The 1910–11 United States Senate election were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were primarily chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1910 and 1911, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. However, some states had already begun direct elections during this time. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to adopt measures reflecting the people's will. By 1912, as many as 29 states elected senators either as nominees of their party's primary or in conjunction with a general election.
In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1. In conjunction with winning control of the House of Representatives for the first time since the 1892 elections, Democrats flipped 9 Senate seats. This was not enough to flip the Senate, but significantly narrowed the margin of Republican control.
In New York and Florida, the legislature failed to elect until after the beginning of the 62nd Congress on March 4. Special elections were held in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and West Virginia.
Result Summary
Senate party division, 62nd Congress (1911–1913): Majority party: Republican (50 seats) Minority party: Democratic (40 seats) Other parties: 0 Vacant: 2 Total seats: 92
Four seats were added in early 1912 for new states: Arizona (which elected 2 Democrats) and New Mexico (which elected 2 Republicans).
Change in composition
Before the elections
At the beginning of 1910.
Elections results
Beginning of the next Congress
Race summaries
Special elections during the 61st Congress
In these elections, the winners were seated during 1910 or in 1911 before March 4; ordered by election date.
In this election, the winner were seated in the 63rd Congress, starting March 4, 1913.
Races leading to the 62nd Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1911; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
Elections during the 62nd Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1911 after March 4; ordered by date.
Alabama
Democrat John H. Bankhead was re-elected early January 17, 1911 for the 1913 term.
California
Incumbent Senator Frank P. Flint, who had been elected in 1905, retired. Republican John D. Works received a plurality of votes cast at a Republican state primary. Republican A. G. Spalding, however, carried a majority of the legislative districts represented by Republicans. In the legislature, Works was elected January 10, 1911 with 92 votes over Spalding's 21 votes, and a scattering of votes for various Democrats.
Connecticut
Republican incumbent Morgan Bulkeley, who had been elected in 1905, lost renomination in a Republican legislative caucus 113–64 to George P. McLean.
McLean was then elected January 17, 1911, with 177 votes to Democrat Homer Stille Cummings's 110 votes.
Delaware
First-term Republican Henry A. du Pont was re-elected January 25, 1911. He beat Democrat Willard Saulsbury Jr..
Saulsbury would be elected in 1913 to the other Delaware senate seat. Du Pont would lose re-election in 1916, the first popular Senate election in Delaware.
Florida
In June 1910, incumbent Democrat James Taliaferro lost a non-binding primary to former Governor Napoleon B. Broward for the term which started on March 4, 1911. Broward died in October. In early February 1911, Nathan P. Bryan won a non-binding primary for the seat, defeating William A. Blount 19,991 to 19,381. The governor then appointed Bryan to fill the vacancy.
In April 1911, the Florida Legislature unanimously elected Bryan to the remainder of the term.
Georgia (special)
Three-term Democrat Alexander S. Clay died November 13, 1910 and Democratic former-Governor of Georgia Joseph M. Terrell was appointed November 17, 1910 to continue the term, pending a special election.
Democratic Governor of Georgia M. Hoke Smith won the July 12, 1911 special election to finish the term that would end in 1915.
Smith had just begun his gubernatorial term July 1, 1911 when he was elected to the Senate. Although formally elected and qualified, Smith chose not to take office until November 16, 1911 so he could continue being Governor of Georgia.