1874–75 United States Senate elections

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.

1874–75 United States Senate elections

← 1872 & 1873Dates 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 partyMinority party
 
LeaderHenry B. Anthony[a]John W. Stevenson[b]
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Leader sinceMarch 4, 1863March 4, 1873
Leader's seatRhode IslandKentucky
Seats before5219
Seats won1014
Seats after4228
Seat changeDecrease 10Increase 9
Seats up205

 Third partyFourth party
 
PartyLiberal RepublicanAnti-Monopoly
Seats before20
Seats won01
Seats after21
Seat changeSteadyIncrease 1
Seats up00

Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican hold      Anti-monopoly gain

Majority Party before election


Republican

Elected Majority Party


Republican

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.

PartiesTotal
DemocraticRepublicanLiberal
Republican
Anti-
Monopoly
Before these elections19522073
Not up1432248
Class 2 (1870/71)915125
Class 3 (1872/73)517131
Up522136
Regular: Class 152025
Special: Class 10112
Special: Class 2011
Incumbent retired21113
Held by same party145
Replaced by other party 7 Republicans replaced by 7 Democrats
1 Democrat replaced by 1 Anti-Monopolist
8
Result84113
Incumbent's intent unknown145
Held by same party123
Replaced by other party 2 Republicans replaced by 2 Democrats 2
Result325
Incumbent ran257
Won re-election224
Lost re-election 1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat1
Lost renomination
but held by same party
22
Result347
Total elected1410125
Net change 9 10 1 9
Result28422173

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

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

D7D6D5D4D3D2D1
D8D9D10D11D12D13D14D15
Ran
D16
Ran
D17
Unknown
R48
Retired
R49
Retired
R50
Retired
R51
Retired
R52
Retired
LR1LR2V1D19
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
R28R29R30R31R32R33
Ran
R34
Ran
R35
Ran
R36
Ran
R27R26R25R24R23R22R21R20R19R18
R8R9R10R11R12R13R14R15R16R17
R7R6R5R4R3R2R1

Result of the elections

D7D6D5D4D3D2D1
D8D9D10D11D12D13D14D15
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
V1LR2LR1R42
Hold
R41
Hold
R40
Hold
R39
Hold
R38
Hold
Majority →R37
Hold
R28R29R30R31R32R33
Re-elected
R34
Re-elected
R35
Hold
R36
Hold
R27R26R25R24R23R22R21R20R19R18
R8R9R10R11R12R13R14R15R16R17
R7R6R5R4R3R2R1

Beginning of the next Congress

D7D6D5D4D3D2D1
D8D9D10D11D12D13D14D15D16D17
D27D26D25D24D23D22D21D20D19D18
D28AM1V1R44
Change
R43
Change
R42R41R40R39R38
Majority →R37
R28R29R30R31R32R33R34R35R36
R27R26R25R24R23R22R21R20R19R18
R8R9R10R11R12R13R14R15R16R17
R7R6R5R4R3R2R1
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.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Kansas
(Class 2)
Robert CrozierRepublican1873 (Appointed)Interim appointee retired February 2, 1874.
New senator elected February 2, 1874.
Republican hold.
Mississippi
(Class 1)
Adelbert AmesRepublican1870Incumbent 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 SumnerLiberal
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.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
CaliforniaEugene CasserlyDemocratic1868Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873.
New senator elected early December 20, 1873.[2]
Anti-Monopoly gain.
ConnecticutWilliam Alfred BuckinghamRepublican1868 or 1869Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected May 19, 1874.
Democratic gain.
Incumbent died February 5, 1875, and winner was then appointed to finish the term.
DelawareThomas F. BayardDemocratic1869Incumbent re-elected in 1875.
FloridaAbijah GilbertRepublican1868 or 1869Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Democratic gain.
IndianaDaniel D. PrattRepublican1868Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1874 or 1875.
Democratic gain.
MaineHannibal HamlinRepublican1857
1861 (Resigned)
1869
Incumbent re-elected in 1875.
MarylandWilliam P. WhyteDemocratic1874 (Appointed)Incumbent retired to run for Maryland Governor.
New senator elected in 1874.
Democratic hold.
MassachusettsWilliam B. WashburnRepublican1874 (special)Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
MichiganZachariah ChandlerRepublican1857
1863
1869
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1874.
Republican hold.
MinnesotaAlexander RamseyRepublican1863
1869
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
MississippiHenry R. PeaseRepublican1874 (special)Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in February 1874.
Republican hold.
MissouriCarl SchurzRepublican1868Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1874.
Democratic gain.
NebraskaThomas TiptonRepublican1867
1869
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
NevadaWilliam M. StewartRepublican1865
1869
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 12, 1875.
Republican hold.
New JerseyJohn P. StocktonDemocratic1864
1866 (Lost election dispute)
1869
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1875.
Democratic hold.
New YorkReuben E. FentonRepublican1869Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 20, 1875.
Democratic gain.
OhioAllen G. ThurmanDemocratic1868Incumbent re-elected in 1874.
PennsylvaniaJohn ScottRepublican1869Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 19, 1875.
Democratic gain.
Rhode IslandWilliam Sprague IVRepublican1862
1868
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Republican hold.
TennesseeWilliam G. BrownlowRepublican1867 (Early)Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 26, 1875, on the 54th ballot.
Democratic gain.
TexasJames W. FlanaganRepublican1870 (Readmission)Incumbent retired.[d]
New senator elected on January 28, 1875.
Democratic gain.
VermontGeorge F. EdmundsRepublican1866 (Appointed)
1866 (special)
1868
Incumbent re-elected on October 20, 1874.
VirginiaJohn F. LewisRepublican1870 (Readmission)Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1875.
Democratic gain.
West VirginiaArthur I. BoremanRepublican1868 or 1869Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1874 or 1875.
Democratic gain.
WisconsinMatthew H. CarpenterRepublican1868 or 1869Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected February 1875.
Republican hold.

Elections during the 44th Congress

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

Maryland

1874 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 186818741880 →

80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
CandidateWilliam Pinkney Whyte
PartyDemocratic
Legislative vote-
Percentage-%

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

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
CandidateFirst ballot
Francis Kernan77
Henry C. Murphy9
John T. Hoffman1

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.

HouseDemocraticRepublicanDemocratic
State Senate
(32 members)
Francis Kernan13Edwin D. Morgan16
State Assembly
(128 members)
Francis Kernan74Edwin D. Morgan52John T. Hoffman1
Joint Ballot
(160 members)
Francis Kernan87Edwin D. Morgan68John T. Hoffman1

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

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]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticWilliam A. Wallace12549.80
RepublicanJohn Allison11646.22
N/ANot voting103.98
Totals251100.00%

West Virginia

1875 United States Senate election in West Virginia

← 1869January 26–February 17, 18751877 (special) →

Needed to win: Majority of votes cast jointly by the Legislature
 
CandidateAllen CapertonRalph Berkshire
PartyDemocraticRepublican
First ballot6 votes
6.9%
1 vote
1.1%
23rd ballot68 votes
80.9%
14 votes
16.7%

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]

See also

Notes

References