1874–75 United States Senate elections

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1874–75 United States Senate elections
← 1872 & 1873 Dates vary by state
(And other dates for special elections)		 1876 & 1877 →
25 of the 74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
38 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Henry B. Anthony[a] John W. Stevenson[b]
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since March 4, 1863 March 4, 1873
Leader's seat Rhode Island Kentucky
Seats before 52 19
Seats won 10 14
Seats after 42 28
Seat change Decrease 10 Increase 9
Seats up 20 5
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Liberal Republican Anti-Monopoly
Seats before 2 0
Seats won 0 1
Seats after 2 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1
Seats up 0 0
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican hold      Anti-monopoly gain
Majority Party before election


Republican

Elected Majority Party


Republican

The 1874–75 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1874 and 1875, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.

Although the Republican Party (the party of incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant) maintained their Senate majority, the Democratic Party gained nine seats.

Results summary

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.

Parties Total
Democratic Republican Liberal
Republican 		Anti-
Monopoly
Before these elections 19 52 2 0 73
Not up 14 32 2 — 48
Class 2 (1870/71) 9 15 1 — 25
Class 3 (1872/73) 5 17 1 — 31
Up 5 22 1 — 36
Regular: Class 1 5 20 — — 25
Special: Class 1 0 1 1 — 2
Special: Class 2 0 1 — — 1
Incumbent retired 2 11 — — 13
Held by same party 1 4 — — 5
Replaced by other party Decrease7 Republicans replaced by Increase7 Democrats
Decrease1 Democrat replaced by Increase1 Anti-Monopolist 		IncreaseDecrease8
Result 8 4 — 1 13
Incumbent's intent unknown 1 4 — — 5
Held by same party 1 2 — — 3
Replaced by other party Decrease2 Republicans replaced by Increase2 Democrats IncreaseDecrease2
Result 3 2 — — 5
Incumbent ran 2 5 — — 7
Won re-election 2 2 — — 4
Lost re-election Decrease1 Republican replaced by Increase1 Democrat 1
Lost renomination
but held by same party 		— 2 — — 2
Result 3 4 — — 7
Total elected 14 10 — 1 25
Net change Increase9 Decrease10 — Increase1 IncreaseDecrease9
Result 28 42 2 1 73

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the April 17, 1874, special election in Massachusetts.

D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1
D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15
Ran 		D16
Ran 		D17
Unknown
R48
Retired 		R49
Retired 		R50
Retired 		R51
Retired 		R52
Retired 		LR1 LR2 V1 D19
Retired 		D18
Retired
R47
Retired 		R46
Retired 		R45
Retired 		R44
Retired 		R43
Retired 		R42
Retired 		R41
Retired 		R40
Unknown 		R39
Unknown 		R38
Unknown
Majority → R37
Ran
R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33
Ran 		R34
Ran 		R35
Ran 		R36
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
Re-elected 		D16
Re-elected 		D17
Hold
D27
Gain 		D26
Gain 		D25
Gain 		D24
Gain 		D23
Gain 		D22
Gain 		D21
Gain 		D20
Gain 		D19
Gain 		D18
Hold
D28
Gain 		AM1
Gain 		V1 LR2 LR1 R42
Hold 		R41
Hold 		R40
Hold 		R39
Hold 		R38
Hold
Majority → R37
Hold
R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33
Re-elected 		R34
Re-elected 		R35
Hold 		R36
Hold
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
D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19 D18
D28 AM1 V1 R44
Change 		R43
Change 		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:
AM# Anti-Monopoly Party
D# Democratic
LR# Liberal Republican
R# Republican
V# Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 43rd Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1874 or in 1875 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Kansas
(Class 2) 		Robert Crozier Republican 1873 (appointed) Interim appointee retired February 2, 1874.
New senator elected February 2, 1874.
Republican hold.
Mississippi
(Class 1) 		Adelbert Ames Republican 1870 Incumbent resigned March 17, 1873, to become Governor of Mississippi.
New senator elected February 3, 1874.
Republican hold.
Winner did not run for the next term; see below.
Massachusetts
(Class 1) 		Charles Sumner Liberal
Republican 		1851 (special)
1857
1863
1869 		Incumbent died March 12, 1874.
New senator elected April 17, 1874.
Republican gain.
Winner did not run for the next term; see below.

