1872 and 1873 United States Senate elections
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24 of the 74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 38 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1872 and 1873 were elections which had the Republican Party, while still retaining a commanding majority, lose two seats in the United States Senate. By the beginning of the Congress, however, they'd lost three more: two as defections to the Liberal Republican Party, and one a resignation of Henry Wilson to become U.S. Vice President. These elections also coincided with President Ulysses S. Grant's easy re-election.
As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.
Results summary[]
Senate Party Division, 43rd Congress (1873–1875)
- Majority Party: Republican (50–51)
- Minority Party: Democratic (19–20)
- Other Parties: Liberal Republican (3–2)
- Vacant: (2–1)
- Total Seats: 74
Change in composition[]
Before the elections[]
After the January 30, 1872 special election in North Carolina.
D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | |||
D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 Ran |
D16 Unknown |
D17 Unknown |
R48 Unknown |
R49 Unknown |
R50 Unknown |
R51 Retired |
R52 Retired |
R53 Retired |
R54 Retired |
R55 Retired |
R56 Resigned |
LR1 Retired |
R47 Ran |
R46 Ran |
R45 Ran |
R44 Ran |
R43 Ran |
R42 Ran |
R41 Ran |
R40 Ran |
R39 Ran |
R38 Ran |
Majority → | |||||||||
R28 | R29 | R30 | R31 | R32 | R33 | R34 | R35 | R36 | R37 Ran |
R27 | R26 | R25 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 | R18 |
R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 |
R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
Result of the elections[]
D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | |||
D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 Hold |
D16 Hold |
D17 Hold |
R48 Hold |
R49 Hold |
R50 Hold |
R51 Hold |
R52 Hold |
R53 Gain |
LR1 Re-elected, new party |
V1 R Loss |
D19 Gain |
D18 Gain |
R47 Hold |
R46 Hold |
R45 Hold |
R44 Hold |
R43 Re-elected |
R42 Re-elected |
R41 Re-elected |
R40 Re-elected |
R39 Re-elected |
R38 Re-elected |
Majority → | R37 Re-elected | ||||||||
R28 | R29 | R30 | R31 | R32 | R33 | R34 | R35 | R36 | |
R27 | R26 | R25 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 | R18 |
R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 |
R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
Beginning of the next Congress[]
D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | |||
D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 |
R48 | R49 | R50 | LR1 | LR2 Changed |
LR3 Changed |
V1 | V2 Resigned |
D19 | D18 |
R47 | R46 | R45 | R44 | R43 | R42 | R41 | R40 | R39 | R38 |
Majority → | R37 | ||||||||
R28 | R29 | R30 | R31 | R32 | R33 | R34 | R35 | R36 | |
R27 | R26 | R25 | R24 | R23 | R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 | R18 |
R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 |
R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
Key: |
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Race summaries[]
Special elections during the 42nd Congress[]
In these elections, the winners were seated during 1872 or in 1873 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
North Carolina (Class 2) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New member elected January 30, 1872. Democratic gain. |
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Kentucky (Class 3) |
Willis B. Machen | Democratic | 1872 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 21, 1873. Winner was not elected to the next term, see below. |
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Louisiana (Class 3) |
William P. Kellogg | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana. Legislature failed to elect and the seat remained vacant for the remainder of the term. The seat also remained vacant until January 12, 1876, due to a Senate dispute, see below.[2] Republican loss. |
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Races leading to the 43rd Congress[]
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1873; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Alabama | George E. Spencer | Republican | 1868 (Readmission) | Incumbent re-elected in 1872. |
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Arkansas | Benjamin F. Rice | Republican | 1868 (Readmission) | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. |
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California | Cornelius Cole | Republican | 1866 or 1867 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. |
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Connecticut | Orris S. Ferry | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected May 15, 1872 in a different party. Liberal Republican gain. |
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Florida | Thomas W. Osborn | Republican | 1868 (Readmission) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. |
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Georgia | Joshua Hill | Republican | 1867 (Elected but not seated) 1871 (Admitted) |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1873. Democratic gain. |
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Illinois | Lyman Trumbull | Liberal Republican | 1855 1861 1867 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 20, 1873. Republican gain. |
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Indiana | Oliver P. Morton | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected in 1873. |
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Iowa | James Harlan | Republican | 1855 1857 (Election invalidated) 1857 (Special) 1860 1865 (Resigned) 1866 |
Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected January 17, 1872.[6] Republican hold. |
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Kansas | Samuel C. Pomeroy | Republican | 1861 1867 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1873. Republican hold. |
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Kentucky | Willis B. Machen | Democratic | 1872 (Appointed) | Unknown if incumbent interim appointee retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872. Democratic hold. Winner was not elected to finish the current term, see above. |
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Louisiana | William P. Kellogg | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana. Legislature failed to elect and the seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876, due to a Senate dispute.[2] |
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Maryland | George Vickers | Democratic | 1868 (Special) | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or in 1873. Democratic hold. |
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Missouri | Francis Blair | Democratic | 1871 (Special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Democratic hold. |
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Nevada | James W. Nye | Republican | 1865 1867 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1873. Republican hold. |
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New Hampshire | James W. Patterson | Republican | 1866 or 1867 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1872. Republican hold. |
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New York | Roscoe Conkling | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873. |
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North Carolina | John Pool | Republican | 1868 (Readmission) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio | John Sherman | Republican | 1861 (Special) 1866 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1872. |
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Oregon | Henry W. Corbett | Republican | 1866 or 1867 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872. Republican hold. |
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Pennsylvania | Simon Cameron | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873. |
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South Carolina | Frederick A. Sawyer | Republican | 1868 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. |
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Vermont | Justin S. Morrill | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected in 1872. |
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Wisconsin | Timothy O. Howe | Republican | 1861 1866 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1872. |
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Elections during the 43rd Congress[]
In this election, the winner was elected in 1873 after March 4.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Massachusetts (Class 2) |
Henry Wilson | Republican | 1855 (Special) 1859 1865 1871 |
Incumbent resigned to become U.S. Vice President. New senator elected March 12, 1873.[8] Republican hold. |
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California (Class 1) |
Eugene Casserly | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent resigned. New senator elected December 23, 1873.[9] Democratic hold. |
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Early election[]
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
California (Class 1) |
Eugene Casserly | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873. New senator elected early December 20, 1873.[11] Anti-Monopoly gain. |
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Alabama[]
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Arkansas[]
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California[]
California (Regular, Class 3)[]
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California (Special)[]
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California (Early)[]
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Connecticut[]
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Florida[]
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Georgia[]
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Illinois[]
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Indiana[]
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Iowa[]
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Kansas[]
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Kentucky[]
Kentucky (Regular)[]
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Kentucky (Special)[]
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Louisiana[]
Louisiana (Special)[]
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Louisiana (Regular)[]
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Maryland[]
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Massachusetts (Special)[]
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Missouri[]
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Nevada[]
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New Hampshire[]
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New York[]
The New York election was held January 21, 1873.[c] Republican Roscoe Conkling had been elected in January 1867 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1873.
