1866–67 United States Senate elections

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. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

The Republican Party gained two seats, as several states in the region of the Southern United States were readmitted during Reconstruction, enlarging their majority.

Results summary Senate 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

Before the elections After August 31, 1866, appointment in New Hampshire.

V V V V V V V V V V D D D D D D R UU UU U U U D D D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R V V V V R R R R R R V V V V V V

As a result of the elections

V V V V V V V V V V D D D D D D R R R UU U U D D D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R V V V V R R R R R R V V V V V V

Beginning of the next Congress

V V V V V V V V V V V D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R V V V R R R R R R R V V V V V V V

Key: D Democratic R Republican UU Unconditional Unionist U Unionist V Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 39th Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1866 or in 1867 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Maine(Class 2) Nathan A. Farwell Republican 1864 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 18551857 1857 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. 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. 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 Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term. Vermont(Class 3) Luke P. Poland Republican 1865 Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.Winner lost re-election to the next term; see below. Kansas(Class 2) Edmund G. Ross Republican 1866 Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term. New Jersey(Class 1) Frederick T. Frelinghuysen Republican 1866 Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term. Nebraska(Class 1) None (new state) Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867.Senator elected March 1, 1867.Republican gain. Nebraska(Class 2) Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867.Senator elected March 1, 1867.Republican gain.

Races leading to the 40th Congress In 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 Electoralhistory 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. Connecticut Lafayette S. Foster Republican 1860 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1866.Republican hold. 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. Illinois Lyman Trumbull Republican 18551861 Incumbent re-elected in 1867. Iowa Samuel J. Kirkwood Republican 1865 Incumbent lost nomination.New senator elected January 13, 1866.Republican hold. Indiana Henry S. Lane Republican 1860 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1867.Republican hold. Kansas Samuel C. Pomeroy Republican 1861 Incumbent re-elected in 1867. Kentucky Garrett Davis Unionist 1861 Incumbent re-elected January 30, 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 UnconditionalUnionist 1865 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 Incumbent retired due to ill health.New senator elected in 1866 or 1867.Republican hold. Nevada James W. Nye Republican 1865 Incumbent re-elected in 1867. New Hampshire George G. Fogg Republican 1866 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. 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 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 1866 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1866.Republican hold. Wisconsin Timothy O. Howe Republican 1861 Incumbent re-elected .

Elections during the 40th Congress

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Tennessee David T. Patterson Democratic 1866 Incumbent retired.Winner elected early on October 22, 1867, for the term beginning March 4, 1869.Republican gain.

New York

The 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 Informalballot Firstballot Secondballot Thirdballot Fourthballot Fifthballot Roscoe Conkling 33 39 45 53 59 Noah Davis 30 41 44 50 49 Ira Harris 32 24 18 6 Ransom BalcomRansom Balcom (1818-1879), of Binghamton, justice of the New York Supreme Court (6th D.) 1856-77 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.

+1867 United States Senator election result 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

The Pennsylvania election was held on January 15, 1867. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, having defeated Governor Andrew G. Curtin for the nomination of the Republican legislative caucus.

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. 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:

See also 1866 United States elections 1866–67 United States House of Representatives elections 39th United States Congress 40th United States Congress

References

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

1866–67 United States Senate elections

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