1910–11 United States Senate elections

The 1910–11 United States Senate election 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 primarily chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1910 and 1911, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] However, some states had already begun direct elections during this time. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to adopt measures reflecting the people's will. By 1912, as many as 29 states elected senators either as nominees of their party's primary or in conjunction with a general election.

1910–11 United States Senate elections

← 1908 & 1909January 18, 1910 –
July 12, 1911
1912 & 1913 →

36 of the 92 seats in the United States Senate
47 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority party
 
LeaderShelby Moore Cullom[a]
(retired)
Thomas S. Martin[b]
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Leader sinceMarch 4, 1909March 4, 1909
Leader's seatIllinoisVirginia
Seats before5933
Seats won1513
Seats after5042
Seat changeDecrease 9Increase 9
Seats up2511

Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold

Majority conference chairman before election

Eugene Hale
Republican

Elected Majority conference chairman

Shelby Moore Cullom
Republican

In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1. In conjunction with winning control of the House of Representatives for the first time since the 1892 elections, Democrats flipped 9 Senate seats. This was not enough to flip the Senate, but significantly narrowed the margin of Republican control.

In New York and Florida, the legislature failed to elect until after the beginning of the 62nd Congress on March 4. Special elections were held in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and West Virginia.

Result Summary

Senate party division, 62nd Congress (1911–1913):

  • Majority party: Republican (50 seats)
  • Minority party: Democratic (40 seats)
  • Other parties: 0
  • Vacant: 2
  • Total seats: 92

Four seats were added in early 1912 for new states: Arizona (which elected 2 Democrats) and New Mexico (which elected 2 Republicans).

Change in composition

Before the elections

At the beginning of 1910.

D1D2D3D4D5D6
D16D15D14D13D12D11D10D9D8D7
D17D18D19D20D21D22D23D24
Ala.
Ran
D25
Fla.
Ran
D26
La. (sp)
Ran
R57
W.Va. (reg)
Ran
R58
Wis.
Ran
R59
Wyo.
Ran
D33
Va.
Ran
D32
Texas
Ran
D31
Tenn.
Ran
D30
N.D. (sp)
Ran
D29
Miss. (sp)
Retired
D28
Miss. (reg)
Ran
D27
Md.
Ran
R56
W.Va. (sp)
Retired
R55
Wash.
Retired
R54
Vt.
Ran
R53
Utah
Ran
R52
R.I.
Retired
R51
Pa.
Ran
R50
Ohio
Ran
R49
N.D. (reg)
Ran
R48
N.Y.
Ran
R47
N.J.
Ran
Majority →
R37
Del.
Ran
R38
Ind.
Ran
R39
Maine
Ran
R40
Mass.
Ran
R41
Mich.
Ran
R42
Minn.
Ran
R43
Mo.
Retired
R44
Mont.
Retired
R45
Neb.
Ran
R46
Nev.
Ran
R36
Conn.
Ran
R35
Calif.
Retired
R34R33R32R31R30R29R28R27
R17R18R19R20R21R22R23R24R25R26
R16R15R14R13R12R11R10R9R8R7
R1R2R3R4R5R6

Elections results

D1D2D3D4D5D6
D16D15D14D13D12D11D10D9D8D7
D17D18D19D20D21D22D23D24
Ala.
Re-elected
D25
Ind.
Gain
D26
La. (sp)
Elected[c]
D36
Tenn.
Hold
D35
Ohio
Gain
D34
N.J.
Gain
D33
Neb.
Gain
D32
Mont.
Gain
D31
Mo.
Gain
D30
Miss. (sp)
Hold
D29
Miss. (reg)
Hold
D28
Md.
Re-elected
D27
Maine
Gain
D37
Texas
Re-elected
D38
Va.
Re-elected
D39
W.Va. (reg)
Gain
D40
W.Va. (sp)
Gain
V1
Fla.
D Loss
V2
N.Y.
R Loss
R51
Wyo.
Re-elected
R50
Wis.
Re-elected
R49
Wash.
Hold
R48
Vt.
Re-elected
Majority →
R37
Del.
Re-elected
R38
Mass.
Re-elected
R39
Mich.
Hold
R40
Minn.
Re-elected
R41
Nev.
Re-elected
R42
N.D. (reg)
Re-elected
R43
N.D. (sp)
Gain
R44
Pa.
Re-elected
R45
R.I.
Hold
R46
Utah
Re-elected
R36
Conn.
Hold
R35
Calif.
Hold
R34R33R32R31R30R29R28R27
R17R18R19R20R21R22R23R24R25R26
R16R15R14R13R12R11R10R9R8R7
R1R2R3R4R5R6

