1866–67 United States Senate elections

1866–67 United States Senate elections

Dates vary by state (and other dates for special elections)
25 of the 66 (6 vacant)/72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 34 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Henry B. Anthony[a] Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1863 Leader's seat Rhode Island Last election 33 seats 9 seats Seats before 37 10 Seats won 15 2 Seats after 39 10 Seat change 2 Seats up 13 2   Third party Fourth party   Party Union Unconditional Union Last election 2 seats 4 seats Seats before 3 2 Seats won 0 0 Seats after 2 1 Seat change 1 1 Seats up 1 1
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Legislature failed to elect      Unreconstructed states
Majority party before election Republican Elected Majority party Republican

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.

The Republican Party gained two seats, as several of the Southern 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.

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

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 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

V7	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:	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 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 11, 1865 to finish the term. Winner did not run for re-election to the next term; see below.	▌Y Nathan A. Farwell (Republican) [data missing]
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.	▌Y Samuel J. Kirkwood (Republican) [data missing]
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.	▌Y David T. Patterson (Democratic) [data missing]
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.	▌Y Joseph S. Fowler (Unionist) [data missing]
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.	▌Y Alexander G. Cattell (Republican) [data missing]
Vermont (Class 1)	George F. Edmunds	Republican	1866 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.[2]	▌Y George F. Edmunds (Republican) [data missing]
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.	▌Y Luke P. Poland (Republican) [data missing]
Kansas (Class 2)	Edmund G. Ross	Republican	1866 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.[3]	▌Y Edmund G. Ross (Republican) [data missing]
New Jersey (Class 1)	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen	Republican	1866 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.[4]	▌Y Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (Republican) [data missing]
Nebraska (Class 1)	None (new state)			Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Senator elected March 1, 1867. Republican gain.	▌Y Thomas Tipton (Republican) [data missing]
Nebraska (Class 2)				Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Senator elected March 1, 1867. Republican gain.	▌Y John M. Thayer (Republican) [data missing]

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	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.	▌Y Cornelius Cole (Republican) [data missing]
Connecticut	Lafayette S. Foster	Republican	1860	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1866. Republican hold.	▌Y Orris S. Ferry (Republican) ▌Lafayette S. Foster (Republican) [data missing]
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.	▌Y Joshua Hill (Republican) [data missing]
Illinois	Lyman Trumbull	Republican	1855 1861	Incumbent re-elected in 1867.	▌Y Lyman Trumbull (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa	Samuel J. Kirkwood	Republican	1865 (special)	Incumbent lost nomination. New senator elected January 13, 1866.[5] Republican hold.	▌Y James Harlan (Republican) 118 votes ▌Henry Hoffman Trimble (Democratic) 20 votes
Indiana	Henry S. Lane	Republican	1860	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1867. Republican hold.	▌Y Oliver P. Morton (Republican) [data missing]
Kansas	Samuel C. Pomeroy	Republican	1861	Incumbent re-elected in 1867.	▌Y Samuel C. Pomeroy (Republican) [data missing]
Kentucky	Garrett Davis	Unionist	1861 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1867 as a Democrat. Democratic gain.	▌Y Garrett Davis (Democratic) [data missing]
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.	▌Y Philip Francis Thomas (Democratic) [data missing]
Missouri	B. Gratz Brown	Republican	1863 (special)	Incumbent retired due to ill health. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican hold.	▌Y Charles D. Drake (Republican) [data missing]
Nevada	James W. Nye	Republican	1865	Incumbent re-elected in 1867.	▌Y James W. Nye (Republican) [data missing]
New Hampshire	George G. Fogg	Republican	1866 (appointed)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican hold.	▌Y James W. Patterson (Republican) [data missing]
New York	Ira Harris	Republican	1861	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected January 15, 1867. Republican hold.	▌Y Roscoe Conkling (Republican) ▌Henry C. Murphy (Democratic) ▌George F. Comstock (Democratic)
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.	▌Y John Sherman (Republican) [data missing]
Oregon	James Nesmith	Democratic	1860 or 1861	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican gain.	▌Y Henry W. Corbett (Republican) [data missing]
Pennsylvania	Edgar Cowan	Republican	1861	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 15, 1867. Republican hold.	▌Y Simon Cameron (Republican) 61.65% ▌Edgar Cowan (Republican) 36.84%
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.	▌Y Justin S. Morrill (Republican) ▌Luke P. Poland (Republican) [data missing]
Wisconsin	Timothy O. Howe	Republican	1861	Incumbent re-elected January 23, 1867.[6]	▌Y Timothy O. Howe (Republican) 72.0% ▌Charles A. Eldredge (Democratic) 22.7% ▌Edward S. Bragg (Democratic) 1.5% ▌Joshua J. Guppy (Democratic) 0.8%

Elections during the 40th Congress

State	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.	▌Y William G. Brownlow (Republican) 63 ▌William B. Stokes (Republican) 39[7]

New York

Main article: 1867 United States Senate election in New York

See also: List of United States senators from 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	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.

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

Main article: 1867 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States senators from Pennsylvania

The 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:

State Legislature Results^[9]

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

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

References

1. as Republican Conference Chair

1. "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
2. Byrd and Wolff, p. 176.
3. Byrd and Wolff, p. 108.
4. Byrd and Wolff, p. 142.
5. Clark, p. 141.
6. 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.
7. Coulter, E. Merton (1999). William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands. Univ. of Tennessee Press. p. 347. ISBN 9781572330504.
8. Ransom Balcom (1818-1879), of Binghamton, justice of the New York Supreme Court (6th D.) 1856-77
9. "U.S. Senate Election - 15 January 1867" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
10. "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