R+1.4 |
| South Dakota | Mike Rounds | R+31.5 | Donald Trump | R+26.2 | D+5.3 |
| Tennessee | Bill Hagerty | R+27.0 | Donald Trump | R+23.2 | D+3.8 |
| Texas | John Cornyn | R+9.6 | Donald Trump | R+5.6 | D+4.0 |
| Virginia | Mark Warner | D+12.1 | Joe Biden | D+10.1 | R+2.0 |
| West Virginia | Shelley Moore Capito | R+43.3 | Donald Trump | R+38.9 | D+4.4 |
| Wyoming | Cynthia Lummis | R+46.1 | Donald Trump | R+43.1 | D+3.0 |
In 2018, Senate seats were up for election in 10 states with a Democratic incumbent that Trump won and one state with a Republican incumbent that Clinton won.Click here for more details.
States that held both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2020
There are five states that held elections for bothgovernor andU.S. Senate in 2020: Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and West Virginia.
| States holding both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent Governor | Open Seat? | Incumbent Senator | Open Seat? |
| Delaware | John Carney Jr. | No | Chris Coons | No |
| Montana | Steve Bullock | Yes | Steve Daines | No |
| New Hampshire | Chris Sununu | No | Jeanne Shaheen | No |
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper | No | Thom Tillis | No |
| West Virginia | Jim Justice | No | Shelley Moore Capito | No |
Important dates and deadlines
The table below lists filing deadlines and primary dates in each state forDemocratic Party andRepublican Party candidates for congressional and state-level office.[25]
| Primary dates and filing deadlines, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Filing deadline for primary candidates | Primary date | Primary runoff date | |||
| Alabama | 11/08/2019 | 03/03/2020 | 7/14/2020[26] | |||
| Arkansas | 11/12/2019 | 03/03/2020 | 03/31/2020 | |||
| Illinois | 12/02/2019 | 03/17/2020 | N/A | |||
| California | 12/06/2019 | 03/03/2020 | N/A | |||
| Texas | 12/09/2019 | 03/03/2020 | 07/14/2020[27] | |||
| Ohio | 12/18/2019 | 04/28/2020[28] | N/A | |||
| North Carolina | 12/20/2019[29] | 03/03/2020 | 06/23/2020[30] | |||
| Mississippi | 01/10/2020 | 03/10/2020 | 06/23/2020[31] | |||
| Kentucky | 01/10/2020 | 06/23/2020[32] | N/A | |||
| Maryland | 01/24/2020 | 06/02/2020[33] | N/A | |||
| West Virginia | 01/25/2020 | 06/09/2020[34] | N/A | |||
| Indiana | 02/07/2020 | 06/02/2020[35] | N/A | |||
| Pennsylvania | 02/18/2020 | 06/02/2020[36] | N/A | |||
| Nebraska | 03/02/2020 | 05/12/2020 | N/A | |||
| Georgia | 03/06/2020 | 06/09/2020[37] | 08/11/2020[38] | |||
| Montana | 03/09/2020 | 06/02/2020 | N/A | |||
| New Mexico | 03/10/2020 | 06/02/2020 | N/A | |||
| Oregon | 03/10/2020 | 05/19/2020 | N/A | |||
| Idaho | 03/13/2020 | 06/02/2020[39] | N/A | |||
| Iowa | 03/13/2020 | 06/02/2020 | N/A | |||
| Nevada | 03/13/2020 | 06/09/2020 | N/A | |||
| Maine | 03/16/2020 | 07/14/2020[40] | N/A | |||
