United States Senate elections, 1868 and 1869

United States Senate elections, 1868 and 1869

Dates vary by state (And other dates for special elections)
25 of the 74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 33 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 39 seats 10 seats Seats before 57 9 Seats won 17 5 Seats after 57 9 Seat change Seats up 17 5
Majority Party before election Republican Party Elected Majority Party Republican Party

The United States Senate elections of 1868 and 1869 were elections which had the Republican Party maintain their majority in the United States Senate. However, six former Confederate states were also readmitted separately from the general election, each electing two Republicans. This increased the Republicans' already overwhelming majority to the largest amount of seats ever controlled by the party.

As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 41st Congress (1869–1871)

• Majority Party: Republican (57)
• Minority Party: Democratic (9)
• Other Parties: (0)
• Vacant: (8)
• Total Seats: 74

Change in Senate composition

Beginning of 1868

After the readmission of the Confederate states

Before the elections

After July 16, 1868 readmission of South Carolina.

Result of the elections

Race summaries

Elections during the 40th Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1868 or in 1869 before March 4; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the 41st Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1869; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

Elections during the 41st Congress

There were no elections in 1869 during this Congress after March 4.

Complete list of races

• Delaware interim appointed Senator James A. Bayard, Jr. was elected January 19, 1869 to finish his term.^[1]

New York

The election in New York was held on January 19, 1869 by the New York State Legislature. Republican Edwin D. Morgan had been elected in February 1863 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1869. At the State election in November 1867, 17 Republicans and 15 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1868-1869) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1868, Democrat John T. Hoffman was elected Governor, and 75 Republicans and 53 Democrats were elected for the session of 1869 to the Assembly. The 92nd New York State Legislature met from January 5 to May 11, 1869, at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 16, Assemblyman John H. Selkreg presided. All 92 legislators were present. They nominated Ex-Governor Reuben E. Fenton for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent U.S. Senator Edwin D. Morgan was very keen on his re-election, but was voted down. Speaker Truman G. Younglove had held back the appointments to the standing Assembly committees until after the caucus, and subsequent election, of a U.S. Senator, and was accused by the Morgan men to have made a bargain to favor the Fenton men with appointments after the election was accomplished. After the caucus, comparing notes, the assemblymen discovered that some of the most important committee chairmanships had been promised to a dozen different members by Speaker Younglove.

Note: On the first ballot, 93 votes were cast, one too many, and it was annulled without announcing the result. The above stated result transpired unofficially. The blank vote caused some debate if the result was really invalidated by it, but it was finally agreed to take a second ballot.

The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on January 18. State Senator Henry C. Murphy was again nominated, like in 1867.

In the Assembly, Republicans DeWitt C. Hoyt (Saratoga Co.) and James O. Schoonmaker (Ulster Co.); and Democrats James Irving (NYC), Lawrence D. Kiernan (NYC), Harris B. Howard (Rensselaer Co.), James B. Pearsall (Queens), John Tighe (Albany Co.) and Moses Y. Tilden (Columbia Co.); did not vote.

In the State Senate, Republicans Matthew Hale (16th D.) and Charles Stanford (15th D.); and Democrats Cauldwell, Thomas J. Creamer, Michael Norton (5th D.) and John J. Bradley (7th D.); did not vote.

Reuben E. Fenton was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.

Notes:

• The vote for Ex-Secretary of State Randall was cast by Henry C. Murphy.
• The votes were cast on January 19, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 20 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

Pennsylvania

The election in Pennsylvania was held on January 19, 1869. John Scott was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.^[4] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 19, 1869, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1869. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

See also

• United States elections, 1868
  • United States presidential election, 1868
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1868
• 40th United States Congress
• 41st United States Congress

References

• "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate. 
• 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.). U.S. Government Printing Office. 
• Taft, George S. (1885). "Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1885". United States Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 
• Members of the 41st United States Congress
• Result state election 1867 in The Tribune Almanac for 1868 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
• Result state election 1868 in The Tribune Almanac for 1869 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
• ALBANY.; Caucus of the Republican Members of the Legislature; Reuben E. Fenton Nominated United States Senator in NYT on January 17, 1869
• ALBANY.; Election of United States Senator in NYT on January 20, 1869
• Result New York State Senate in Journal of the Senate (92nd Session) (1869; pg. 58f)
• Result New York Assembly in Journal of the Assembly (92nd Session) (1869; Vol. I, pg. 75f)
• Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project