During the 111th Congress (beginning in 2009), the U.S. Senate had a total of 98 Democrats and Republicans. There were 14 fewer Republicans than Democrats. How many Democrats and Republicans were there in the Senate.

Answer 1

Let's say the number of Democrats in the Senate was D.
Since there were 14 fewer Republicans than Democrats, the number of Republicans in the Senate was D - 14.
The total number of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate was D + (D - 14) = 98.
Combining like terms, we get 2D - 14 = 98.
Adding 14 to both sides, we get 2D = 112.
Dividing both sides by 2, we get D = 56.
The number of Republicans in the Senate was D - 14 = 56 - 14 = <<56-14=42>>42.
Therefore, there were 56 Democrats and 42 Republicans in the Senate. Answer: \boxed{56, 42}.