Beginning of the next Congress

D1D2D3D4D5D6
D16D15D14D13D12D11D10D9D8D7
D17D18D19D20D21D22D23D24D25D26
D36D35D34D33D32D31D30D29D28D27
D37D38D39D40
Fla.
Appointed
V1
Colo.
D Loss[d]
V2R50R49R48R47
Majority →R46
R37R38R39R40R41R42R43R44R45
R36R35R34R33R32R31R30R29R28R27
R17R18R19R20R21R22R23R24R25R26
R16R15R14R13R12R11R10R9R8R7
R1R2R3R4R5R6
Key
D#Democratic
R#Republican
V#Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 61st Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1910 or in 1911 before March 4; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Mississippi
(Class 2)
James GordonDemocratic1909 (Appointed)Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected February 23, 1910.[2]
Democratic hold.
Louisiana
(Class 3)
John ThorntonDemocratic1910 (Appointed)Interim appointee elected December 6, 1910.[3]
North Dakota
(Class 3)
William E. PurcellDemocratic1910 (Appointed)Interim appointee lost election.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.
Republican gain.
Winner took office February 11, 1911, upon resigning from the U.S. House.
West Virginia
(Class 2)
Davis ElkinsRepublican1910 (Appointed)Interim appointee lost election.
New senator elected February 1, 1911.
Democratic gain.

In this election, the winner were seated in the 63rd Congress, starting March 4, 1913.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
AlabamaJohn H. BankheadDemocratic1907 (Appointed)
1907 (special)
Incumbent re-elected early January 17, 1911, for the term beginning March 4, 1913.

Races leading to the 62nd Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1911; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral
history
CaliforniaFrank P. FlintRepublican1905Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 10, 1911.[8]
Republican hold.
ConnecticutMorgan BulkeleyRepublican1905Incumbent lost renomination and re-election.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.[8]
Republican hold.
DelawareHenry A. du PontRepublican1906Incumbent re-elected January 25, 1911.[9]
FloridaJames TaliaferroDemocratic1899 (special)
1905 (Appointed)
1905 (special)
Incumbent lost re-election.
Legislature failed to elect.
Democratic loss.
New senator was appointed to begin the term.
IndianaAlbert J. BeveridgeRepublican1899
1905
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.[8]
Democratic gain.
MaineEugene HaleRepublican1881
1887
1893
1899
1905
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.[8]
Democratic gain.
MarylandIsidor RaynerDemocratic1904Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1910.[8]
MassachusettsHenry Cabot LodgeRepublican1893
1899
1905
Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1911.[8][13]
MichiganJulius C. BurrowsRepublican1895 (special)
1899
1905
Incumbent lost renomination.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.[8]
Republican hold.
MinnesotaMoses E. ClappRepublican1901 (special)
1905
Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1911.[8]
MississippiHernando MoneyDemocratic1897 (Appointed)
1899
1904
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected early January 21, 1908.[15]
Democratic hold.
MissouriWilliam WarnerRepublican1905Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.[8]
Democratic gain.
MontanaThomas H. CarterRepublican1895
1901 (Lost)
1905
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected March 2, 1911.
Democratic gain.
NebraskaElmer BurkettRepublican1905Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 17, 1911, ratifying the popular selection made in 1910 state elections.[8][5]
Democratic gain.
NevadaGeorge S. NixonRepublican1905Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1911, ratifying the popular selection made in 1910 state elections.[8]
New JerseyJohn KeanRepublican1899
1905
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 25, 1911.[8]
Democratic gain.
New YorkChauncey DepewRepublican1899
1905
Incumbent ran for re-election, but legislature failed to elect.
Republican loss.
A new senator was elected late, see below.
North DakotaPorter J. McCumberRepublican1899
1905
Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1911.[8]
OhioCharles W. F. DickRepublican1904 (special)
1904
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 10, 1911.
Democratic gain.
PennsylvaniaGeorge T. OliverRepublican1909 (special)Incumbent re-elected January 11, 1911.[8]
Rhode IslandNelson W. AldrichRepublican1881 (special)
1886
1892
1898
1905
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 18, 1911.
Republican hold.
TennesseeJames B. FrazierDemocratic1905 (special)Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 23, 1911.
Democratic hold.
  • Y Luke Lea (Independent Democratic) 68 votes
  • Benton McMillin (Democratic) 48 votes
  • L. D. Tyson (Democratic) 11 votes
  • Gilbert D. Raine (Democratic) 2 votes
  • J. R. Woolridge (Republican) 2 votes[6]
TexasCharles Allen CulbersonDemocratic1899
1905
Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1911.
UtahGeorge SutherlandRepublican1905Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1911.
VermontCarroll S. PageRepublican1908 (special)Incumbent re-elected October 18, 1910.
VirginiaJohn W. DanielDemocratic1887
1893
1899
1904
Incumbent re-elected January 25, 1910.
Incumbent died June 29, 1910.
A new senator was appointed to finish the term, and reappointed to begin the new term.
The new senator was subsequently elected to finish the new term.[21]
WashingtonSamuel H. PilesRepublican1905Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 17, 1911.[8][6]
Republican hold.
West VirginiaNathan B. ScottRepublican1899
1905
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected February 1, 1911.[8][6]
Democratic gain.
WisconsinRobert M. La FolletteRepublican1905Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1911.[8][6]
WyomingClarence D. ClarkRepublican1905Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1911.[8][6]

