Party Government Since 1857

Footnotes

¹The data sources for this chart are the House of Representatives Party Divisions, the Senate Historical Office's Party Division webpage, and the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Party divisions are based on Election Day results unless otherwise indicated.

²When Republican President Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865, then-Vice President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, became President for the remainder of the 39th Congress.

³The Senate was evenly divided in the 47th Congress, resulting in a split in power. United States Senate, "The Great Senate Deadlock of 1881," available http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Senate_Deadlock_1881.htm.

⁴When Republican President James Garfield died on July 2, 1881, then-Vice President Chester Arthur, a Republican, became President for the remainder of the 47th Congress.

⁵When Republican President William McKinley died on September 14, 1901, then-Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, became President for the remainder of the 57th Congress.

⁶Though more Republicans were elected than Democrats to the House in 1916, third party Members of the 65th Congress (1917–1919) caucused with the Democrats to re-elect Speaker James Beauchamp “Champ” Clark.

⁷When Republican President Warren Harding died on August 2, 1923, then-Vice President Calvin Coolidge, a Republican, became President for the remainder of the 68th Congress.

⁸Elections in the fall of 1930 had provided Republicans with a slim majority in the chamber. But between Election Day 1930 and the opening of the new Congress 13 months later, 14 Representatives-elect died. In the subsequent special elections to fill those vacancies, Democrats won enough seats to recapture the majority. On opening day, Democrats organized the chamber with several Members from third parties. Office of the Historian, "The Opening of the 72nd Congress."

⁹When Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, then-Vice President Harry Truman, a Democrat, became President for the remainder of the 79th Congress.

¹⁰When Democratic President John Kennedy died on November 22, 1963, then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, became President for the remainder of the 88th Congress.

¹¹When Republican President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, then-Vice President Gerald Ford, a Republican, became President for the remainder of the 93rd Congress.

¹²Control of the U.S. Senate changed hands several times in the 107th Congress. From January 3–20, 2001, the Senate was evenly divided between the two parties, the Democrats held the majority due to the deciding vote of outgoing Democratic Vice President Al Gore. After the inauguration of Republican President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney—with Cheney holding the deciding vote—Senate Republicans assumed the majority. In June 2001, Senator James Jeffords of Vermont switched from being a Republican to an Independent, caucusing with the Democrats, and transferring the majority to the Democrats. Late in that Congress, the death of Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, the appointment of an Independent to fill his seat, and the election of Republican Senator James M. Talent of Missouri to fill the remainder of the term of the late Senator Mel Carnahan, shifted the balance once again to the Republicans in November 2002, for the remaining two months of the Congress. See United States Senate, "Party Division," https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm.

¹³In 2006, two Independent Senators caucused with the Democrats, giving that party the majority. United States Senate, "Party Division," https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm.

¹⁴On the opening day of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, the U.S. Senate was comprised of 51 Republicans, 46 Democrats, 2 Independents (who caucused with the Democrats), and 1 vacancy. No candidate received a majority of votes in the general election for Georgia's class 2 seat or in the special election for Georgia's class 3 seat. Runoff elections for both of the state's Senate seats were scheduled for January 5, 2021. Democratic candidates won both elections. Following the inauguration of Vice President Kamala D. Harris on January 20, 2021, the Senate had a Democratic majority, comprised of 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and 2 Independents (who caucus with the Democrats). The Vice President is able to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate. See United States Senate, "Party Division," https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm.