1905 United States Senate election in New York

The 1905 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 17, 1905. Incumbent Senator Chauncey Depew was re-elected to a second term in office. He was renominated unanimously after former Governor Frank S. Black dropped his challenge, and easily won the election given the Republican Party's large majorities in both houses.

1905 United States Senate election in New York

← 1899 January 17, 1905 1911 →

Majority vote of each house needed to win
 
Nominee Chauncey Depew Smith M. Weed
Party Republican Democratic
Senate 36 13
Percentage 73.47% 26.53%
House 100 44
Percentage 69.44% 30.55%

Senator before election

Chauncey Depew
Republican

Elected Senator

Chauncey Depew
Republican

Background

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Republican Chauncey M. Depew had been elected to this seat in 1899, and his term would expire on March 3, 1905.

At the State election in November 1904, large Republican majorities were elected for a two-year term (1905-1906) in the State Senate, and for the session of 1905 to the Assembly. The 128th State Legislature met from January 3, 1905, on at Albany, New York.

Candidates

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Republican caucus

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Late in 1904, Ex-Governor Frank S. Black tried to be nominated to succeed Depew. Black was supported by Governor Benjamin B. Odell Jr., but after intense fighting behind the scenes, Odell finally dropped Black and accepted Depew's re-election which had been supported by his fellow Senator Thomas C. Platt and Speaker S. Frederick Nixon.

The Republican caucus met on January 16. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Chauncey M. Depew unanimously.

Democratic caucus

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The Democratic caucus met also on January 16. They nominated again Smith M. Weed[1] who had been the candidate of the Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate election of 1887.

1905 Democratic caucus for United States Senator result
Candidate First ballot
Smith M. Weed 42
D-Cady Herrick 14

Result

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Chauncey M. Depew was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.

1905 United States Senator election result
Office House Republican Democrat
State Senate
(50 members)
Chauncey M. Depew 36 Smith M. Weed 13
State Assembly
(150 members)
Chauncey M. Depew 100 Smith M. Weed 44

Note: The votes were cast on January 17, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 18 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

Aftermath

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Depew remained in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1911. In 1911, Depew was defeated for re-election by Democrat James A. O'Gorman after a deadlock of two months and a half.

Notes

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  1. ^ Smith Mead Weed (1834-1920), lawyer and businessman, of Plattsburgh, assemblyman 1865-67, 1871, 1873 and 1874; delegate to the 1876 and 1884 Democratic National Conventions

Sources

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  • Members of the 59th United States Congress
  • "BLACK AND DEPEW SEE ODELL ON SENATORSHIP" (PDF). The New York Times. November 23, 1904.
  • "ODELL FOR BLACK; OPEN WAR BEGINS" (PDF). The New York Times. December 16, 1904.
  • "BLACK NOW A CANDIDATE, HIS ORGAN DECLARES" (PDF). The New York Times. December 18, 1904.
  • "ODELL YIELDS TO DEPEW; SENATORSHIP FIGHT ENDS" (PDF). The New York Times. December 30, 1904.
  • "DEPEW NAMED FOR SENATOR.; ...S.M. Weed Democratic Nominee" (PDF). The New York Times. January 17, 1905.
  • "ANOTHER TERM FOR DEPEW" (PDF). The New York Times. January 18, 1905.