The 1982 United States Senate elections were held on November 2, 1982. They were elections for the United States Senate following Republican gains in 1980. The 33 Senate seats of Class 1 were up for election in 1982. A total of four seats changed hands between parties, with Democrats winning seats in New Jersey and New Mexico, and Republicans taking seats in Nevada and the seat of the lone independent, Senator Harry Byrd Jr., in Virginia. Democrats made a net gain of one seat in the elections, while Republicans stayed at 54 seats for a majority. A special election was also held in Washington state in 1983 that gave Republicans a seat that was previously held by a Democrat, bringing their majority to 55-45. As of , this is the last time Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in Mississippi and the last time Republicans won one in Connecticut. Results summary Source: Office of the Clerk Gains, losses, and holds Retirements Two Republicans and one independent retired instead of seeking re-election. Defeats One Republican and one Democrat sought re-election but lost in the general election. Change in composition Before the elections After the elections Race summaries Special elections There were no special elections during 1982. Elections leading to the next Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1983; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats. Closest races In eleven races the margin of victory was under 10%. Arizona Incumbent Democrat Dennis DeConcini won re-election to a second term over Republican Pete Dunn, State Representative. California Incumbent Republican S. I. Hayakawa decided to retire after one term. Republican Pete Wilson, Mayor of San Diego and former Assemblyman, won the open seat over Democratic Governor Jerry Brown. Wilson was known as a fiscal conservative who supported Proposition 13, although Wilson had opposed the measure while mayor of San Diego. However, Brown ran on his gubernatorial record of building the largest state budget surpluses in California history. Both Wilson and Brown were moderate-to-liberal on social issues, including support for abortion rights. The election was expected to be close, with Brown holding a slim lead in most of the polls leading up to Election Day. Wilson hammered away at Brown's appointment of California Chief Justice Rose Bird, using this to portray himself as tougher on crime than Brown was. Brown's late