| Colorado | 03/17/2020 | 06/30/2020 | N/A | |||
| Utah | 03/19/2020 | 06/30/2020 | N/A | |||
| Virginia | 03/26/2020 | 06/23/2020[41] | N/A | |||
| New Jersey | 03/30/2020 | 07/07/2020[42] | N/A | |||
| South Carolina | 03/30/2020 | 06/09/2020 | 06/23/2020 | |||
| Missouri | 03/31/2020 | 08/04/2020 | N/A | |||
| South Dakota | 03/31/2020 | 06/02/2020 | 08/11/2020 | |||
| New York | 04/02/2020 | 06/23/2020 | N/A | |||
| Tennessee | 04/02/2020 | 08/06/2020 | N/A | |||
| Arizona | 04/06/2020 | 08/04/2020 | N/A | |||
| North Dakota | 04/06/2020 | 06/09/2020 | N/A | |||
| Oklahoma | 04/10/2020 | 06/30/2020 | 08/25/2020 | |||
| Michigan | 04/21/2020 (offices with option to pay filing fee) & 05/08/2020 (offices requiring nominating petitions)[43] | 08/04/2020 | N/A | |||
| Florida | 04/24/2020 (congressional and judicial offices) & 6/12/2020 (state legislators) | 08/18/2020 | N/A | |||
| Massachusetts | 05/05/2020 (local) & 06/02/2020 (state)[44] | 09/01/2020 | N/A | |||
| Washington | 05/15/2020 | 08/04/2020 | N/A | |||
| Vermont | 05/28/2020 | 08/11/2020 | N/A | |||
| Wyoming | 05/29/2020 | 08/18/2020 | N/A | |||
| Alaska | 06/01/2020 | 08/18/2020 | N/A | |||
| Kansas | 06/01/2020 | 08/04/2020 | N/A | |||
| Wisconsin | 06/01/2020 | 08/11/2020 | N/A | |||
| Hawaii | 06/02/2020 | 08/08/2020 | N/A | |||
| Minnesota | 06/02/2020 | 08/11/2020 | N/A | |||
| Connecticut | 06/11/2020[45] | 08/11/2020 | N/A | |||
| New Hampshire | 06/12/2020 | 09/08/2020 | N/A | |||
| Rhode Island | 06/24/2020 (declaration of candidacy due) 07/10/2020 (nomination papers due) | 09/08/2020 | N/A | |||
| Delaware | 07/14/2020 | 09/15/2020 | N/A | |||
| Louisiana | 07/24/2020[46] | 11/03/2020 | N/A | |||
Filed candidates by political party
As of September 7, 2020,519 candidates were filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 402—199 Democrats and 203 Republicans—were from one of the two major political parties. In 2018, 527 candidates filed with the FEC to run for U.S. Senate, including 137 Democrats and 240 Republicans.
The following chart shows the number of filed candidates by political party.
Congressional approval rating
The congressional approval rating indicates public satisfaction in the job performance of the members of theUnited States Congress. It is the percentage of people polled who responded favorably toward the work of theU.S. Senate andHouse of Representatives.
Noteworthy events
Supreme Court vacancy, 2020
- See also:Supreme Court vacancy, 2020
Supreme Court JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020. TheSenate Judiciary Committee holds hearings and votes on Supreme Court nominees. The committee’s practice has been to send nominations, regardless of whether the nominee wins a majority of the committee vote, to the full Senate to allow the chamber to decide whether he or she should be confirmed.
