United States Senate The Democrats made a net gain of total four Senate seats from the Republicans. Democrat
John A. Durkin won a special election in
New Hampshire after the Senate voided the
original contested election. After the special election, Democrats possessed 60 seats to 38 for the Republicans, with one independent who caucused with the Democrats and one
Conservative who caucused with the Republicans.
United States House of Representatives The Democrats won the nationwide popular vote for the House of Representatives by a margin of 16.8 points. This translated to a net gain of 49 seats from the Republicans, increasing the party's majority above the two-thirds mark. Many of the newly elected Democrats in the House and Senate were liberal northerners (known as
Watergate Babies), and the influx of liberals moved power away from the conservative southern Democrats who held most committee chairs in both houses. ==State elections==