1880–81 United States Senate elections
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25 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 39 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the elections: Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold Readjuster gain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1880–81 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the presidential election of 1880. 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 1880 and 1881, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[2] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
The
Results summary
Senate party division, 47th Congress (1881–1883)
- Majority party: Republican (37)
- Minority party: Democratic (37)
- Other parties: Independent (1); Readjuster (1)
- Total seats: 76
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | ||
D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 |
D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 |
D29 Ran |
D30 Ran |
D31 Ran |
D32 Ran |
D33 Ran |
D34 Ran |
D35 Ran |
D36 Ran |
D37 Ran |
D38 Ran |
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Majority → | D39 Unknown | ||||||||
R29 Unknown |
R30 Retired |
R31 Retired |
R32 Retired |
AM1 Retired |
I1 | D42 Retired |
D41 Unknown |
D40 Unknown | |
R28 Unknown |
R27 Ran |
R26 Ran |
R25 Ran |
R24 Ran |
R23 Ran |
R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 |
R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 |
R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
After the elections
D8 | D7 | D6 | D5 | D4 | D3 | D2 | D1 | ||
D9 | D10 | D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 |
D28 | D27 | D26 | D25 | D24 | D23 | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 |
D29 Re-elected |
D30 Re-elected |
D31 Re-elected |
D33 Re-elected |
D33 Hold |
D34 Hold |
D35 Hold |
D36 Gain |
D37 Gain |
I1 |
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Plurality ↓ | RA1 Gain | ||||||||
R29 Hold |
R30 Hold |
R31 Gain |
R32 Gain |
R33 Gain |
R34 Gain |
R35 Gain |
R36 Gain |
R37 Gain | |
R28 Hold |
R27 Hold |
R26 Re-elected |
R25 Re-elected |
R24 Re-elected |
R23 Re-elected |
R22 | R21 | R20 | R19 |
R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 |
R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 | R4 | R3 | R2 | R1 |
Key: |
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Race summaries
Elections during the 46th Congress
In these elections, the winners were seated during 1880 or in 1881 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Georgia (Class 3) |
John B. Gordon | Democratic | 1879
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Incumbent resigned to promote a venture for the elected May 26, 1880.Democratic hold. |
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Alabama (Class 3) |
Luke Pryor | Democratic | 1880 (Appointed) | Unknown if interim appointee retired or lost election. Winner elected November 23, 1880.Democratic hold. |
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Michigan (Class 1) |
Henry P. Baldwin | Republican | 1879 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 19, 1881.
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Races leading to the 47th Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1881; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
California | Newton Booth | Anti-Monopoly | 1874
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Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1880.Republican gain. |
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Connecticut | William W. Eaton | Democratic | 1874
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Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881.Republican gain. |
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Delaware | Thomas F. Bayard | Democratic | 1875
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Incumbent re-elected in 1881.
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Florida | Charles W. Jones | Democratic | 1875
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Incumbent re-elected in 1881.
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Indiana | Joseph E. McDonald | Democratic | 1874 or 1875 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881.[3] Republican gain. |
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Maine | Hannibal Hamlin | Republican | 1875
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Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1881.Republican hold. |
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Maryland | William P. Whyte | Democratic | 1868 (Appointed) 1869 (Retired) 1874
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Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1880.Democratic hold. |
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Massachusetts | Henry L. Dawes | Republican | 1875
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Incumbent re-elected in 1881.
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Michigan | Henry P. Baldwin | Republican | 1881 (special)
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Incumbent retired. Winner elected January 18, 1881.Republican hold. |
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Minnesota | Samuel J. R. McMillan | Republican | 1875
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Incumbent re-elected in 1881.
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Mississippi | Blanche Bruce | Republican | 1874
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Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880.Democratic gain. |
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Missouri | Francis Cockrell | Democratic | 1874
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Incumbent re-elected in 1881 .
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Nebraska | Algernon Paddock | Republican | 1875
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Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880.Republican hold. |
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Nevada | William Sharon | Republican | 1875
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Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected January 12, 1881.Democratic gain. |
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New Jersey | Theodore F. Randolph
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Democratic | 1875
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Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881.Republican gain. |
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New York | Francis Kernan | Democratic | 1875 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected January 20, 1881. Republican gain. |
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Ohio | Allen G. Thurman | Democratic | 1874
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Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880.Republican gain. |
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Pennsylvania | William A. Wallace | Democratic | 1875 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected February 23, 1881. Republican gain. |
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Rhode Island | Ambrose Burnside | Republican | 1874
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Incumbent re-elected in 1880.