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle. Note that the below information is not comprehensive. Additional information will be added as it becomes available.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Alabama | U.S. Senate | Democratic | N/A | N/A | $3,480.00 | 2% of annual salary | 11/8/2019 | Source |
| Alabama | U.S. Senate | Republican | N/A | N/A | $3,480.00 | 2% of annual salary | 11/8/2019 | Source |
| Alabama | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 51,588 | 3% of votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | N/A | 3/3/2020 | Source |
| Alaska | U.S. Senate | Democratic | N/A | N/A | $100.00 | Fixed number | 6/1/2020 | Source |
| Alaska | U.S. Senate | Independence | N/A | N/A | $100.00 | Fixed number | 6/1/2020 | Source |
| Alaska | U.S. Senate | Republican | N/A | N/A | $100.00 | Fixed number | 6/1/2020 | Source |
| Alaska | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 2,850 | 1% of votes cast in the last general election | N/A | N/A | 8/18/2020 | Source |
| Arizona | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 6,325 | 0.5% of qualified voters | N/A | N/A | 4/6/2020 | Source |
| Arizona | U.S. Senate | Libertarian | 3,335 | 0.5% of qualified voters | N/A | N/A | 4/6/2020 | Source |
| Arizona | U.S. Senate | Republican | 6,663 | 0.5% of qualified voters | N/A | N/A | 4/6/2020 | Source |
| Arizona | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 39,039 | 3% of qualified voters | N/A | N/A | 4/6/2020 | Source |
| Arkansas | U.S. Senate | Democratic | N/A | N/A | $12,000.00 | Fixed number | 11/12/2019 | Source |
| Arkansas | U.S. Senate | Republican | N/A | N/A | $20,000.00 | Fixed number | 11/12/2019 | Source |
| Arkansas | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 10,000 | 3% of total votes cast for governor in the last election, not to exceed 10,000 | N/A | N/A | 5/1/2020 | Source |
| Colorado | U.S. Senate | Major party | 10,500 | 1,500 per congressional district | N/A | N/A | 3/17/2020 | Source |
| Colorado | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 7,000 | 1,000 signatures from each congressional district | N/A | N/A | 7/9/2020 | Source |
| Delaware | U.S. Senate | Democratic | N/A | N/A | $10,440.00 | Fixed number | 7/14/2020 | Source |
| Delaware | U.S. Senate | Republican | N/A | N/A | TBD | Fixed number | 7/14/2020 | Source |
| Delaware | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 7,124 | 1% of all eligible voters | N/A | N/A | 9/1/2020 | Source |
| Georgia | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $5,220.00 | 3% of annual salary | 3/6/2020 | Source |
| Georgia | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 51,686 | 1% of voters eligible to vote for the office in the last election | $5,220.00 | 3% of annual salary | 7/14/2020 | Source |
| Idaho | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $500.00 | Fixed number | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Idaho | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Illinois | U.S. Senate | Democratic and Republican | 5,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 12/2/2019 | Source |
| Illinois | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 25,000 | 1% of voters or 25,000 voters, whichever is fewer | N/A | N/A | 6/22/2020 | Source |
| Iowa | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 3,155 | 0.5% of votes cast for the party's candidate for governor in 2018 | N/A | N/A | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Iowa | U.S. Senate | Republican | 3,337 | 0.5% of votes cast for the party's candidate for governor in 2018 | N/A | N/A | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Iowa | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1,500 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Kansas | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $1,760.00 | 1% of annual salary plus administrative fees | 6/1/2020 | Source |
| Kansas | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 5,000 | Fixed number | $20.00 | Fixed number (administrative fee) | 8/3/2020 | Source |
| Kentucky | U.S. Senate | All parties | 2 | Fixed number | $500.00 | Fixed number | 1/28/2020 | Source |
| Kentucky | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 5,000 | Fixed number | $500.00 | Fixed number | 6/2/2020 | Source |
| Louisiana | U.S. Senate | All parties | N/A | N/A | $900.00 | Fixed number | 7/17/2020 | Source |
| Louisiana | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | N/A | N/A | $900.00 | Fixed number | 7/17/2020 | Source |
| Maine | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | 2,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 3/16/2020 | Source |
| Maine | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 4,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/1/2020 | Source |
| Massachusetts | U.S. Senate | All parties | 10,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/2/2020 | Source |
| Massachusetts | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 10,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 8/25/2020 | Source |
| Michigan | U.S. Senate | Major party | 15,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 5/8/2020 | Source |
| Michigan | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 30,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 7/16/2020 | Source |
| Minnesota | U.S. Senate | Major party | N/A | N/A | $400.00 | Fixed number | 6/2/2020 | Source |