Elections during the 62nd Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1911 after March 4; ordered by date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
New York
(Class 1)
VacantLegislature had failed to elect, see above.
New senator elected late March 31, 1911 on the sixty-fourth ballot.
Democratic gain.
Iowa
(Class 2)
Lafayette YoungRepublican1911 (Appointed)Interim appointee lost election to finish the term.
New senator elected April 12, 1911.
Republican hold.
Florida
(Class 1)
Nathan P. BryanDemocratic1911 (Appointed)Interim appointee elected late April 18, 1911.
Georgia
(Class 3)
Joseph M. TerrellDemocratic1910 (Appointed)Interim appointee lost election.
New senator elected July 12, 1911.
Democratic hold.

Alabama

Senator John H. Bankhead

Democrat John H. Bankhead was re-elected early January 17, 1911[7] for the 1913 term.

California

Incumbent Senator Frank P. Flint, who had been elected in 1905, retired. Republican John D. Works received a plurality of votes cast at a Republican state primary. Republican A. G. Spalding, however, carried a majority of the legislative districts represented by Republicans.[7] In the legislature, Works was elected January 10, 1911, with 92 votes over Spalding's 21 votes, and a scattering of votes for various Democrats.[8][7]

Connecticut

Senator George P. McLean

Republican incumbent Morgan Bulkeley, who had been elected in 1905, lost renomination in a Republican legislative caucus 113–64 to George P. McLean.

McLean was then elected January 17, 1911, with 177 votes to Democrat Homer Stille Cummings's 110 votes.[8][7]

Delaware

Senator Henry A. du Pont

First-term Republican Henry A. du Pont was re-elected January 25, 1911.[9] He beat Democrat Willard Saulsbury Jr..

Saulsbury would be elected in 1913 to the other Delaware senate seat. Du Pont would lose re-election in 1916, the first popular Senate election in Delaware.

Florida

Senator Nathan P. Bryan

In June 1910, incumbent Democrat James Taliaferro lost a non-binding primary to former Governor Napoleon B. Broward for the term which started on March 4, 1911.[23] Broward died in October.[24] In early February 1911, Nathan P. Bryan won a non-binding primary for the seat, defeating William A. Blount 19,991 to 19,381.[25] The governor then appointed Bryan to fill the vacancy.[26]

In April 1911, the Florida Legislature unanimously elected Bryan to the remainder of the term.[27]

Georgia (special)

Senator M. Hoke Smith

Three-term Democrat Alexander S. Clay died November 13, 1910, and Democratic former-Governor of Georgia Joseph M. Terrell was appointed November 17, 1910, to continue the term, pending a special election.

Democratic Governor of Georgia M. Hoke Smith won the July 12, 1911, special election to finish the term that would end in 1915.

Smith had just begun his gubernatorial term July 1, 1911, when he was elected to the Senate. Although formally elected and qualified, Smith chose not to take office until November 16, 1911, so he could continue being Governor of Georgia.[28]

Smith would later be re-elected in 1914 and would serve through 1921.

Indiana

Iowa (special)

Louisiana (special)

Maine

Maryland

1910 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 1904February 1, 19101913 →

80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
CandidateIsidor Rayner
PartyDemocratic
Legislative vote80
Percentage70.49%

Isidor Rayner won election by an unknown margin for the Class 1 seat.[29]

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Mississippi (regular)

Senator John Sharp Williams

Three-term Democrat Hernando Money retired from the class 1 seat. In 1908 the Mississippi legislature had already unanimously elected Democratic congressman John Sharp Williams early for the next term.[15]

Mississippi (special)

