United States Senate elections, 1820 and 1821
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15 of the 46 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 24 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Senate elections of 1820 and 1821 were elections for the United States Senate that, corresponding with James Monroe's landslide re-election, had the Democratic-Republican Party gain seven seats, assuming almost complete control of the Senate.
As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.
Results summary
Senate Party Division, 17th Congress (1821–1823)
- Majority Party: Democratic-Republican (39–43)
- Minority Party: Federalist (4)
- Vacant: (3–1)
- Total Seats: 46–48
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
Composition after the June 13 & 14, 1820 elections in Maine.
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Notes:
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Beginning of the next Congress
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Notes:
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Key: |
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Race summaries
Bold states link to specific election articles.
Special elections during the preceding Congress
In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1820 or before March 4, 1821; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
New York Class 3 |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect in 1818/1819. Previous incumbent was elected January 8, 1820. Federalist gain. |
√ Rufus King (Federalist) Unanimous | ||
Massachusetts Class 1 |
Prentiss Mellen | Federalist | 1820 (Special) | Incumbent resigned to become Chief Justice of Maine. Winner elected June 12, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Federalist hold. |
√ Elijah H. Mills (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Maine Class 1 |
New state | Winner elected June 13, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ John Holmes (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Maine Class 2 |
New state | Winner elected June 14, 1820. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ John Chandler (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Mississippi Class 1 |
Walter Leake | Democratic- Republican |
1817 | Incumbent resigned May 15, 1820. Winner elected August 30, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Democratic-Republican hold. |
√ David Holmes (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Kentucky Class 3 |
William Logan | Democratic- Republican |
1818 or 1819 | Incumbent resigned May 28, 1820 to run for Governor of Kentucky. Winner elected October 19, 1820. Democratic-Republican hold. |
√ Isham Talbot (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Rhode Island Class 2 |
James Burrill, Jr. | Federalist | 1816 or 1817 | Incumbent died December 25, 1820. Winner elected January 9, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ Nehemiah R. Knight (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Races leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1821; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Connecticut | Samuel Dana | Federalist | 1810 (Special) 1814 |
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected March 4, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ Elijah Boardman (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Delaware | Outerbridge Horsey | Federalist | 1810 (Special) 1814 |
Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Federalist loss. A Democratic-Republican was later elected in 1822. |
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Indiana | James Noble | Democratic- Republican |
1816 | Incumbent re-elected in 1821. | √ James Noble (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Maine | John Holmes | Democratic- Republican |
1820 | Incumbent re-elected in 1820. | √ John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Maryland | William Pinkney | Democratic- Republican |
1819 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. | √ William Pinkney (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Massachusetts | Elijah H. Mills | Federalist | 1820 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. | √ Elijah H. Mills (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Mississippi | David Holmes | Democratic- Republican |
1820 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. | √ David Holmes (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
New Jersey | James J. Wilson | Democratic- Republican |
1814 or 1815 | Incumbent lost re-election, then resigned January 8, 1821. New senator elected November 11, 1820.[1] Democratic-Republican hold. |
√ Samuel L. Southard (Democratic-Republican) 30[1] James J. Wilson (Democratic-Republican) 24[1] |
New York | Nathan Sanford | Democratic- Republican |
1809 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected February 6, 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. |
√ Martin Van Buren (Democratic-Republican) Nathan Sanford (Democratic-Republican) |
Ohio | Benjamin Ruggles | Democratic- Republican |
1815 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. |
√ Benjamin Ruggles (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Pennsylvania | Jonathan Roberts | Democratic- Republican |
1814 (Special) 1814 |
Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. New senator would later be elected in 1821. |
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Rhode Island | William Hunter | Federalist | 1811 (Special) 1814 |
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1820 or 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ James DeWolf (Federalist) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Tennessee | John H. Eaton | Democratic- Republican |
1818 (Appointed) 1819 (Special) |
Legislature failed to elect Democratic-Republican loss. New senator would later be elected September 27, 1821, see below.[2] |
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Vermont | Isaac Tichenor | Federalist | 1796 1796 1797 (Resigned) 1814 or 1815 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ Horatio Seymour (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Virginia | James Barbour | Democratic- Republican |
1815 (Special) 1815 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1821. | √ James Barbour (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Special elections during the next Congress
In this special election, the winner was elected in 1821 after March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Missouri Class 1 |
New state | Winner elected August 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ Thomas H. Benton (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Missouri Class 3 |
New state | Winner elected August 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ David Barton (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Tennessee Class 1 |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. Winner re-elected late September 27, 1821.[2] Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ John H. Eaton (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Georgia Class 1 |
Freeman Walker | Democratic- Republican |
1819 (Special) | Incumbent resigned August 6, 1821. Winner elected November 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. |
√ Nicholas Ware (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Pennsylvania Class 1 |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. Winner elected December 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
√ William Findlay (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
See also
- United States elections, 1820
- 16th United States Congress
- 17th United States Congress
- Elections in the United States
References
- 1 2 3 "New Jersey 1820 U.S. Senate". A New Nation Votes. Tufts University Digital Collections and Archives. November 11, 1820. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- 1 2 "EATON, John Henry, (1790 - 1856)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- 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.