| ← 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 → Midterm elections | |
| Election day | November 2 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Ronald Reagan (Republican) |
| Next Congress | 98th |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | 33 of 100 seats |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
 | |
| 1982 Senate election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting seats |
| Popular vote margin | Democratic +11.8% |
| Net seat change | Democratic +26 |
 | |
| 1982 House of Representatives election results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 38 (36 states, 2 territories) |
| Net seat change | Democratic +7 |
 | |
| 1982 gubernatorial election results Territorial races not shown
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
The 1982 United States elections were held on November 2, 1982. The elections occurred in the middle of Republican President Ronald Reagan's first term and after the 1980 United States census. Neither chamber of Congress changed hands.
The party balance in the Senate remained practically unchanged; Democrats only gained one seat after a Democratic-leaning Independent left the Senate. Democrats won the nationwide popular vote for the House of Representatives by a margin of 11.8 points and gained 26 seats, cementing their majority in that chamber.[1] The House elections took place after the 1980 United States Census and the subsequent Congressional re-apportionment. In the gubernatorial elections, Democrats won a net gain of seven seats.
The Democratic election gains were largely due to President Ronald Reagan's unpopularity as a result of the deepening 1982 recession, which many voters blamed on his economic policies. The Democrats' gains put a check on Reagan's policies, as the incoming Congress (particularly the House) was significantly less open to Reagan's conservative policies. Despite the Democratic electoral gains, this election was the first time that the Republican Party had successfully defended a majority in either chamber of Congress since 1930.[2]