Races leading to the 44th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1875; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
California Eugene Casserly Democratic 1868 Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873.
New senator elected early December 20, 1873.[2]
Anti-Monopoly gain.
Connecticut William A. Buckingham Republican 1868–69 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected May 19, 1874.
Democratic gain.
Incumbent died February 5, 1875, and Eaton was appointed to finish the term.
Delaware Thomas F. Bayard Democratic 1869 Incumbent re-elected in 1875.
Florida Abijah Gilbert Republican 1868–69 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Democratic gain.
Indiana Daniel D. Pratt Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1874 or 1875.
Democratic gain.
Maine Hannibal Hamlin Republican 1857
1861 (resigned)
1869 		Incumbent re-elected in 1875.
Maryland William P. Whyte Democratic 1874 (appointed) Incumbent retired to run for Maryland Governor.
New senator elected in 1874.
Democratic hold.
Massachusetts William B. Washburn Republican 1874 (special) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
Michigan Zachariah Chandler Republican 1857
1863
1869 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1874.
Republican hold.
Minnesota Alexander Ramsey Republican 1863
1869 		Incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
Mississippi Henry R. Pease Republican 1874 (special) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in February 1874.
Republican hold.
Missouri Carl Schurz Republican 1868 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1874.
Democratic gain.
Nebraska Thomas Tipton Republican 1867
1869 		Incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
Nevada William M. Stewart Republican 1865
1869 		Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 12, 1875.
Republican hold.
New Jersey John P. Stockton Democratic 1864
1866 (lost dispute)
1869 		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1875.
Democratic hold.
New York Reuben Fenton Republican 1869 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 20, 1875.
Democratic gain.
Ohio Allen G. Thurman Democratic 1868 Incumbent re-elected in 1874.
Pennsylvania John Scott Republican 1869 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 19, 1875.
Democratic gain.
Rhode Island William Sprague IV Republican 1862
1868 		Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
Tennessee Parson Brownlow Republican 1867 (early) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 26, 1875, on the 54th ballot.
Democratic gain.
Texas James W. Flanagan Republican 1870 (readmission) Incumbent retired.[d]
New senator elected on January 28, 1875.
Democratic gain.
Vermont George F. Edmunds Republican 1866 (appointed)
1866 (special)
1868 		Incumbent re-elected on October 20, 1874.
Virginia John F. Lewis Republican 1870 (readmission) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Democratic gain.
West Virginia Arthur I. Boreman Republican 1868–69 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1874 or 1875.
Democratic gain.
Wisconsin Matthew H. Carpenter Republican 1869 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected February 8, 1875.
Republican hold.

Elections during the 44th Congress

There were no special elections in 1875 to the 44th Congress.

Maryland

See also: List of United States senators from Maryland
1874 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 1868 1874 1880 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
Candidate William Pinkney Whyte
Party Democratic
Legislative vote -
Percentage -%

William Pinkney Whyte won election for an unknown margin of votes for the Class 1 seat.[7]

New York

See also: List of United States senators from New York and 1874 United States House of Representatives elections in New York

The New York election was held on January 19 and 20, 1875, by the New York State Legislature.

Republican Reuben E. Fenton had been elected in January 1869 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1875.