Senator LeRoy Percy

Three-term Democrat Anselm J. McLaurin died December 22, 1909, and Democrat James Gordon was appointed December 27, 1909, to continue the term pending a special election, in which he was not a candidate. The day after his appointment to the class 2 seat, he was identified as a former fugitive who had been sought as a suspect in the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Gordon was listed in 1865 by the United States government as a fugitive, and a reward of $10,000 had been offered for his capture, dead or alive. Later that year, he was ruled out of the suspects.[30] Gordon then admitted that he had met with John Wilkes Booth in Montreal in March 1865, and had discussed plans to kidnap Lincoln, but denied any discussion of murder.[31]

A plurality of legislators backed the white supremacist James K. Vardaman, but the fractured remainder sought to thwart his extreme racial policies. A majority united behind Percy to block Vardaman, instead electing Democrat LeRoy Percy February 23, 1910, to finish the term that would end in 1913.[2]

Percy would later lose renomination in 1912 to the next term.

Missouri

Montana

Democrat Henry L. Myers was elected on the 80th joint ballot by the Montana state legislature, winning 53 votes to incumbent Republican Thomas H. Carter's 45. Carter had led on the first ballot with 31 votes to Democrat Thomas J. Walsh's 28.

Nebraska


Democratic nominee Gilbert Hitchcock defeated Republican incumbent Senator Elmer Burkett by a very narrow margin of 9.16%.Gilbert Hitchcock was the first Democrat ever to have won a United States Senate seat from Nebraska and he was the first non-Republican to have won a United States Senate seat from Nebraska since William Vincent Allen in 1893.

Nevada

New Jersey

New York

New York election

← 1905January 17 – March 31, 19111916 →

201 members of the New York Assembly
101 votes needed to win
 
NomineeJames A. O'GormanChauncey Depew
PartyDemocraticRepublican
Electoral vote11280
Percentage58.33%41.67%

U.S. senator before election

Chauncey Depew
Republican

Elected U.S. senator

James A. O'Gorman
Democratic

Republican incumbent Chauncey M. Depew had been re-elected to this seat in 1905, and his term would expire on March 3, 1911. At the State election in November 1910, John Alden Dix was elected Governor, the first Democrat to hold the position since 1894. Democrats also unexpectedly carried the state legislative elections, and controlled both the Senate and the Assembly. The 134th New York State Legislature met from January 4 to October 6, 1911, in Albany, New York. Democratic Ex-Lieutenant Governor William F. Sheehan announced his candidacy on December 30, 1910. Before the State election, when a Democratic victory seemed to be improbable, Sheehan had made an agreement with Tammany Hall leader Charles Francis Murphy that the Tammany men would support Sheehan for the U.S. Senate. The Democratic caucus met on January 16 and nominated Sheehan over Edward M. Shepard and D. Cady Herrick. The Republican caucus met on January 16 and re-nominated Chauncey M. Depew unanimously.

From January 17 through March 3, the legislature was deadlocked through 39 ballots, with anti-Tammany Democrats led by newly elected State Senator Franklin Delano Roosevelt refusing to support Sheehan. On March 3, 1911, Depew's term ended.

The deadlock continued over another 19 ballots despite the vacant seat. Democrats then held a new caucus and nominated James A. O'Gorman, a justice of the New York Supreme Court. O'Gorman was elected over Depew on March 31, 1911.

CandidateParty64th joint ballot
Mar 31
Chauncey M. DepewRepublican80
Y James A. O'GormanDemocratic Y 112

North Dakota

North Dakota (special)

Senator Asle Gronna

North Dakota (regular)

Senator Porter J. McCumber

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Senator George T. Oliver

The Pennsylvania election was held January 17, 1911. Incumbent George T. Oliver was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[32]

Pennsylvania election, January 17, 1911
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanGeorge T. Oliver (Incumbent) 181 70.43%
DemocraticJ. Henry Cochran3513.62%
DemocraticJulian Kennedy259.73%
DemocraticJames B. Riley31.17%
RepublicanWilliam Flinn20.78%
DemocraticWilliam H. Berry10.39%
DemocraticGeorge W. Guthrie10.39%
SocialistJoseph E. Cohen10.39%
N/ANot voting83.11%
Total votes257 100%

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

West Virginia (regular)

Senator William E. Chilton

West Virginia (special)

Senator Clarence Wayland Watson

Wisconsin

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Wisconsin
(Class 1)
Robert M. La FolletteRepublican1905Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1911.[33]
  • Y Robert M. La Follette (Republican) 63.2%
  • Charles H. Weisse (Democratic) 23.3%
  • John C. Kleist (Social Dem.) 10.5%
  • F. C. Winkler (Republican) 0.7%
  • Absent 3%

Wyoming

See also

Notes

References

Sources