| Minnesota | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 2,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/2/2020 | Source |
| Mississippi | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $1,000.00 | Fixed number | 1/10/2020 | Source |
| Mississippi | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1,000 | Fixed number | $1,000.00 | Fixed number | 1/10/2020 | Source |
| Montana | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 3/9/2020 | Source |
| Montana | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 12,694 | 5% of total votes cast for successful candidate in the last general election | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 6/1/2020 | Source |
| Nebraska | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 3/2/2020 | Source |
| Nebraska | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 4,000 | Fixed number | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 8/3/2020 | Source |
| New Hampshire | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $100.00 | Fixed number | 6/12/2020 | Source |
| New Hampshire | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 3,000 | Fixed number | $100.00 | Fixed number | 9/2/2020 | Source |
| New Jersey | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 3/30/2020 | Source |
| New Jersey | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 800 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/2/2020 | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 3,518-7,036 | 2%-4% of votes cast for all of the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last primary | N/A | N/A | 3/10/2020 | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Libertarian | 230-460 | 2%-4% of votes cast for all of the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last primary | N/A | N/A | 3/10/2020 | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Republican | 1,503-3,006 | 2%-4% of votes cast for all of the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last primary | N/A | N/A | 3/10/2020 | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 20,894 | 3% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | N/A | 6/25/2020 | Source |
| North Carolina | U.S. Senate | Recognized party | N/A | N/A | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 12/20/2019 | Source |
| North Carolina | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 71,545 | 1.5% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 3/3/2020 | Source |
| Oklahoma | U.S. Senate | All candidates | N/A | N/A | $2,000.00 | Fixed number | 4/10/2020 | Source |
| Oregon | U.S. Senate | Major party | N/A | N/A | $150.00 | Fixed number | 3/10/2020 | Source |
| Oregon | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 20,014 | 1% of votes cast in the district for president | N/A | N/A | 8/25/2020 | Source |
| Rhode Island | U.S. Senate | Recognized party | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 7/16/2020 | Source |
| Rhode Island | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 7/16/2020 | Source |
| South Carolina | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $10,440.00 | 1% of annual salary multiplied by term of office | 3/30/2020 | Source |
| South Carolina | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 10,000 | 5% of active registered voters in the state, or 10,000, whichever is less | N/A | N/A | 8/17/2020 | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 1,615 | 1% of all votes cast for Democratic gubernatorial nominee in last election | N/A | N/A | 3/31/2020 | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Republican | 1,730 | 1% of all votes cast for Republican gubernatorial nominee in last election | N/A | N/A | 3/31/2020 | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 3,393 | 1% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | N/A | 4/28/2020 | Source |
| Tennessee | U.S. Senate | All candidates | 25 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 4/2/2020 | Source |
| Texas | U.S. Senate | Democratic or Republican | N/A | N/A | $5,000.00 | Fixed number | 12/9/2019 | Source |
| Texas | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 83,717 | 1% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | N/A | 12/9/2019 (declaration of intent); 6/25/2020 (final filing deadline) | Source |
| Virginia | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | 10,000 | Fixed number | $3,480.00 | 2% of annual salary | 3/26/2020 | Source |
| Virginia | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 10,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/9/2020 | Source |
| West Virginia | U.S. Senate | Recognized party | N/A | N/A | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 1/25/2020 | Source |
| West Virginia | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 4,537 | 1% of all votes cast in the last election for the office being sought | $1,740.00 | 1% of annual salary | 7/31/2020 | Source |
| Wyoming | U.S. Senate | Major party | N/A | N/A | $200.00 | Fixed number | 5/29/2020 | Source |
| Wyoming | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 4,025 | 2% of all votes cast for U.S. Representative in the last election | $200.00 | Fixed number | 8/25/2020 | Source |
Wave elections
- See also:Wave elections (1918-2016)
In aJuly 2018 report, Ballotpedia defined wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in the last 100 years resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party. U.S. Senate waves from 1918 to 2016 are listed in the table below.