At the State election in November 1871, 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1872-1873) in the State Senate. In 1872, a faction of the Republican Party opposed the re-election of President Ulysses S. Grant and the Radical Republicans who supported him, and under the name Liberal Republican Party nominated a joint ticket with the Democratic Party. At the State election in November 1872, 91 Republicans, 35 Democrats and 2 Independents were elected for the session of 1873 to the Assembly. The 96th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 30, 1873, at Albany, New York.
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 8, State Senator William B. Woodin, of Auburn (25th D.), presided. 18 state senators and 88 assemblymen were present. They re-nominated Conkling unanimously. The caucus of the Democratic State legislators nominated Ex-First Judge of Dutchess County Charles Wheaton.
Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.
House | Republican | Democratic | Republican | Liberal Republican | ||||
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State Senate (32 members) |
Roscoe Conkling | 20 | [d] | 5 | William M. Evarts | 1 | Henry R. Selden | 1 |
State Assembly (128 members) |
Roscoe Conkling | 92 | 26 |
Note: The vote for Ex-U.S. Attorney General William M. Evarts was cast by Norman M. Allen (32nd district), the vote for Ex-Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Henry R. Selden by Gabriel T. Harrower (27th district). Allen, Harrower and Abiah W. Palmer (11th district) were the three Liberal Republicans in the State Senate.
North Carolina[]
North Carolina (Regular)[]
North Carolina (Late)[]
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Ohio[]
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Oregon[]
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Pennsylvania[]
The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania State Senate, voted on January 21, 1873. Incumbent Republican Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1867, won re-election.[12]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Simon Cameron (Incumbent) | 76 | 57.14 | |
Democratic | William A. Wallace | 50 | 37.59 | |
Liberal Republican | Thomas Marshall | 1 | 0.75 | |
Democratic | Hendrick Wright | 1 | 0.75 | |
N/A | Not voting | 5 | 3.76 | |
Totals | 133 | 100.00% |
South Carolina[]
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Vermont[]
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Wisconsin[]
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See also[]
- 1872 United States elections
- 1872 United States House of Representatives elections
- 1872 United States presidential election
- 42nd United States Congress
- 43rd United States Congress
Notes[]
- ^ as Republican Conference Chair
- ^ Possibly Cornelius Cole
- ^ Although the votes were cast on January 21, both Houses met in a joint session on January 22 to compare nominations, and declare the result.[citation needed]
- ^ (1834-1886), lawyer, of Poughkeepsie, First Judge of the Dutchess County Court 1863-67[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Kleber, John E. (October 17, 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. p. 598. ISBN 9780813159010.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Taft, pp. 483–512.
- ^ "LA - Louisiana". www.senate.gov.
- ^ "CT US Senate". OurCampaigns.com. May 25, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2019., citing The Journal of the House of Representatives of Connecticut 1872.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - IL US Senate Race - Jan 20, 1873". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- ^ Clark, p. 167.
- ^ Kleber, John E. (October 17, 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. p. 595. ISBN 9780813159010.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Election of Ex-Secretary Boutwell as United States Senator". The New York Times. March 13, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ "UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. RECENT DECISIONS / CURIOUS LAWSUIT. SENATOR HAGAR, OF CALIFORNIA". The New York Times. December 26, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ "THE CALIFORNIA SENATORSHIP". The New York Times. December 17, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "THE CALIFORNIAN SENATORSHIP ELECTION OF BOOTH". The New York Times. December 21, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "U.S. Senate Election - 21 January 1873" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
Sources[]
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
- Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
- Taft, George S.; Furber, George P.; Buck, George M.; Webb, Charles A.; Pierce, Herbert R. (1913). "Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1913". U.S. Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- Members of the 43rd United States Congress
- ALBANY.; Unanimous Nomination of Roscoe Conkling for U.S. Senator in NYT on January 9, 1873
- ALBANY.; Nomination of Roscoe Conkling as United States Senator in NYT on January 22, 1873
- The Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling: Orator, Statesman and Advocate by Alfred R. Conkling (page 449) [gives wrong date for governor's inauguration "January 6", the inauguration happens invariably on January 1; and adds non-existent middle initial "G."]
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project
- 1872 United States Senate elections
- 1873 United States Senate elections