In 1858, abraham lincoln lost the senate seat to stephen douglas because
a. he refused to debate him
b. he withdrew from the election
c. republicans won the majority in the legislature
d. democrats won the majority in the legislature

The right answer is D. Democrats won the majority in the legislature.

While Douglas professed indifference to the moral question of slavery, Lincoln had a view that the American government could not persist as a half slave and half free state. If Lincoln had the better of the argument in the long view, Douglas had the better of a close election in traditionally Democratic Illinois. Douglas retained his Senate seat (senators were then selected by legislatures, not by a popular vote), but Lincoln’s energetic campaign had made him a national figure well positioned to become the Republican presidential candidate in 1860.