The 1912–13 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. They were the last U.S. Senate elections before the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, establishing direct elections for all Senate seats. Senators had been primarily chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1912 and 1913, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. Some states elected their senators directly even before passage of the Seventeenth Amendment. 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 2. The Democrats gained control of the Senate for the first time in 20 years. Of the 32 seats up for election, 17 were won by Democrats, thereby gaining four seats from the Republicans. Two seats were unfilled by state legislators who failed to elect a new senator on time.

These elections coincided with Democrat Woodrow Wilson's victory in the presidential election amid a divide in the Republican Party. In the Senate, Joseph M. Dixon and Miles Poindexter defected from the Republican Party and joined Theodore Roosevelt's new Progressive Party. Dixon, however, lost his seat during this election.

Results summary

Parties Total seats Incumbents This election Result +/- Not up Up Re-elected Held Gained Lost   Democratic 43 30 13 5 5 7 2 47 4   Republican 52 33 19 6 4 2 7 45 7 Others 0 0 0 0 0 0 Vacant 1 1 0 3 4 3 Total 96 64 32 11 9 12 9 96 3

Change in composition

Before the elections

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D V V R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Results of elections before the next Congress

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D V Majority ↑ R R R R R R R V V V R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Beginning of the next Congress, March 4, 1913

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D R R R R V V V P V R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Beginning of the first session, April 7, 1913

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D R R R R R R R P D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Key D Democratic P Progressive R Republican V Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 62nd Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated in the 62nd Congress during 1912 or before March 4, 1913; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Virginia(Class 1) Claude A. Swanson Democratic 1910 Interim appointee elected January 23, 1912. New Mexico(Class 1) None (new state) First senators elected March 27, 1912.Republican gain. New Mexico(Class 2) First senators elected March 27, 1912.Republican gain.Winner was also subsequently elected to the next term; see below. Arizona(Class 1) None (new state) First senators elected March 26, 1912, ratifying the popular selection made on December 12, 1911, state elections.Democratic gain. Arizona(Class 3) First senators elected March 26, 1912, ratifying the popular selection made on December 12, 1911, state elections.Democratic gain. Maine(Class 2) Obadiah Gardner Democratic 1911 Interim appointee elected April 2, 1912. Colorado(Class 3) Vacant Charles J. Hughes Jr. (D) died January 11, 1911.New senator elected January 14, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections.Democratic gain. Tennessee(Class 2) Newell Sanders Republican 1912 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 24, 1913.Democratic gain.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. Texas(Class 2) Rienzi Johnston Democratic 1913 Interim appointee lost election.New senator elected January 23, 1913.Democratic hold.Winner also elected to the next term; see below. Idaho(Class 3) Kirtland Perky Democratic 1912 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 24, 1913.Republican gain. Arkansas(Class 2) John N. Heiskell Democratic 1913 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 27, 1913.Democratic hold. Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. Nevada(Class 1) William A. Massey Republican 1912 Interim appointee lost election to finish the term.New senator elected January 28, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections.Democratic gain.

