The following table lists the party divisions for eachUnited States Congress. Note that numbers in boldface denote the majority party at that particular time while italicized numbers signify a Congress in which the majority party changed intra-term.
^The Anti-Administration Party was not a formal political party but rather a faction opposed to the policies of Treasury SecretaryAlexander Hamilton. The faction eventually coalesced into theDemocratic-Republican Party.
^The Pro-Administration Party was not a formal political party but rather a faction supportive of the policies of Treasury SecretaryAlexander Hamilton. The faction eventually coalesced into theFederalist Party.
^abThough Washington never formally joined a party, he was broadly sympathetic to what was later called the “Pro-Administration” faction which later became the Federalist Party.
^Washington disapproved of formal political parties and refused to join either party, though he became a symbol of theFederalist Party.
^abWhen Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson began his presidency in March 1801, the Senate held a two-day special Senate session with an ongoing Federalist majority (without the Democratic-Republican House in session), which briefly stalled the inauguration of a Democratic-Republican trifecta government, though the session was only called by outgoing president John Adams so that the Senate could provide advice to the new president. By the time the Congress began its first regular session in December 1801 to start official business the Democratic-Republicans had gained the Senate majority and thus, with the House and with President Jefferson, held the full trifecta of government throughout that first session and for the next several years."Congressional Record, March 1801"(PDF).Congressional Record:147–151. March 1801."Explanation of the Types of Sessions of Congress".The Green Papers. June 2001.
^abcdTheDemocratic-Republican Party broke up into two competing parties during the 1820s, but there is no official date of dissolution for the Democratic-Republicans. During thepresidency of John Quincy Adams, Congress became divided between a group that favored Adams and a group that favoredAndrew Jackson. After Adams left office, Congress was divided into a group that supported the Jackson administration and a group that opposed it. During Jackson's presidency, the pro-Jackson group coalesced into theDemocratic Party, while the anti-Jackson group (which included theNational Republican Party) joined with theAnti-Masonic Party and other groups to form theWhig Party.
^Adams won election as a Democratic-Republican, but he sought re-election as a National Republican.
^Jacksonian control of the Senate was through plurality.
^Jackson had a trifecta through a Senate that was controlled by plurality.
^In the first congressional session the Senate remained under control of “National Republicans” for one year; before the start of the second congressional session the Senate reverted to Jacksonian control, and Jacksonians kept the Senate for the remainder of the congressional term.
^Jackson did not have a trifecta during the first congressional session when the Senate remained under control of “National Republicans” for one year; Jacksonians flipped the Senate before the second congressional session and Jackson held a trifecta through that new Senate majority for the remainder of the congressional term.
^Whig presidentWilliam Henry Harrison died April 4, 1841, one month into his term, and was succeeded byJohn Tyler, who served for the remainder of the term. Tyler had been elected as vice president on the Whig ticket, but he became anindependent after the Whigs expelled him from the party on September 13, 1841.
^Whigs held their only trifecta from March 4, 1841, until later that year when the Whigs expelled Tyler from the party on September 13 and he became an Independent.
^Whigs controlled the House through a plurality in the 2nd half of the 1st congressional session; for the remainder of the two sessions the Whigs controlled the House through a majority.
^The Democrats held the House through a plurality.
^President Taylor died July 9, 1850, about one year and four months into the term, and was succeeded byMillard Fillmore, who served for the remainder of the term.
^The"Opposition Party" was the congressional coalition formed by former Whigs and members of the nascentRepublican Party. The Opposition Party opposed the Democratic Party in the aftermath of the collapse of theWhig Party.
^The Republicans controlled the House through a coalition with other Opposition parties.
^President Lincoln was assassinated and died April 15, 1865, about a month after beginning his second term as president. He was succeeded byDemocratAndrew Johnson, who served the remainder of the term.
^The Republicans held a trifecta by controlling the House through a coalition withUnconditional Unionists.
^Johnson was elected as vice president on theNational Union ticket, but was a Democrat prior to the 1864 election.
^Republicans held a trifecta until Lincoln's assassination on April 15, 1685, after which the former War Democrat Andrew Johnson became president.
