United States Senate elections, 1852 and 1853

Various dates

20 of the 62 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
32 seats needed for a majority

	Majority party	Minority party

Party	Democratic	Whig
Last election	33 seats	22 seats
Seats before	37	22
Seats won	10	4
Seats after	35	18
Seat change	1	4
Seats up	10	9

	Third party	Fourth party

Party	Free Soil	Know Nothing
Last election	2 seats
Seats before	3	[New party]
Seats won	2	1
Seats after	2	1
Seat change	1	1
Seats up	1

Majority Party before election

Democratic

Elected Majority Party

Democratic

The United States Senate elections of 1852 and 1853 were elections which had the Democratic Party gain two seats in the United States Senate, and which coincided with the 1852 presidential election. Only six of the twenty Senators up for election were re-elected.

As this election was prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 33rd Congress (1853–1855)

Majority Party: Democratic (35–38)
Minority Party: Whig Party (19–17)
Other Parties: Free Soiler (2–5); Know Nothing (1)
Vacant: 5–1
Total Seats: 62

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the July 6, 1852 appointment in Kentucky.

D₁
D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂
D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇ Ran	D₂₈ Ran	D₂₉ Ran	D₃₀ Ran	D₃₁ Ran
Majority →									D₃₂ Unknown
W₂₂ Retired	FS₁	FS₂	FS₃ Retired	D₃₇ Retired	D₃₆ Retired	D₃₅ Retired	D₃₄ Unknown	D₃₃ Unknown
W₂₁ Retired	W₂₀ Retired	W₁₉ Retired	W₁₈ Unknown	W₁₇ Unknown	W₁₆ Ran	W₁₅ Ran	W₁₄	W₁₃	W₁₂
W₂	W₃	W₄	W₅	W₆	W₇	W₈	W₉	W₁₀	W₁₁
W₁

As a result of the elections

D₁
D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂
D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇ Re-elected	D₂₈ Re-elected	D₂₉ Re-elected	D₃₀ Re-elected	D₃₁ Re-elected
Majority →									D₃₂ Hold
KN₁ Gain	FS₁	FS₂	V₁ D Loss	V₂ D Loss	D₃₆ Gain	D₃₅ Gain	D₃₄ Hold	D₃₃ Hold
V₃ W Loss	V₄ W Loss	V₅ W Loss	W₁₈ Gain	W₁₇ Hold	W₁₆ Hold	W₁₅ Re-elected	W₁₄	W₁₃	W₁₂
W₂	W₃	W₄	W₅	W₆	W₇	W₈	W₉	W₁₀	W₁₁
W₁

At the beginning of the next Congress

D₁
D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂
D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈	D₂₉	D₃₀	D₃₁
Majority →									D₃₂
FS₁	V₁	V₂	V₃	V₄	V₅	D₃₅	D₃₄	D₃₃
FS₂	KN₁	W₁₉ Gain	W₁₈	W₁₇	W₁₆	W₁₅	W₁₄	W₁₃	W₁₂
W₂	W₃	W₄	W₅	W₆	W₇	W₈	W₉	W₁₀	W₁₁
W₁

At the beginning of the first session, December 5, 1853

D₁
D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁
D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂
D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆	D₂₇	D₂₈	D₂₉	D₃₀	D₃₁
Majority →									D₃₂
FS₂	V₂	V₂	V₃	D₃₇ Gain	D₃₆ Gain	D₃₅	D₃₄	D₃₃
FS₁	KN₁	W₁₉	W₁₈	W₁₇	W₁₆	W₁₅	W₁₄	W₁₃	W₁₂
W₂	W₃	W₄	W₅	W₆	W₇	W₈	W₉	W₁₀	W₁₁
W₁

