1856–57 United States Senate elections
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21 of the 62 seats in theUnited States Senate(with special elections) 32 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the elections: Democratic gainDemocratic hold Republican gainRepublican hold Know Nothing GainLegislature failed to elect | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1856–57 United States Senate electionswere held on various dates in various states. As theseU.S. Senateelections were prior to the ratification of theSeventeenth Amendmentin 1913, senators were chosen bystate legislatures.Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1856 and 1857, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due tolegislative deadlock.[1]In these elections, terms were up for the senators inClass 1.
The youngRepublican Partyassumed its position as one of the United States's two main political parties. TheWhigsandFree Soilerswere gone by the time the next Congress began.
Results summary
[edit]Senate party division,35th Congress(1857–1859)
- Majority party: Democratic (37–42)
- Minority party: Republican (20)
- Other party:American(4)
- Vacant: 1–0
- Total seats: 62–66
Change in composition
[edit]Before the elections
[edit]After the January 14, 1856special election in Pennsylvania.
D1 | |||||||||
D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 |
D21 | D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 |
D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 Ran |
D27 Ran |
D28 Ran |
D29 Ran |
D30 Ran |
D31 Ran |
Majority → | D32 Ran | ||||||||
KN1 | V1 | V2 | V3 | D37 Retired |
D36 Retired |
D35 Unknown |
D34 Unknown |
D33 Unknown | |
FS2 Ran |
FS1 | R11 Unknown |
R10 Ran |
R9 Ran |
R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 |
W2 | W3 | W4 Unknown |
W5 Retired |
W6 Retired |
W7 Retired |
W8 Retired |
R1 | R2 | R3 |
W1 |
As a result of the elections
[edit]D1 | |||||||||
D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 |
D21 | D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 |
D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 Re-elected |
D27 Re-elected |
D28 Re-elected |
D29 Re-elected |
D30 Re-elected |
D31 Re-elected |
Majority → | D32 Hold | ||||||||
FS1 | KN1 | KN2 Gain |
V1 W Loss |
V2 | V3 | V4 | D34 Gain |
D33 Hold | |
R18 Gain |
R17 Re-elected Diff. party |
R16 Hold |
R15 Re-elected |
R14 Re-elected |
R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 |
W2 | W3 | R1 Gain |
R2 Gain |
R3 Gain |
R4 Gain |
R5 Gain |
R6 | R7 | R8 |
W1 |
Beginning of the next Congress
[edit]D1 | |||||||||
D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 |
D21 | D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 |
D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 | D30 | D31 |
Majority → | D32 | ||||||||
KN2 | KN3 Changed |
KN4 Changed |
V1 | D37 Gain |
D36 Gain |
D35 Gain |
D34 Changed |
D33 Changed | |
KN1 | R20 | R19 | R18 | R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 |
R2 Changed |
R3 Changed |
R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 |
R1 Changed |
Key: |
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Race summaries
[edit]Elections during the 34th Congress
[edit]In these elections, the winners were seated during 1856 or in 1857 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Pennsylvania (Class 3) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. WinnerelectedJanuary 14, 1856. Democratic gain. |
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Missouri (Class 3) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. WinnerelectedJanuary 12, 1857. Democratic gain. |
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California (Class 3) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. Incumbent was thenelectedJanuary 13, 1857. Democratic gain. |
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Delaware (Class 2) |
Joseph P. Comegys | Whig | 1856(Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. WinnerelectedJanuary 14, 1857. Democratic gain. |
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Maine (Class 1) |
Hannibal Hamlin | Democratic | 1856(Appointed) | Incumbent resigned to becomeGovernor of Maine. WinnerelectedJanuary 16, 1857. Republican gain. Winner was not elected to the next term, see below. |
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Iowa (Class 3) |
James Harlan | Free Soil | 1855 | Election invalidated January 5, 1857. Incumbentre-electedJanuary 29, 1857to a different party. Republican gain. |
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Indiana (Class 3) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. WinnerelectedFebruary 4, 1857. Democratic gain. |
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Races leading to the 35th Congress
[edit]In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1857; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
California | John B. Weller | Democratic | 1852(special) | Incumbent lost re-election. Winnerelectedin 1856. Democratic hold. |
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Connecticut | Isaac Toucey | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent retired. Winnerelectedin 1856. Republican gain. |
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Delaware | James A. Bayard Jr. | Democratic | 1851 | Incumbentre-electedin 1857. |
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Florida | Stephen Mallory | Democratic | 1851 | Incumbentre-electedin 1857. |
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Indiana | Jesse D. Bright | Democratic | 1844 1850 |
Incumbentre-electedin 1856. |