^Republicans controlled the Senate through the tie-breakingvice president.
^Democrats controlled the House through a coalition with Independent Democrats.
^When the congressional term began with a special Senate session starting March 1881, the Republicans held the Senate (and a trifecta) through the tie-breaking vice president Arthur and through a caucus that included a Readjuster senator. When both Republican New York senators resigned on May 16 of that year, the Republicans lost control of the Senate and lost their trifecta, and the Senate ended their special session. By the time the Senate reconvened for a second special Senate session in October 1881 with two new Republican New York senators, Vice President Arthur had succeeded to the presidency and the Senate deadlocked in what is known as the "Great Senate Deadlock of 1881”. For the rest of the special session and for the remaining two regular congressional sessions, the Senate decided to give Republicans the role of controlling the all-too important Senate committees, give the Democrat-caucusing independent the mostly ceremonial role of president pro tempore, and leave the patronage appointments and other Senate office appointments to the Democrats."The Great Senate Deadlock of 1881".Senate.gov. US Senate. RetrievedJuly 1, 2014.
^Republicans controlled the House through a plurality that eventually became a majority in the middle of the first congressional session.
^James A. Garfield died September 23, 1881, roughly six months into his term. He was succeeded byChester Arthur, who served for the remainder of the term.
^Republicans controlled the Senate through a caucus withReadjusters.
^abRepublicans controlled the Senate through a continued caucus withReadjusters.
^Democrats controlled the Senate through a plurality.
^Democrats held a trifecta by controlling the Senate through a plurality.
^abRepublicans controlled the Senate through a plurality.
^McKinley died September 14, 1901, about six months into his second term, and was succeeded byTheodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt served for the remainder of the term and waselected president in 1904.
^Republicans held a trifecta by controlling the Senate through a plurality.
^Democrats held a trifecta through a coalition-led House majority with Progressive members and a Socialist member.
^President Harding died August 2, 1923, about two years and five months after becoming president, and was succeeded by vice-presidentCalvin Coolidge. Coolidge served for the remainder of the term and wassubsequently elected president in 1924.
^At the end of the first month of the first session of Congress, Republicans gained control of the Senate through a VP-tie-breaking majority.
^Republicans controlled a trifecta through a VP-tie-breaking majority in the Senate that began at the end of the first month of the first session of Congress.
^Republicans controlled the Senate through a VP-tie-breaking majority.
^Before Congress’ first session, Democrats gained the House majority, and they held that majority for the entire remainder of the congressional term.
^Roosevelt died April 12, 1945, about three months into his fourth term as president, and was succeeded byHarry S. Truman. Truman served the remainder of the term and waselected president in 1948.
^Republicans controlled the Senate for the first congressional session through a VP-tie-breaking majority (1953), then controlled the Senate for the second congressional session through a VP-tie-breaking majority that included a caucus with an Independent (1954).
^abcAccording to the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the new session of Congress begins on the 3rd of January, while the new presidency begins on the 20th of January. For the first seventeen days of this Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate were held by Republican Party, while the outgoing president was of the Democratic Party. After these seventeen days, the Republican Party had a trifecta.
^Republicans held a trifecta by controlling the Senate for the first congressional session through a VP-tie-breaking majority (1953), then controlling the Senate for the second congressional session through a VP-tie-breaking majority that included a caucus with an Independent (1954).
^Democrats controlled the Senate for one year through a caucus with an independent, before the independent joined the Democratic Party (1955).
^Kennedy died November 22, 1963, about two years and ten months into the term, and was succeeded byLyndon B. Johnson. Johnson served the remainder of the term and waselected president in 1964.
^abcdAccording to the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the new session of Congress begins on the 3rd of January, while the new presidency begins on the 20th of January. For the first seventeen days of this Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate were held by the Democratic Party, while the outgoing president was of the Republican Party. After these seventeen days, the Democratic Party had a trifecta.
^Nixon resigned August 9, 1974, about a year and seven months into his second term as president, and was succeeded byGerald R. Ford, who served for the remainder of the term.