At the state election in November 1873, a Republican majority was elected for a two-year term (1874–1875) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1874, Democrat Samuel J. Tilden was elected Governor, 75 Democrats and 53 Republicans were elected for the session of 1875 to the Assembly, and Democrat Albert P. Laning was elected in the 31st District to fill a vacancy in the State Senate. The 98th New York State Legislature met from January 5 to May 19, 1875, at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Democratic State legislators met on January 15, State Senator Albert P. Laning, of Buffalo, presided. All but one of the legislators were present, only Assemblyman John M. Roscoe, of Schoharie County, was sick. The caucus nominated Francis Kernan for the U.S. Senate. Kernan had been the Democratic/Liberal Republican candidate for Governor in November 1872 but had been defeated by John Adams Dix. Now Kernan was the choice of Tammany boss John Kelly who had succeeded the corrupt William M. Tweed. Kelly was opposed by John C. Jacobs, who proposed Ex-State Senator Henry C. Murphy, Jacobs's predecessor from the 3rd District, and the Democratic candidate who had lost the U.S. Senate elections in 1867 and 1869 when the Democrats were the minority. Kelly stood firm in his intention to dominate the Democratic Party, and had the caucus nomination made by viva voce vote instead of the more traditional secret ballot. Jacobs and Murphy had expected to get votes from many legislators who would not dare to cross Kelly openly, but had to abandon their hopes when the secret ballot was voted down 74 to 13.

Democratic caucus
Candidate First ballot
Francis Kernan 77
Henry C. Murphy 9
John T. Hoffman 1

The caucus of the Republican State legislators nominated Ex-U.S. Senator from New York Edwin D. Morgan.

On January 19, the Democratic majority of the Assembly nominated Francis Kernan, and the Republican majority of the State Senate nominated Ex-U.S. Senator Edwin D. Morgan. On January 20, both Houses met in joint session to compare nominations, and finding that they disagreed, proceeded to a joint ballot. Francis Kernan was elected, the first Democratic U.S. Senator from New York since 1851 when Daniel S. Dickinson left office.

House Democratic Republican Democratic
State Senate
(32 members) 		Francis Kernan 13 Edwin D. Morgan 16
State Assembly
(128 members) 		Francis Kernan 74 Edwin D. Morgan 52 John T. Hoffman 1
Joint Ballot
(160 members) 		Francis Kernan 87 Edwin D. Morgan 68 John T. Hoffman 1

Note: The vote for Ex-Governor of New York Hoffman was cast by Reuben E. Fenton's brother-in-law Samuel Scudder, a Democratic Assemblyman from Cattaraugus County.

Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States senators from Pennsylvania and 1874 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held on January 19, 1875. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, elected William A. Wallace.[8]

State Legislature Results[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William A. Wallace 125 49.80
Republican John Allison 116 46.22
N/A Not voting 10 3.98
Totals 251 100.00%

West Virginia

1875 United States Senate election in West Virginia
← 1869 January 26–February 17, 1875 1877 (special) →
Needed to win: Majority of votes cast jointly by the Legislature
 
Candidate Allen Caperton
Party Democratic
First ballot 6 votes
6.9%
23rd ballot 68 votes
80.9%
U.S. senator before election

Arthur Boreman
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Allen Caperton
Democratic

On January 26, 1875, each house of the West Virginia Legislature held votes to elect a Senator, with no person receiving the majority of votes in either chamber. Pursuant to the 1866 Act regulating the election of senators (S.414), the legislature convened into a joint assembly the following day and held further voting. After 23 ballots held jointly, Allen T. Caperton received the majority of votes on February 17, 1875, and was declared duly elected as senator. Votes for senator across the 23 rounds were mostly scattered, with Caperton, the eventual winner, only starting out with 6 votes in the first joint ballot, and receiving only 30 (13 votes short) on the round before his victory.[10]

Prior to the election, Johnson Camden and Henry S. Walker were seen as the foremost contenders for the Democratic nomination, which, because of Democrats' large majorities in both houses, was tantamount to election under normal circumstances.[11] However, after repeated failures of any candidate to win a majority either in internal caucus votes or on the floor, legislative Democrats turned to finding a compromise candidate, settling on former Confederate senator Allen T. Caperton. Republican votes were similarly split on most ballots, though on the final one, they supported former Appeals Court chief justice and state senator Ralph Berkshire nearly unanimously.

