<P> Elections to the United States Senate were held November 4, 2008 with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested . Thirty - three seats were up for regular elections; the winners were eligible to serve six - year terms from January 3, 2009 to January 3, 2015, as members of Class 2 . There were also two special elections, the winners of those seats would finish the terms that ended January 3, 2013 . </P> <P> The presidential election which was won by Democrat Barack Obama, elections for all House of Representatives seats, and several gubernatorial elections, as well as many state and local elections, occurred on the same date . </P> <P> Going into these elections, the Senate consisted of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two Independents who caucused with the Democrats, giving the Democratic caucus the slightest 51 - 49 majority . Of the seats up for election in 2008, 23 were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats . The Republicans, who openly conceded early on that they wouldn't be able to regain the majority in 2008, lost eight seats . This election was the second cycle in a row in which no seats switched from Democratic to Republican . In addition, this was the largest Democratic Senate gain since 1986, when they also won eight seats . These elections marked the first time since 1964 in which a Democratic presidential candidate won the White House with Senate coattails . Finally, 2008 was the first presidential election year since 1948 in which Senate Class 2 saw net gains for the winning presidential candidate's party . </P> <P> When the new senators were first sworn in, the balance was 58--41 in favor of the Democrats, because of the unresolved Senate election in Minnesota . The April 2009 defection of Arlen Specter (R - PA) to the Democratic party and the July 2009 resolution of the Minnesota election in favor of the Democrat increased the Democratic majority to 60--40 . Republicans gained a seat in a January 2010 special election in Massachusetts, making the balance 59 - 41 before the start of the next election cycle . </P>

Who had control of the senate in 2008