1881 Iowa Senate election

1881 Iowa Senate election

October 11, 1881
25 out of 50 seats in the Iowa State Senate 26 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party Republican Democratic Greenback Last election 41 7 2 Seats after 45 2 2 Seat change 4 5   Fourth party   Party Independent Last election 0 Seats after 1 Seat change 1

In the 1881 Iowa State Senate elections Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the nineteenth Iowa General Assembly. Elections were held in 25 of the state senate's 50 districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.

The general election took place on October 11, 1881.^[1]

Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa Senate with 41 seats to Democrats' seven seats and two Greenbackers.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 19 Senate seats.

Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1881 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 45 seats, Democrats having two seats, two Greenbackers, and one Independent (a net gain of 4 seats for Republicans and 1 Independent seat).

Summary of Results

• Note: The holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.

Senate District	Incumbent	Party		Elected Senator	Party		Outcome
1st	James Madison Shelley		Dem	Henry W. Rothert		Rep	Rep Gain
2nd[a]	Henry Clay Traverse[b]		Rep	Alexander Brown		Rep	Rep Hold
7th	Philip W. Lewellen		Rep	Talton Embrey Clark		Rep	Rep Hold
9th	John Patterson		Rep	Benton J. Hall[c]		Dem	Dem Gain
10th	John Simpson Woolson		Rep	Lot Abraham		Rep	Rep Hold
12th	Sanford S. Harned		Dem	Cassius M. Brown		Rep	Rep Gain
13th	Gregg A. Madison		Dem	Joseph G. Hutchison		Rep	Rep Gain
18th	Lafayette Young		Rep	Cephas B. Hunt		Rep	Rep Hold
20th	Thomas Hanna		Rep	Pliny Nichols		Rep	Rep Hold
21st	William A. Foster		Rep	John Carver Bills		Rep	Rep Hold
22nd	Nathaniel Anson Merrell		Dem	Wickliffe A. Cotton		Rep	Rep Gain
26th[a]	Christian Hedges[d]		Rep	William Aitken Patrick		Rep	Rep Hold
27th[e]	John Wimberly Henderson[f]		Dem	John Wimberly Henderson[f]		Ind	Ind. Gain
29th	John Meyer		Rep	Egbert C. Sudlow		Rep	Rep Hold
30th	Robert C. Webb		Rep	Hiram Ypsilanti Smith[g]		Rep	Rep Hold
34th	Augustin W. Ford		Rep	Thomas M. C. Logan		Rep	Rep Hold
35th	Moses M. Ham		Dem	Julius Kingman Graves		Rep	Rep Gain
37th	Daniel Darrow Chase		Rep	John L. Kamrar		Rep	Rep Hold
38th	Herman C. Hemenway		Rep	Herman C. Hemenway		Rep	Rep Hold
42nd	Martin Nelson Johnson		Rep	Henry A. Baker		Rep	Rep Hold
44th	Aaron Kimball		Rep	Chapman A. Marshall		Rep	Rep Hold
45th	Robert M. Haines		Rep	Alfred Nelson Poyneer		Rep	Rep Hold
46th[a]	Wilberforce P. Gaylord[h]		Rep	Alvin Manley Whaley[i]		Rep	Rep Hold
47th[a]	Frank M. Goodykoontz[j]		Rep	Horace G. Parker[k]		Rep	Rep Hold
48th	John J. Russell		Rep	John J. Russell		Rep	Rep Hold
50th	Albert Henry Lawrence		Rep	Gifford Simeon Robinson		Rep	Rep Hold

1. Election was held to fill a vacancy.
2. Senator Traverse resigned, causing a vacancy.^[2]
3. During the next term, Senator Hall resigned his seat in the Iowa Senate after being elected to the United States House of Representatives, causing a vacancy.^[3]
4. Senator Hedges resigned, causing a vacancy.^[4]
5. There was not an election in the twenty-seventh senatorial district in 1881. Instead, incumbent Senator John Wimberly Henderson switched parties.
6. Senator Henderson was an incumbent Senator who was not up for election in 1881. Instead, he switched parties from Democratic to Independent.
7. During the next term, Senator Smith resigned his seat in the Iowa Senate after being elected to the United States House of Representatives, causing a vacancy.^[5]
8. Senator Gaylord died on April 27, 1880, causing a vacancy.^[6]
9. Senator Whaley filled the vacancy caused by Senator Gaylord's death.^[7]
10. Senator Goodykoontz resigned, causing a vacancy.^[8]
11. Senator Parker filled the vacancy caused by Senator Goodykoontz's resignation.^[9]

Source:^[10]

Detailed Results

• NOTE: The Iowa Official Register does not contain detailed vote totals for state senate elections in 1881.

See also

• Elections in Iowa

References

1. "Members of the Senate, 1882" (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
2. "Senator Henry Clay Traverse: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
3. "Senator Benton J. Hall: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
4. "Senator Christian Hedges: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
5. "Senator Hiram Ypsilanti Smith: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
6. "Senator Wilberforce P. Gaylord: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
7. "Senator Alvin Manley Whaley: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
8. "Senator Frank M. Goodykoontz: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
9. "Senator Horace G. Parker: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
10. "Legislators". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved June 27, 2021.

External links

• Iowa State Senate Districts 1878-83 map