Race summaries

Special elections during the 32nd Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1852 or in 1853 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
California (Class 1)	Vacant			Legislature failed to elect. Winner elected January 30, 1852. Democratic gain.	√ John B. Weller (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi (Class 2)	Henry S. Foote	Democratic	1846 or 1847	Incumbent resigned January 8, 1852 to become Governor of Mississippi. Winner elected February 18, 1852. Whig gain. Winner then retired at the end of the term, see below.	√ Walker Brooke (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi (Class 1)	John J. McRae	Democratic	1851 (Appointed)	Interim appointee replaced by an elected successor. Winner elected March 17, 1852. Democratic hold.	√ Stephen Adams (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Connecticut (Class 1)	Vacant			Legislature failed to elect. Winner elected May 12, 1852. Democratic gain.	√ Isaac Toucey (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Kentucky (Class 3)	David Meriwether	Democratic	1852 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired when elected successor qualified. Winner elected September 1, 1852. Whig gain.	√ Archibald Dixon (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
South Carolina (Class 2)	William F. De Saussure	Democratic	1852 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 29, 1852.^[1] Winner was not elected to the next term, see below.	√ William F. De Saussure (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Indiana (Class 3)	Charles W. Cathcart	Democratic	1852 (Appointed)	Incumbent retired when elected successor qualified. Winner elected January 18, 1853. Democratic hold.	√ John Pettit (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Races leading to the 33rd Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1853; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	Jeremiah Clemens	Democratic	1849 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until November 29, 1853, see below.	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Arkansas	William K. Sebastian	Democratic	1848 (Appointed) 1848 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1853.	√ William K. Sebastian (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Delaware	Presley Spruance	Whig	1846 or 1847	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1853. Whig hold.	√ John M. Clayton (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Georgia	Robert M. Charlton	Democratic	1852 (Appointed)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1852. Democratic hold.	√ Robert Toombs (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Illinois	Stephen A. Douglas	Democratic	1846	Incumbent re-elected in 1852.	√ Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Iowa	George W. Jones	Democratic	1848	Incumbent re-elected in 1852.	√ George W. Jones (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Kentucky	Joseph R. Underwood	Whig	1846 or 1847	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1852 or 1853. Know Nothing gain.	√ John B. Thompson (Know Nothing) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Louisiana	Solomon W. Downs	Democratic	1847	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1852. Whig gain.	√ Judah P. Benjamin (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maine	James W. Bradbury	Democratic	1846	Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1854.	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Massachusetts	John Davis	Whig	1835 1841 (Resigned) 1845 (Special) 1847	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1853. Whig hold.	√ Edward Everett (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Michigan	Alpheus Felch	Democratic	1847	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1853. Democratic hold.	√ Charles E. Stuart (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi	Walker Brooke	Whig	1852 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1854.	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Hampshire	John P. Hale	Free Soil	1846	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. President. Winner elected in 1852. Democratic gain.	√ Charles G. Atherton (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Jersey	Jacob W. Miller	Whig	1840 1846	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1852 or 1853. Democratic gain.	√ William Wright (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
North Carolina	Willie Mangum	Whig	1830 1840 (Special) 1841	Incumbent lost re-election. Leglislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1854.	Willie Mangum (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Rhode Island	John Hopkins Clarke	Whig	1846 or 1847	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Leglislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until July 20, 1853, see below.	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
South Carolina	William F. De Saussure	Democratic	1852 (Appointed) 1852 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1852 or 1853. Democratic hold.	√ Josiah J. Evans (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Tennessee	John Bell	Whig	1847	Incumbent re-elected in 1853.	√ Spencer Jarnagin (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Texas	Sam Houston	Democratic	1846 1847	Incumbent re-elected in 1853.	√ Sam Houston (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Virginia	Robert M. T. Hunter	Democratic	1846	Incumbent re-elected in 1852.	√ Robert M. T. Hunter (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Race leading to the 34th Congress

In this general election, the winner was elected for the term beginning March 4, 1855.

This election involved a Class 3 seat.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Kentucky (Class 3)	Archibald Dixon	Whig	1852 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1853, far in advance of the term beginning March 4, 1855. Whig hold.	√ John J. Crittenden (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Elections during the 33rd Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1853 on or after March 4; ordered by date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
New Jersey (Class 1)	Robert F. Stockton	Democratic	1851	Incumbent resigned January 10, 1853 to become president of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company. Winner elected March 4, 1853. Democratic hold.	√ John Renshaw Thomson (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Rhode Island (Class 2)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. Winner elected July 20, 1853. Democratic gain.	√ Philip Allen (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Alabama (Class 2)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. Winner elected November 29, 1853. Democratic gain.	√ Clement Claiborne Clay (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Alabama (Class 3)	Benjamin Fitzpatrick	Democratic	1848 (Appointed) 1849 Elected successor qualified 1853 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected December 12, 1853.^[2]	√ Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Louisiana (Class 3)	Pierre Soulé	Democratic	1847 (Special) 1847 (Left office) 1848	Incumbent resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain. Winner elected December 5, 1853. Democratic hold.	√ John Slidell (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Complete list of races

Alabama

Class 2: Late election

The legislature failed to elect a Senator for the other seat, previously held by Jeremiah Clemens (Democratic). On November 29, 1853, Clement Claiborne Clay (Democratic) was finally elected late to the seat.

Class 3: Special

On December 20, 1852, Senator William R. King (Democratic) resigned due to poor health. On January 14, 1853, Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democratic) was appointed to continue the term, and he was elected December 12, 1853 to finish the term.^[2]

Connecticut

Senate (May 11, 1852)^[3]

House (May 12, 1852)^[4]

√ Isaac Toucey 124
Roger Baldwin 84
Francis Gillette 6
Samuel Ingham 3
S. H. Beardsley 1

Massachusetts

Texas

Virginia

References

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy, ed. "The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992". United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

↑ Byrd, page 164
1 2 Byrd, page 76.
↑ Journal of the Senate of the State of Connecticut, May session 1852, pages 41-42.
↑ "Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Connecticut (May session 1852)". pp. 54, 58.

United States Senate elections

Special elections
Election disputes
Results by state
List of elections in the United States
House elections
Presidential elections
Gubernatorial elections

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