1982 United States elections
The 1982 United States elections were held on November 2, 1982. 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 27 seats, cementing their majority in that chamber. 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 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 they did so in the 1928 elections.