| U.S. Senate wave elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | President | Party | Election type | Senate seats change | Senate majority[47] | |
| 1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -13 | D (flipped) | |
| 1958 | Eisenhower | R | Second midterm | -12 | D | |
| 1980 | Carter | D | Presidential | -11 | R (flipped) | |
| 1946 | Truman | D | First midterm | -10 | R (flipped) | |
| 1942 | Roosevelt | D | Third midterm | -9 | D | |
| 2014 | Obama | D | Second midterm | -9 | R (flipped) | |
| 1986 | Reagan | R | Second midterm | -8 | D (flipped) | |
| 2008 | George W. Bush | R | Presidential | -8 | D | |
| 1926 | Coolidge | R | First midterm[48] | -7 | R | |
| 1930 | Hoover | R | First midterm | -7 | R | |
Analysis of federal elections, 2020
All 435 U.S. House seats, 34 U.S. Senate seats, and the presidency were up for regular elections in the 2020 elections. At the time of the election, the president and a majority of members of theU.S. Senate were Republicans, while a majority of members of theU.S. House were Democrats.
Election analysis
Presidential election
- Presidential battleground states
- Presidential campaign pageviews on Ballotpedia, 2020
- Presidential election campaign finance, 2020
- Comparison of 2020 presidential candidates to congressional and gubernatorial candidates by state
- Trends in the margins of victory for incumbents of three or more terms, 2018-2024
Congressional elections
- Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection report
- Control of the U.S. Senate
- Control of the U.S. House
- U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
- List of U.S. Congress incumbents who did not run for re-election in 2020
- New members elected to Congress
- U.S. House districts represented by a Republican and won by Hillary Clinton in 2016
- U.S. House districts represented by a Democrat and won by Donald Trump in 2016
- Congressional margin of victory analysis
- Congressional retirements by month, 2011-2020
- Comparison of state delegations to the 116th and 117th Congresses
- Rematches in 2020 general elections
- Party committee fundraising, 2019-2020
- States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2020
- Analysis of rejected ballots in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of ballot curing in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of voter turnout in the 2020 general election
- Results of U.S. House elections in presidential election years, 1920-2020
- Ballotpedia's Top 15 elections to watch, 2020
- U.S. House leadership elections, 2021
- Annual Congressional Competitiveness Report, 2020
See also
- United States Congress elections, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- Special elections to the 116th United States Congress (2019-2020)
- United States Congress
- United States Senate
- United States House of Representatives
- 116th United States Congress
- Annual Congressional Competitiveness Report, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.1Independent Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) caucus with Democrats
- ↑2.02.1Politico, "Republican Control of the Senate Hangs by a Thread," December 21, 2017
- ↑The Cook Political Report, "2020 Senate Race Ratings"
- ↑Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, "Senate Ratings"
- ↑Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2020 Senate race ratings"
- ↑Figure includes Sen.Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).
- ↑This considers major party competition at the time of the primary in states with top-two primaries (CA, LA, and WA) and at the time of the general election for all other states.
- ↑In this analysis, a race without major party competition is defined as a race for an office where at no point in the election cycle a Republican appears on the ballot with a Democrat or vice versa. In most instances, this would be the general election ballot. In the case of top-two primary states, that primary would also be taken into consideration even if two candidates from the same party eventually advance to the general election. This definition differs from elsewhere on Ballotpedia and therefore numbers for this metric on other pages might not equal what is included here. Ballotpedia is in the process of updating competitiveness data from 2010 to 2020 and bringing this section in line with the definition used elsewhere will be part of that process.
- ↑This seat was last up for regular election in 2016. Incumbent John McCain (R) won re-election by a margin of 13.0 percent.
- ↑This seat was last up for regular election in 2016. Incumbent Johnny Isakson (R) won re-election by a margin of 13.8 percent.
- ↑In December 2018, McSally was appointed to fill the Senate seat previously held by John McCain (R), who passed away in August 2018. Jon Kyl (R) was first appointed to the seat and held it from September 2018 to December 2018. The 2020 special election decided who would serve out the rest of the six-year term McCain was elected to in 2016.
- ↑Isakson announced his resignation effective December 31, 2019. The 2020 special election decided who would serve out the rest of the six-year term Isakson was elected to in 2016.
- ↑Both general election candidates were Republicans.
- ↑This race was unopposed.
- ↑15.015.1Both general election candidates were Democrats.
- ↑Lamb won by a margin of 0.4 percentage points.
- ↑Wild won by a margin of 0.2 percentage points.
- ↑The state Board of Elections declined to certify the results of the2018 election following allegations of absentee ballot fraud.
- ↑Collins won by 0.3 percentage points.
- ↑This special election was called to fill the vacancy left by 2020 Congressman-electLuke Letlow (R), who died before being sworn in to Congress.
- ↑Runoff MOV between two Republican candidates.
- ↑Runoff MOV between two Democratic candidates.
- ↑Runoff MOV between two Republican candidates.
- ↑This number is calculated by subtracting the senatorial margin of victory from the presidential margin of victory. For example, a value of D+2 means Joe Biden's margin was two percentage points greater than the Democratic senatorial candidate.
- ↑Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections 2020 primary calendar," June 4, 2019
- ↑Note: Alabama's primary runoff election was postponed from March 31 to July 14, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Texas' primary runoff election was postponed from May 26 to July 14, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Ohio's primary election was postponed from March 17 to April 28, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: On November 20, 2019, a three-judge panel of North Carolina's state superior court issued an orderdelaying the congressional candidate filing period for the 2020 election cycle while the state's U.S. House district plan was reviewed. The filing period for U.S. House candidates, set to open on December 2 and close on December 20, 2019, was temporarily delayed while a three-panel judge heard arguments on December 2, 2019. The judges ruled that the redrawn congressional maps should stand, meaning the filing period would open and close as scheduled.
- ↑Note: North Carolina's primary runoff election was postponed from May 12 to June 23, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Mississippi's primary runoff election was postponed from March 31 to June 23, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Kentucky's primary election was postponed from May 19 to June 23, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Maryland's primary election was postponed from April 28 to June 2, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: West Virginia's primary election was postponed from May 12 to June 9, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Indiana's primary election was postponed from May 5 to June 2, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Pennsylvania's primary election was postponed from April 28 to June 2, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Georgia's primary election was postponed from May 19 to June 9, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Georgia's primary runoff election was postponed from July 21 to August 11, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Idaho's primary election election was postponed from May 19 to June 2, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Maine's primary election was postponed from June 9 to July 14, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Virginia's primary election was postponed from June 9 to June 23, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: New Jersey's primary election was postponed from June 2 to July 7, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Michigan's primary filing deadline was postponed from April 21 to May 8, 2020, for offices that require nominating petitions and do not have the option to pay a filing fee to access the ballot. The change was in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑To appear on the ballot in Massachusetts, prospective candidates must submit nomination papers for certification to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected and to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The local filing deadline must occur four weeks prior to the candidate's second filing deadline with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In 2020, the local-level filing deadline was May 5 and the state-level filing deadline was June 2.Click here to learn more.
- ↑Note: Connecticut's candidate filing deadlines were postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Note: Louisiana's candidate filing deadlines were postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- ↑Denotes the party that had more seats in the U.S. Senate following the election.
- ↑Calvin Coolidge's (R) first term began in August 1923 after the death of President Warren Harding (R), who was first elected in 1920. Before he had his first midterm in 1926, Coolidge was re-elected as president in 1924.
Cite error:<ref> tag with name "FilingDelayNov20" defined in<references> has group attribute "" which does not appear in prior text.
<ref> tag defined in<references> has no name attribute.
| ||||||||||||||||
