The 1866–67 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 1866 and 1867, 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 3.
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25 of the 66 (6 vacant)/72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 34 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the elections: Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold Legislature failed to elect Unreconstructed states | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Republican Party gained two seats, as several of the Southern States were readmitted during Reconstruction, enlarging their majority.
Results summary
editSenate party division, 40th Congress (1867–1869)
- Majority party: Republican (57)
- Minority party: Democratic (9)
- Other parties: (0)
- Vacant: (6)
- Total seats: 72
Change in Senate composition
editBefore the elections
editAfter August 31, 1866, appointment in New Hampshire.
V6 Seceded |
V5 Seceded |
V4 Seceded |
V3 Seceded |
V2 | V1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V7 Seceded |
V8 Seceded |
V9 Seceded |
V10 Seceded |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 |
R37 Retired |
UU1 | UU2 Unknown |
U1 | U2 | U3 Ran |
D10 Retired |
D9 Ran |
D8 | D7 |
R36 Retired |
R35 Retired |
R34 Unknown |
R33 Ran |
R32 Ran |
R31 Ran |
R30 Ran |
R29 Ran |
R28 Ran |
R27 Ran |
Majority → | |||||||||
R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 Ran |
R26 Ran |
R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 |
V14 | V13 | V12 | V11 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 |
V15 | V16 | V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 |
As a result of the elections
editV6 Seceded |
V5 Seceded |
V4 Seceded |
V3 Seceded |
V2 | V1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V7 Seceded |
V8 Seceded |
V9 Seceded |
V10 Seceded |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 |
R37 Hold |
R38 Gain |
R39 Gain |
UU1 | U1 | U2 | D10 Gain |
D9 Gain |
D8 | D7 |
R36 Hold |
R35 Hold |
R34 Hold |
R33 Hold |
R32 Hold |
R31 Hold |
R30 Hold |
R29 Re-elected |
R28 Re-elected |
R27 Re-elected |
Majority → | |||||||||
R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 Re-elected |
R26 Re-elected |
R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 |
V14 | V13 | V12 | V11 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 |
V15 | V16 | V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 |
Beginning of the next Congress
editV7 | V6 | V5 | V4 | V3 | V2 | V1 | |||
V8 | V9 | V10 | V11 Not seated |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R38 | R39 | R40 Changed |
R41 Changed |
R42 New seat |
R43 New seat |
R44 Gain |
R45 Gain |
D8 Changed |
D7 |
R37 | R36 | R35 | R34 | R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 | R28 |
Majority → | R27 | ||||||||
R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | |
R17 | R16 | R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 |
V14 | V13 | V12 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 |
V15 | V16 | V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 | V21 |
Key: |
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Race summaries
editSpecial elections during the 39th Congress
editIn these special elections, the winners were seated during 1866 or in 1867 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Maine (Class 2) |
Nathan A. Farwell | Republican | 1864 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 11, 1865 to finish the term. Winner did not run for re-election to the next term; see below. |
|
Iowa (Class 3) |
James Harlan | Republican | 1855 1857 (voided) 1857 (special) 1860 |
Incumbent resigned May 15, 1865, to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. New senator elected January 13, 1866. Republican hold. Winner did not run for re-election to the next term; see below. |
|
Tennessee (Class 1) |
Vacant since March 4, 1862, when Andrew Johnson (D) resigned to become Military Governor of Tennessee. |
State re-admitted to the Union. New senator elected July 24, 1866. Democratic gain. |
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Tennessee (Class 2) |
Vacant since March 3, 1861, when Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) withdrew in anticipation of secession. |
State re-admitted to the Union. New senator elected July 24, 1866. Unionist gain. |
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New Jersey (Class 2) |
John P. Stockton | Democratic | 1864 | Incumbent's election disputed and seat declared vacant. New senator elected September 19, 1866. Republican gain. |
|
Vermont (Class 1) |
George F. Edmunds | Republican | 1866 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.[2] |
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Vermont (Class 3) |
Luke P. Poland | Republican | 1865 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.[2] Winner lost re-election to the next term; see below. |
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Kansas (Class 2) |
Edmund G. Ross | Republican | 1866 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.[3] |
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New Jersey (Class 1) |
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen | Republican | 1866 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.[4] |
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Nebraska (Class 1) |
None (new state) | Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Senator elected March 1, 1867. Republican gain. |
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Nebraska (Class 2) |
Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Senator elected March 1, 1867. Republican gain. |
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Races leading to the 40th Congress
editIn these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1867; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Alabama | Vacant since January 21, 1861, when Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) withdrew. |
Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
Arkansas | Vacant since July 11, 1861, when Charles B. Mitchel (D) was expelled. |
Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
California | James A. McDougall | Democratic | 1860 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican gain. |
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Connecticut | Lafayette S. Foster | Republican | 1860 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1866. Republican hold. |
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Florida | Vacant since January 21, 1861, when David Levy Yulee (D) withdrew. |
Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
Georgia | Vacant since January 28, 1861, when Alfred Iverson Sr. (D) withdrew. |
New senator elected in 1867. Senate refused to seat the winner. Seat remained vacant until 1871 when Georgia was readmitted. |
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Illinois | Lyman Trumbull | Republican | 1855 1861 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1867. |
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Iowa | Samuel J. Kirkwood | Republican | 1865 (special) | Incumbent lost nomination. New senator elected January 13, 1866.[5] Republican hold. |
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Indiana | Henry S. Lane | Republican | 1860 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1867. Republican hold. |
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Kansas | Samuel C. Pomeroy | Republican | 1861 | Incumbent re-elected in 1867. |
|