House and Senate ballots
Party Candidate House Senate
Votes % Votes %
Democratic Jonathan M. Bennett 0 0.0 1 4.2
Democratic John Brannon 10 15.6 3 12.5
Democratic Gideon D. Camden 0 0.0 3 12.5
Democratic Johnson N. Camden 17 26.6 2 8.3
Republican Archibald Campbell 1 1.6 0 0.0
Democratic Allen T. Caperton 6 9.4 1 4.2
Democratic John Cunningham 5 7.8 0 0.0
Democratic Charles J. Faulkner 1 1.6 0 0.0
Republican Nathan Goff Jr. 2 3.1 1 4.2
Democratic Daniel D. Johnson 0 0.0 1 4.2
Democratic Okey Johnson 1 1.6 1 4.2
Democratic Samuel Price 10 15.6 3 12.5
Republican George C. Sturgiss 0 0.0 1 4.2
Republican Thomas B. Swann 0 0.0 1 4.2
Democratic Henry S. Walker 11 17.2 6 25.0
Total 64 100 24 100
Needed to win 33 >50 13 >50
Joint Session
Party Candidate Ballots
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Democratic Allen T. Caperton 6 3 1 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 3 7 13 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 3 30 68
Democratic Jonathan M. Bennett 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 16 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Republican Ralph Berkshire 1 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 14
Democratic John Brannon 11 14 12 10 16 12 13 10 14 5 1 0 0 6 5 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Democratic Gideon D. Camden 2 1 0 0 0 0 6 4 1 1 1 35 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Democratic Johnson N. Camden 19 27 15 24 20 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 28 31 27 2 0 0 0 0 0
Democratic Robert Dennis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 17 0 0
Democratic Ira J. McGinnis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 29 36 0 0
Democratic John J. Jackson Sr. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 32 26 0 0 0 0
Democratic Okey Johnson 2 2 0 1 0 0 8 20 27 20 13 7 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Democratic Samuel Price 12 10 15 11 12 13 15 12 15 9 16 0 0 13 19 18 18 20 17 12 14 17 0
Democratic Henry S. Walker 19 20 23 22 21 20 22 23 22 22 21 25 25 22 21 23 24 23 23 0 0 0 0
Other candidates 15 10 17 14 14 17 22 16 4 11 4 11 18 13 13 10 10 6 17 17 14 35 2
Total 87 87 86 85 85 87 86 87 86 85 84 85 84 87 87 85 85 85 83 84 84 84 84
Needed to win 44 44 44 43 43 44 44 44 44 43 43 43 43 44 44 43 43 43 42 43 43 43 43

See also

Notes

  1. ^ as Republican Conference Chair
  2. ^ as Democratic Caucus Chair
  3. ^ Johnson attained 47 votes before switches, four short of a majority.
  4. ^ Democrats regained control of the state government following the end of Reconstruction, so Flanagan was not a candidate.

References

  1. ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "THE CALIFORNIAN SENATORSHIP ELECTION OF BOOTH". The New York Times. December 21, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "CT US Senate". OurCampaigns.com. October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  4. ^ Hearn, Chester G. (2000). The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7864-0863-4.
  5. ^ Horton, Louise (1974). Samuel Bell Maxey: A Biography. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-292-72261-3.
  6. ^ "Vermont: re-election of George F. Edmunds to the United States Senate". New York Herald. New York, NY. October 21, 1874. p. 7 – via Library of Congress, Chronicling America.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 17, 1868". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  8. ^ a b "U.S. Senate Election - 19 January 1875" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  9. ^ "PA US Senate - 1875". OurCampaigns. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  10. ^ Journal of the Senate. West Virginia Legislature. 1875. p. 217.
  11. ^ "The Senatorial Fight- Two Ballots Taken- Camden Supposed to be Dead- The Fight Between Walker, Price, and Brannon". The Intelligencer. January 26, 1875 – via NewspaperArchive.
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