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Tennessee | James E. Bailey | Democratic | 1877 (special)
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Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880 or 1881. Democratic hold. |
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Texas | Samuel B. Maxey | Democratic | 1875
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Incumbent re-elected in 1881.
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Vermont | George F. Edmunds | Republican | 1866 (Appointed) 1874
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Incumbent re-elected in 1880.
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Virginia | Robert E. Withers | Democratic | 1875
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Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881.Readjuster gain. Winner would caucus with the Republicans. |
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West Virginia | Frank Hereford | Democratic | 1877 (special)
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Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880 or 1881. Democratic hold. |
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Wisconsin | Angus Cameron | Republican | 1875
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Incumbent retired. Winner elected January 26, 1881.Republican hold. |
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Elections during the 47th Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1881 after March 4; ordered by date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Wisconsin (Class 3) |
Matthew H. Carpenter | Republican | 1868 or 1869 1875 (Lost) 1879
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Incumbent died February 24, 1881. Winner elected March 14, 1881.Republican hold. |
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Maine (Class 2) |
James G. Blaine | Republican | 1876 (Appointed) 1877
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Incumbent resigned March 5, 1881 to become elected March 18, 1881.Republican hold. |
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New York (Class 1) |
Thomas C. Platt | Republican | 1881 | Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York. Winner elected July 27, 1881. Republican hold. |
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New York (Class 3) |
Roscoe Conkling | Republican | 1867 1873 1879 |
Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York. Winner elected July 29, 1881. Republican hold. |
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Rhode Island (Class 1) |
Ambrose Burnside | Republican | 1880
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Incumbent died September 13, 1881. Winner elected October 5, 1881.Republican hold. |
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Minnesota (Class 2) |
Alonzo J. Edgerton | Republican | 1881 (Appointed) | Interim appointee replaced by successor elected October 30, 1881.Republican hold. |
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Virginia (Class 2) |
John W. Johnston | Democratic | 1877
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Incumbent lost re-election for the term beginning March 4, 1883. Winner |
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Maryland
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) |
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Nevada
On January 12, 1881,
New York
The New York election was held January 18, 1881, by the
The caucus of
Office | Candidate | First ballot |
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U.S. Senator | Thomas C. Platt | 54 |
Richard Crowley | 26 | |
Sherman S. Rogers | 10 | |
William A. Wheeler | 10 | |
Elbridge G. Lapham | 4 | |
Levi P. Morton | 1 |
The caucus of the
Thomas C. Platt was the choice of both the State Senate and the Assembly, and was declared elected.
House | Republican
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Democrat
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State Senate (32 members) |
Thomas C. Platt | 25 | Francis Kernan | 6 |
State Assembly (128 members) |
Thomas C. Platt | 79 | Francis Kernan | 44 |
Notes:
- The votes were cast on January 18, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 19 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
- State Senator Stevens (Dem., 22nd D.) was absent and did not vote.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania election was held on thirty separate dates from January to February 1881. On February 23, 1881, John I. Mitchell was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[8] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 27, 1881, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1881. Thirty-five ballots were recorded on thirty separate dates spanning from January 27 to February 23, 1881. The results of the thirty-fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican
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John I. Mitchell | 150 | 59.76 | |
Democratic
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William A. Wallace (Incumbent) | 92 | 36.65% | |
N/A | Not voting | 7 | 2.79% | |
N/A | Other | 2 | 0.80% | |
Total votes | 251 | 100% |
See also
Notes
- Republican Conference Chair
- Democratic Caucus Chair
References
- ^ a b The Readjuster caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority.
- ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 9780871951960. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ "Blue Book for the State of Wisconsin". 1883. p. 463.
- ^ Encyclopedia Virginia/Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1880". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ The Journal of the Assembly of the Tenth Session of the Legislature of the State of Nevada. Carson City, NV: State Printing Office. 1881. p. 30.
- ^ a b "U.S. Senate Election - 27 January 1881 - 23 February 1881" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- ^ "PA US Senate - 1881". OurCampaigns. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- Members of the 47th United States Congress
- SENATOR THOMAS C. PLATT; SELECTED BY THE CAUCUS UPON THE FIRST BALLOT in NYT on January 14, 1881
- COMPLIMENTING MR. KERNAN.; THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS RENOMINATES HIM FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR in NYT on January 18, 1881
- Election result: BUSY STATE LEGISLATORS in NYT on January 19, 1881
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project