Races leading to the 63rd Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1913; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Alabama John H. Bankhead Democratic 1907 1907 Incumbent had already been re-elected early January 17, 1911, for the term beginning March 4, 1913. Arkansas John N. Heiskell Democratic 1913 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 29, 1913.Democratic hold. Colorado Simon Guggenheim Republican 1907 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 14, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections.Democratic gain. Delaware Harry A. Richardson Republican 1907 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 29, 1913.Democratic gain. Georgia Augustus O. Bacon Democratic 189419001907 1907 Incumbent ran for re-election but the legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Incumbent was then appointed to begin the term. Augustus O. Bacon (Democratic) Idaho William Borah Republican 1907 Incumbent re-elected January 14, 1913. Illinois Shelby M. Cullom Republican 18821888189419011907 Incumbent lost renomination.Legislature failed to elect.Republican loss.A new senator was later elected; see below. Iowa William S. Kenyon Republican 1911 Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1913. Kansas Charles Curtis Republican 1907 1907 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 28, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections. Democratic gain. Kentucky Thomas H. Paynter Democratic 1906 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 16, 1912, after an election on January 9, 1912.Democratic hold. Louisiana Murphy J. Foster Democratic 19001904 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected May 21, 1912.Democratic hold. Maine Obadiah Gardner Democratic 1911 1912 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 15, 1913.Republican gain. Massachusetts Winthrop M. Crane Republican 1904 1905 1907 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 14, 1913.Republican hold. Michigan William A. Smith Republican 1911 Incumbent re-elected January 14, 1913. Minnesota Knute Nelson Republican 189519011907 Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections. Mississippi LeRoy Percy Democratic 1910 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 16, 1912.Democratic hold. Montana Joseph M. Dixon Republican 1907 Incumbent lost re-election as a Progressive.New senator elected January 14, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections.Democratic gain. Nebraska Norris Brown Republican 1907 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 21, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections.Republican hold. New Hampshire Henry E. Burnham Republican 19011907 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Republican loss.New senator was elected late; see below. New Jersey Frank O. Briggs Republican 1907 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 28, 1913.Democratic gain. New Mexico Albert B. Fall Republican 1912 Incumbent re-elected June 6, 1912.Legislature invalidated the election.Incumbent then re-elected January 28, 1913. January 28, 1913, election: North Carolina F. M. Simmons Democratic 19011907 Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1913. Oklahoma Robert L. Owen Democratic 1907 Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1913. Oregon Jonathan Bourne Jr. Republican 1907 Incumbent lost renomination and then lost re-election as Popular Government candidate.New senator elected January 21, 1913, ratifying the popular selection made in 1912 state elections.Democratic gain. Rhode Island George P. Wetmore Republican 189419001908 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 21, 1913.Republican hold. South Carolina Benjamin Tillman Democratic 189419011907 Incumbent re-elected January 28, 1913. South Dakota Robert J. Gamble Republican 19011907 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 22, 1913.Republican hold. Tennessee Newell Sanders Republican 1912 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 23, 1913.Democratic gain. Texas Rienzi Johnston Democratic 1913 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 28, 1913.Democratic hold. Virginia Thomas S. Martin Democratic 1893 1899 1906 Incumbent re-elected January 23, 1912. West Virginia Clarence W. Watson Democratic 1911 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 21, 1913.Republican gain.Winner took seat late. Wyoming Francis E. Warren Republican 18901893 189519011907 Incumbent re-elected January 28, 1913.

Early election to the following Congress In this early general election, the winner was seated in the 64th Congress, starting March 4, 1915.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Louisiana(Class 3) John Thornton Democratic 1910 Incumbent retired.New senator elected early May 21, 1912.Democratic hold.

Elections during the 63rd Congress In these elections (some special, some merely late), the winners were seated in 1913 after March 4.

Some of those five elections late and some special, some by legislatures before ratification of the amendment and some popularly thereafter: Two elections were late and elected by legislatures: New Hampshire and Illinois (Class 2) One election was special and elected by a legislature: Illinois (Class 3) One election was late and elected popularly: Georgia One election was special and elected popularly: Maryland

They are ordered here by election date, then by class.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history New Hampshire(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect in time.New senator elected late March 13, 1913 on the 43rd ballot.Democratic gain. Illinois(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect in time.New senator elected late March 26, 1913.Democratic gain. Illinois(Class 3) Vacant 1909 election of William Lorimer (R) was voided July 13, 1912.New senator elected March 26, 1913.Republican gain. Elected by popular vote after ratification of the 17th Amendment Georgia(Class 2) Augustus O. Bacon Democratic 189419001907 1907 1913 Legislature had failed to elect in time, so the incumbent was appointed to begin the term.Interim appointee re-elected late June 15, 1913. Maryland(Class 1) William P. Jackson Republican 1912 Appointee retired when elected successor qualified.New senator elected November 4, 1913 to finish the term ending March 3, 1917.Winner did not qualify until January 28, 1914.Democratic gain.

Alabama

Incumbent Senator John H. Bankhead had already been re-elected early on January 17, 1911 for the 1913 term.

Arkansas

One-term incumbent Senator Jeff Davis died on January 3, 1913. Democratic Governor of Arkansas Joseph T. Robinson appointed John N. Heiskell on January 6, 1913, to continue the term just until a special election.

Arkansas (special)