NATIONAL POLITICS: 1986 ELECTIONS

Democrats Regain the Senate

Two years after handing the Democrats a stunning defeat in the 1984 presidential election, American voters on 4 November 1986 gave that party a majority in the Senate, which had been controlled by the Republicans since their sweep of the senatorial elections in 1980. In fact six of the Senate newcomers of 1980 were among the nine GOP senators defeated in 1986 by Democrats, who lost only one of their own incumbents, for a net gain of eight seats. Of the thirty-four seats at stake in 1986, Democrats won twenty. Eleven of the thirteen new faces in the Senate were Democrats. These results were achieved despite a Republican campaign chest eight times the size of the Democrats'.

Democratic Wins in the South

After Reagan's 63 percent victory in the South in 1984, the region had appeared to be a Republican stronghold for the foreseeable future. But southern voters shocked the pundits by electing Democrats to all five of the southern seats up for election in 1986. Democratic wins in the South illustrated a pattern that party candidates used successfully nationwide. While the GOP spent much of its money on television advertising and a national campaign to mobilize Republican voters, Democrats stressed local issues, accusing their opponents of being "national Republicans" with little concern for what was happening back home. The Democrats also relied on old-fashioned grassroots organizing, and—especially in the South—they rebuilt traditional Democratic alliances and renewed ties with local party officials. Moderate Terry Sanford won in North Carolina by securing the backing of conservative Democrats. They helped him attract voters who might otherwise have voted for Republican incumbent James T. Broyhill (as they had for Republican Jesse Helms in 1984). In Alabama Rep. Richard C. Shelby, a conservative Democrat, beat GOP incumbent Jeremiah Denton by developing links to the Democrats' black and labor-union supporters. Democrat Wyche Fowler Jr., an

Senate	99th Congress	100th Congress	Net Gain/Loss
Democrats	47	55^*	+8
Republicans	53	45	−8
Independents	0	0	0
^*By the 1988 election there were 54 Democrats and 46 Republicans in the Senate.

House	99th Congress	100th Congress	Net Gain/Loss
Democrats	253	258^*	+5
Republicans	182	177	−5
Independents	0	0	0
^*By the 1988 elections there were 257 Democrats and 178 Republicans in the House.

Governors	1984	1986	Net Gain/Loss
Democrats	34	26	−8
Republicans	16	24	+8
Independents	0	0	0

Atlanta congressman, also enlisted the support of local party officials, who helped him overcome rural Georgians' doubts about his urban roots and defeat Republican incumbent Mack Mattingly.

House Seats

Democrats increased their majority in the House of Representatives by five, but Republican losses were below average for a president's party in an off-year election. In general voters seemed to be saying that they liked the status quo in the House. Only five Republican incumbents and one Democratic incumbent were defeated. One noteworthy newcomer was Democrat Mike Espy, the first black Mississippian in the House since 1883.

Governorships

Any attempt to interpret the Democrats' victories in the national elections of 1986 as a swing in voter sentiment toward the Democratic Party was cut short by the results in the governors' races. The GOP ended up with a net gain of eight, for twenty-four governorships—their highest count since 1970.

Source:

Congressional Quarterly Almanac, 42 (1986).