^According to the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the new session of Congress begins on the 3rd of January, while the new presidency begins on the 20th of January. For the first seventeen days of this Congress, the Democratic Party had a trifecta. After these seventeen days, both the House of Representatives and the Senate were held by the Democratic Party, while President Nixon was of the Republican Party.
^abcIn the96th, 97th, and98th Congresses, the only Conservative member of the House,William Carney of New York, caucused with the Republican Party.
^Carney was elected as a Conservative but caucused with Republicans until October 1985, when he joined the Republican Party.
^The Democratic Party controlled the Senate in the 107th Congress from January 3 to January 20, 2001 (50-50 tie with Democratic vice president Al Goreas the deciding vote) and from May 24, 2001, to January 3, 2003 (after Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent and caucus with the Democrats).
^The Republican Party controlled the Senate in the 107th Congress from January 20, 2001 (50-50 tie with Republican vice president Dick Cheneyas the deciding vote) until May 24, 2001, when Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent and caucus with the Democrats.
^Republicans only held a trifecta from January 20 until May 24, 2001, when Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent and caucus with the Democrats.
^From January 27 to April 28, 2009, when SenatorArlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) joined the Democratic caucus, there were 56 Democratic senators, 41 Republicans, two independents, and one undecided seat in Minnesota. That vacancy was filled as an additional Democratic seat on July 7, 2009, with the swearing-in ofAl Franken, bringing the totals to 58 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and 2 independents. Seven weeks later, on August 25, Sen.Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) died, lowering the Democratic total to 57 for a month untilPaul G. Kirk Jr. (D) was appointed and sworn in as Senator Kennedy's interim replacement on September 25, 2009. Just over four months later, on February 4, 2010,Scott Brown (R) who had won a special election for the seat, succeeded Paul Kirk, returning the Republican caucus to 41, and again reducing the Democratic caucus to 57 plus two independents. [The Democratic caucus dropped again briefly to 56 in the 18 days between the death ofSen. Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) on June 28, 2010, and the seating of his interim successor,Carte Goodwin (also D) on July 16.] The appointed Democratic senator from Illinois,Roland Burris was succeeded on November 29, 2010, byMark Kirk, a Republican elected earlier that month, once again dropping the Democratic caucus to 56 with 2 independents facing 42 Republicans for the last month of the 111th Congress.December 2011Congressional Directory, page 324
^From January 3 to April 28, 2009, prior to Senator Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party, there were 41 Republican senators. The Republican caucus returned to 41 on February 4, 2010, with the swearing in of Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to fill the Democratic seat of Edward Kennedy and Paul Kirk. AfterMark Kirk (R-Ill.) replacedRoland Burris as senator from Illinois on November 29, 2010, the Senate in the last month of the 111th Congress stood at 42 Republicans, 56 Democrats, and 2 independents.
^The Democratic Party took control of the Senate in the 117th Congress with the swearing in of Democratic senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff on January 20, 2021. With the two Independent senators (Bernie Sanders and Angus King) caucusing with the Democrats to create a 50-50 tie, Democratic vice president Kamala Harrisbecame the deciding vote to give Democrats the majority.
^The Republican Party controlled the Senate in the 117th Congress from January 3 to January 20, 2021.
^Due to DemocratsJon Ossoff andRaphael Warnock (who defeated RepublicansDavid Perdue andKelly Loeffler in the Georgia special elections and their runoffs) not being inaugurated until January 20 (the same day which Joe Biden was inaugurated president), the Republicans held the presidency and the Senate until Biden, Ossoff, and Warnock were all sworn in, at which time the Democratic Party obtained a trifecta.
^The beginning of Lincoln's second term and of George W. Bush's first term began with a trifecta for the Republican Party but ended very shortly after beginning.
^The beginning of William Harrison's term began as a trifecta for the Whigs. It continued after Harrison's death when Tyler became president, but ended shortly after once the Whig Party expelled Tyler into becoming an independent.
^The Democrats and Republicans shared control of the Senate in the47th United States Congress. In the middle of the107th United States Congress, control of the Senate switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
^During the 27th Congress, the Whigs expelled the sitting president, John Tyler, from their party. Tyler governed as an independent.