1902–03 United States Senate elections

The 1902–03 United States Senate elections 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 chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1902 and 1903, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

1902–03 United States Senate elections
January 15, 1902 – April 22, 1903
30 of the 90 seats in the U.S. Senate
46 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader William B. Allison James K. Jones
(retired)
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since March 4, 1897 March 4, 1899
Leader's seat Iowa Arkansas
Seats before 55 29
Seats after 57 33
Seat change 2 4
Seats up 18 8
Races won 18 11
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Silver Republican Populist
Seats before 2 2
Seats after 0 0
Seat change 2 2
Seats up 2 2
Races won 0 0
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold
Majority conference chairman before election

William B. Allison
Republican

 Elected Majority conference chairman

William B. Allison
Republican

The Democratic Party gained four seats, but the Republicans kept their strong majority. This election marked the end of the two third parties, the Populists and Silver Republicans. Republicans took both Populist seats (Idaho and Kansas) along with one Silver Republican seat in Washington. Democrats took the other Silver Republican seat in Colorado as incumbent Senator Henry Teller was re-elected as a Democrat and flipped four Republican seats in Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Nevada. Republicans flipped only one Democratic seat (Utah), but also gained both vacant Delaware seats, which had been empty due to legislative deadlock in 1898 and 1900, respectively.

Besides the double-barrel special elections in Delaware, a special election was held in Michigan.

In Florida, the legislature failed to elect until shortly after the beginning of the 58th Congress on March 4.

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