United States Senate elections, 1860 and 1861

United States Senate elections, 1860 and 1861

Various dates
22 of the 66 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 34 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 38 seats 25 seats Seats before 38 26 Seats won 30 29 Seat change 8 3 Seats up 14 7   Third party   Party Know Nothing Last election 2 seats Seats before 2 Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Seats up 1
Majority Party before election Democratic Party Elected Majority Party Democratic Party

The United States Senate elections of 1860 and 1861 were elections corresponding with Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency. The nascent Republican Party increased their Senate seats in the general elections, and after southern Democrats withdrew to join the Confederacy, Republicans gained control of the United States Senate. To establish a quorum with fewer members, a lower total seat number was taken into account.

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

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 37th Congress (1861–1863)

• Majority Party: Republican (29), later rose to 30
• Minority Party: Democratic (30), later dropped to 14
• Other Parties: Unionist (1), later rose to 4
• Vacant: (8), later rose to 20
• Total Seats: 68

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the October 2, 1860 special election in Oregon.

As a result of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress

End of 1861

Race summaries

Special elections during the 36th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1860 or in 1861 before March 4; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the 37th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1861; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

Elections during the 37th Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1861 after March 4.

Complete list of races

New York

The New York election was held February 5, 1861.

Whig William H. Seward had been re-elected in February 1855 to this seat, had become a Republican upon the foundation of that party in September 1855, and his term would expire on March 3, 1861. Seward did not seek re-election, instead being certain to be appointed to an office in the incoming Lincoln administration.

At the State election in November 1859, 23 Republicans and 9 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1860-1861) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1860, 93 Republicans and 35 Democrats were elected to the Assembly for the session of 1861. The 84th New York State Legislature met from January 1 to April 16, 1861, at Albany, New York.

Ira Harris was the candidate of the Republican Party. Harris had been a Whig assemblyman in 1845 and 1846, and a justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1847 to 1859.

Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour (in office 1853-1854) was the candidate of the Democratic Party.

Both in the Assembly and the Senate a strict party vote confirmed the caucus selections.

In the Assembly 119 votes were given. Republicans Smith Anthony (Cayuga Co.), Martin Finch (Essex Co.), Henry A. Prendergast (Chautauqua Co.), Victor M. Rice (Erie Co.) and Perez H. Field (Ontario Co.); and Democrats Luke F. Cozans (NYC), Benjamin H. Long (Erie Co.), N. Holmes Odell (Westchester Co.) and Christian B. Woodruff (NYC); did not vote.

In the State Senate, 31 votes were given. William H. Ferry (Rep., 19th D.) was absent.

Ira Harris was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

Pennsylvania

General class 3: January 8, 1861

The general election in Pennsylvania was held January 8, 1861. Edgar Cowan was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.^[1]

Incumbent Democrat William Bigler, who was elected in 1856, was not a candidate for re-election to another term. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 8, 1861, to elect a new Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1861. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

Special class 1: March 14, 1861

A special election was held in Pennsylvania on March 14, 1861. David Wilmot was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.^[2]

The Republican Simon Cameron was elected to the United States Senate by the General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in January 1857. Sen. Cameron resigned on March 4, 1861, to become United States Secretary of War in the Abraham Lincoln administration, vacating the seat.^[3]

Following the resignation of Sen. Simon Cameron, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on March 14, 1861, to elect a new Senator to fill the vacancy. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

See also

• United States elections, 1860
  • United States presidential election, 1860
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1860
• 36th United States Congress
• 37th United States Congress

References

• Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner, 1867 (see pg. 568 for U. S. Senators; pg. 442 for State Senators 1861; pg. 492ff for Members of Assembly 1861)
• Result NY state election 1859 in The Tribune Almanac for 1860 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
• Result NY state election 1860 in The Tribune Almanac for 1861 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
• FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.; Election of United States Senator in NYT on February 6, 1861
• Result, NY State Senate: Journal of the Senate (84th Session) (1861; pg. 137)
• Result, NY Assembly: Journal of the Assembly (84th Session) (1861; pg. 247f)
• Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project.