Kentucky | Garrett Davis | Unionist | 1861 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1867 as a Democrat. Democratic gain. |
|
Louisiana | Vacant since February 4, 1861, when John Slidell (D) resigned. |
Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
Maryland | John Creswell | Unconditional Unionist |
1865 (special) | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1866 or in 1867. Senate refused to seat him, as he had "given aid and comfort" to the Confederate cause. Seat remained vacant until 1868. Unconditional Unionist loss. |
|
Missouri | B. Gratz Brown | Republican | 1863 (special) | Incumbent retired due to ill health. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican hold. |
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Nevada | James W. Nye | Republican | 1865 | Incumbent re-elected in 1867. |
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New Hampshire | George G. Fogg | Republican | 1866 (appointed) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican hold. |
|
New York | Ira Harris | Republican | 1861 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected January 15, 1867. Republican hold. |
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North Carolina | Vacant since March 11, 1861, when Thomas Clingman (D) resigned. |
Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
Ohio | John Sherman | Republican | 1861 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1866. |
|
Oregon | James Nesmith | Democratic | 1860 or 1861 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican gain. |
|
Pennsylvania | Edgar Cowan | Republican | 1861 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 15, 1867. Republican hold. |
|
South Carolina | Vacant since November 11, 1860, when James Henry Hammond (D) withdrew. |
Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
Vermont | Luke P. Poland | Republican | 1865 (appointed) 1866 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1866. Republican hold. |
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Wisconsin | Timothy O. Howe | Republican | 1861 | Incumbent re-elected January 23, 1867.[6] |
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Elections during the 40th Congress
editState | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Tennessee | David T. Patterson | Democratic | 1866 (readmission) | Incumbent retired. Winner elected early on October 22, 1867, for the term beginning March 4, 1869. Republican gain. |
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New York
editThe New York election was held on January 15, 1867, by the New York State Legislature. Republican Ira Harris had been elected in February 1861 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1867.
At the state election in November 1865, 27 Republicans and 5 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1866–1867) in the State Senate. At the state election in November 1866, 82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1867 to the Assembly. The 90th State Legislature met from January 1 to April 20, 1867, at Albany, New York.
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 10, State Senator Charles J. Folger presided. State Senator Thomas Parsons (28th D.) was absent, but had his vote cast by proxy. They nominated Congressman Roscoe Conkling for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Ira Harris was voted down.
Candidate | Informal ballot |
First ballot |
Second ballot |
Third ballot |
Fourth ballot |
Fifth ballot |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roscoe Conkling | 33 | 39 | 45 | 53 | 59 | |
Noah Davis | 30 | 41 | 44 | 50 | 49 | |
Ira Harris | 32 | 24 | 18 | 6 | ||
Ransom Balcom[8] | 7 | 4 | 2 | wd | ||
Horace Greeley | 6 | wd | ||||
Charles J. Folger | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Notes:
- On the fourth ballot, 110 votes were cast, one too many, and it was annulled.
- "wd" = name withdrawn
The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met also on January 10. State Senator Henry C. Murphy was nominated on the first ballot with 25 votes against 21 for Ex-D.A. of New York A. Oakey Hall. Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.
House | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State Senate (32 members) |
Roscoe Conkling | 24 | Henry C. Murphy | 2 | George F. Comstock | 1 |
State Assembly (128 members) |
Roscoe Conkling | 78 | Henry C. Murphy | 42 |
Notes:
- The vote for Ex-Chief Judge Comstock was cast by Henry C. Murphy.
- The votes were cast on January 15, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 16 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
Conkling was re-elected in 1873 and 1879, and remained in office until May 17, 1881, when he resigned in protest against the distribution of federal patronage in New York by President James A. Garfield without being consulted. The crisis between the Stalwart and the Half-Breed factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson was appointed Collector of the Port of New York, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.
Pennsylvania
editThe Pennsylvania election was held on January 15, 1867. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[9]
Incumbent Republican Edgar Cowan, who was elected in 1861, was a candidate for re-election to another term, but was defeated by former Democratic Senator and former United States Secretary of War Simon Cameron, who had previously switched to the Republican Party.[10] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 15, 1867, to elect a Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1867. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Simon Cameron | 82 | 61.65 | |
Republican | Edgar Cowan (Inc.) | 49 | 36.84 | |
N/A | Not voting | 2 | 1.50 | |
Totals | 133 | 100.00% |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Byrd and Wolff, p. 176.
- ^ Byrd and Wolff, p. 108.
- ^ Byrd and Wolff, p. 142.
- ^ Clark, p. 141.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of Wisconsin for the year A. D. 1867 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: Atwood & Burlee, State Printers. 1867. pp. 118–119. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Coulter, E. Merton (1999). William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands. Univ. of Tennessee Press. p. 347. ISBN 9781572330504.
- ^ Ransom Balcom (1818-1879), of Binghamton, justice of the New York Supreme Court (6th D.) 1856-77
- ^ a b "U.S. Senate Election - 15 January 1867" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "CAMERON, Simon, (1799 - 1889)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
- Clark, Dan Elbert (1912). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner, 1867 (see pg. 568 for U. S. Senators; pg. 444 for State Senators 1867; pg. 505f for Members of Assembly 1867)
- Members of the 40th United States Congress
- Result state election 1865 in The Tribune Almanac for 1866 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
- Result state election 1866 in The Tribune Almanac for 1867 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
- ...THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS; Hon. Roscoe Conkling, of Oneida County, Nominated for United States Senator; ...DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; Hon. Henry C. Murphy, of Kings County, Nominated for United States Senator in NYT on January 11, 1867
- Journal of the New York State Assembly (1867; pages 98f and 103)
- Journal of the New York State Senate (1867; pages 58f and 62)
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project