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Maine | Amos Nourse | Republican | 1857(special) | Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. Winnerelectedin 1857. Republican hold. |
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Maryland | Thomas Pratt | Whig | 1850(special) 1851 |
Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. Winner elected in 1856 or 1857. Know Nothing gain. |
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Massachusetts | Charles Sumner | Free Soil | 1851(special) | Incumbentre-electedin 1857 to a different party. Republican gain. |
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Michigan | Lewis Cass | Democratic | 1844 or 1845 1848(Resigned) 1849(special) |
Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. Winnerelectedin January 1857. Republican gain. |
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Mississippi | Stephen Adams | Democratic | 1852(special) | Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. Winner elected in 1856 or 1857. Democratic hold. |
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Missouri | Henry S. Geyer | Whig | 1851 | Incumbent retired. Winnerelectedin 1857. Democratic gain. |
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New Jersey | John Renshaw Thomson | Democratic | 1853(special) | Incumbentre-electedin 1857. |
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New York | Hamilton Fish | Whig | 1851 | Incumbent retired. WinnerelectedFebruary 3, 1857. Republican gain. |
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Ohio | Benjamin Wade | Republican | 1851 | Incumbentre-electedin 1856. |
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Pennsylvania | Richard Brodhead | Democratic | 1851 | Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. WinnerelectedJanuary 13, 1857. Republican gain. |
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Rhode Island | Charles T. James | Democratic | 1850 or 1851 | Incumbent retired. Winnerelectedin 1856. Republican gain. |
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Tennessee | James C. Jones | Whig | 1851 | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until October 8, 1857, see below. |
[data missing] |
Texas | Thomas J. Rusk | Democratic | 1846 1851 |
Incumbentre-electedin 1857. |
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Vermont | Solomon Foot | Republican | 1850 | Incumbentre-electedin 1856. |
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Virginia | James M. Mason | Democratic | 1847(special) 1850 |
Incumbentre-electedin 1856. |
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Wisconsin | Henry Dodge | Democratic | 1848 1851 |
Incumbent retired. Winnerelectedin 1857. Republican gain. |
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Elections during the 35th Congress
[edit]In these elections, the winners were elected in 1857 after March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
New Hampshire (Class 3) |
James Bell | Republican | 1855 | Incumbent died May 25, 1857. WinnerelectedJune 27, 1857. Republican hold. |
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Tennessee (Class 1) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. WinnerelectedOctober 8, 1857. Democratic gain. |
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South Carolina (Class 3) |
Andrew Butler | Democratic | 1846(Appointed) ?(special) 1848 1854 |
Incumbent died May 25, 1857. WinnerelectedDecember 7, 1857. Democratic hold. |
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Complete list of states
[edit]Maryland
[edit]This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(November 2022) |
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80 members of theMaryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Anthony Kennedywon election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.[2]
New York
[edit]The New York election was held February 3, 1857, by theNew York State Legislature.WhigHamilton Fishhad been elected in 1851 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1857.
In 1855, theWhig Partyand theAnti-Nebraska Partymerged in New York to form theRepublican Party.
At theState election in November 1855,16 Republicans, 11 Americans, 4 Democrats and 1Temperanceman were elected for a two-year term (1856–1857) in the State Senate. At theState election in November 1856,81 Republicans, 31 Democrats and 8 Americans were elected to the Assembly for the session of 1857. The80th New York State Legislaturemet from January 6 to April 18, 1857, atAlbany, New York.
Preston King was nominated by a caucus ofRepublicanState legislators. King had been a Democratic congressman from 1843 to 1847, aFree Soilcongressman from 1849 to 1853, and had joined the Republican Party upon its foundation at the State convention in September 1855. The convention nominated King for Secretary of State, but he was defeated by Joel T. Headley in a four-way race.Secretary of StateJoel T. Headley was the candidate of theAmerican Party.State Senator Daniel E. Sickles was the candidate of theDemocratic Party.
In the Assembly the vote confirmed the party caucus selections. When State Senator Sickles received votes, the same objection to his eligibility was raised as was in1833regardingNathaniel P. Tallmadge.This time, SpeakerDeWitt C. Littlejohnruled that the objection was "partially tenable and partially not so." However, the Speaker held that any member could vote for anybody, and only if the candidate received sufficient votes to win the election, a decision would be required. Otherwise, like in this case, the eligibility of an also-ran was irrelevant.
