In 1870, the state legislature elected him to the United States Senate, but due to the restrictions placed on ex-Confederates by the 14th Amendment, he was not allowed to serve. In 1876, Vance was elected Governor once again (during which time he focused on education), and in 1879 the legislature again elected him to the United States Senate. This time he was seated, and he served in the Senate until his death in 1894. In the Senate, he opposed McKinley tariff, civil service programs, and repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. He generally supported conservative President Grover Cleveland, and back in North Carolina fought the populists and Farmers Alliance.