In the State Senate, only 24 votes were given.Zenas Clark(Rep.) andJohn B. Halsted(Rep.) were sick at home.Eaton J. Richardson(Rep.)pairedwithSidney Sweet(Am.).Joseph H. Petty(Am.) was absent.William Kelly(Dem.),Mark Spencer(Dem.), and the Democratic candidate Sickles himself, declined to vote.
State SenatorJustin A. Smith(Am.) raised the question if the vote for Sickles could be counted. A newState Constitutionhad been adopted in 1846, which had clarified the question of eligibility of State legislators. Smith quoted from the State Constitution: "No member of the Legislature shall receive any civil appointment within this State,or to the Senate of the United States,from the Governor, the Governor and Senate, or from the Legislature, during the term for which he shall have been elected; and all votes given for any such member, for any such office or appointment, shall be void. "Lt. Gov.Henry R. Selden(later a judge of theNew York Court of Appeals) decided to count the vote, holding that theUnited States Constitutiondescribed the eligibility for the office and devolved on the State legislatures only the power to prescribe the "times, places and manners of holding the elections for that office", thus not implying a right for the State governments to exclude any person who would be eligible under the U.S. Constitution.[3]
Preston King was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.
House | Republican | Democrat | American | |||
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State Senate(32 members) | Preston King | 14 | Daniel E. Sickles | 1 | Joel T. Headley | 9 |
State Assembly(128 members) | Preston King | 77 | Daniel E. Sickles | 33 | Joel T. Headley | 6 |
Pennsylvania
[edit]Pennsylvania (special)
[edit]The Class 3 election was held on January 14, 1856.William Biglerwas elected by thePennsylvania General Assemblyto theUnited States Senate.[4]
ThePennsylvania General Assemblyhad previously convened on February 13, 1855, for the regularly scheduled Senate election for the term beginning on March 4, 1855. Two ballots were recorded on February 13, followed by three on February 27, 1855. On the fifth and final ballot during this convention, former SenatorSimon Cameronhad led with 55 votes to future SenatorCharles R. Buckalew's 23. No candidate was elected, however, and the hung election convention adjourned by a vote of 66 to 65. Upon the expiration of incumbentJames Cooper's term on March 4, 1855, the seat was vacated and would remain vacant until William Bigler's election in January 1856.[5]
On January 14, 1856, the election convention of the General Assembly re-convened and elected Democratic formerGovernor of PennsylvaniaWilliam Bigler on the first ballot to serve the remainder of the term that began on March 4, 1855, and would expire on March 4, 1861. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | William Bigler | 82 | 61.65 | |
Republican | Edward Joy Morris | 43 | 32.33 | |
Unknown | John C. Flenniken | 1 | 0.75 | |
N/A | Not voting | 7 | 5.26 | |
Totals | 133 | 100.00% |
Pennsylvania (regular)
[edit]The Class 1 election in Pennsylvania was held on January 13, 1857.Simon Cameronwas elected by thePennsylvania General Assemblyto theUnited States Senate.[6]
ThePennsylvania General Assemblyconvened on January 13, 1857, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1857. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Simon Cameron | 67 | 50.38 | |
Democratic | John W. Forney | 58 | 43.61 | |
Democratic | Henry D. Foster | 7 | 5.26 | |
Democratic | William Wilkins | 1 | 0.75 | |
Totals | 133 | 100.00% |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)".National Archives and Records Administration.February 8, 2022.
- ^"Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1857".ourcampaigns.Retrieved2022-11-05.
- ^Journal of the Senate of the State of New York (80th Session)(pages 171f)
- ^ab"U.S. Senate Election - 14 January 1856"(PDF).Wilkes University.RetrievedDecember 22,2013.
- ^"U.S. Senate Election - 13 February 1855, 27 February 1855"(PDF).Wilkes University.RetrievedDecember 22,2013.
- ^ab"U.S. Senate Election - 13 January 1857"(PDF).Wilkes University.RetrievedDecember 22,2012.
- ^"PA US Senate - 1857".OurCampaigns.RetrievedDecember 22,2012.
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present,via Senate.gov
- The New York Civil Listcompiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators [gives wrong date "February 6" ]; pg. 137 for State Senators 1857; pg. 252ff for Members of Assembly 1857)
- STATE AFFAIRS.; The Election of Preston King as United States Senatorin NYT on February 4, 1857
- Result NY Senate:Journal of the Senate(80th Session)(1857; pg. 171)
- Result NY Assembly:Journal of the Assembly(80th Session)(1857; pg. 245f)
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006from theWilkes University Election Statistics Project