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1848–49 United States Senate elections

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1848–49 United States Senate elections
← 1846 & 1847 Various dates 1850 & 1851 ⊟
19 of the 60 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
31 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Whig
Last election 35 seats 19 seats
Seats before 38 21
Seats won 9 9
Seats after 33 25
Seat change Decrease 5 Increase 4
Seats up 14 5
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Independent Democratic Free Soil
Last election 1 seat
Seats before 0 New party
Seats won 0 1
Seats after 1 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1
Seats up 0
Results:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Whig gain      Whig hold
     Free Soil Gain
Majority Party before election


Democratic

Elected Majority Party


Democratic

The 1848–49 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. 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 1848 and 1849, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

The Democratic Party lost seats but maintained control of the Senate.

Results

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Senate party division, 31st Congress (1849–1851)

  • Majority party: Democratic (33–36)
  • Minority party: Whig Party (25–24)
  • Other parties: Free Soil (2)
  • Total seats: 60–62

Change in Senate composition

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Before the elections

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D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11
D21 D22 D23 D24 D25
Ran 		D26
Ran 		D27
Ran 		D28
Ran 		D29
Ran 		D30
Ran
Majority → D31
Ran
W21
Unknown 		ID1 D38
Retired 		D37
Retired 		D36
Retired 		D35
Retired 		D34
Unknown 		D33
Ran 		D32
Ran
W20
Ran 		W19
Ran 		W18
Ran 		W17
Ran 		W16 W15 W14 W13 W12 W11
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10

As a result of the elections

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D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11
D21 D22 D23 D24 D25
Re-elected 		D26
Re-elected 		D27
Re-elected 		D28
Re-elected 		D29
Re-elected 		D30
Hold
Majority → D31
Hold
W21
Gain 		W22
Gain 		W23
Gain 		W24
Gain 		W25
Gain 		ID1 FS1
Gain 		D33
Gain 		D32
Hold
W20
Hold 		W19
Re-elected 		W18
Re-elected 		W17
Re-elected 		W16 W15 W14 W13 W12 W11
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10

Note: "Re-elected" includes incumbent appointee elected to the next term.

Beginning of the next Congress

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D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11
D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30
Majority → D31
W21 W22 W23 W24 W25 FS2 FS1 D33 D32
W20 W19 W18 W17 W16 W15 W14 W13 W12 W11
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10
Key:
D# Democratic
ID# Independent Democratic
FS# Free Soil
W# Whig
V# Vacant

Race summaries

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Special elections during the 30th Congress

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In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1848 or in 1849 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Mississippi
(Class 1) 		Jefferson Davis Democratic 1847 (appointed) Interim appointee elected January 11, 1848.[2]
Connecticut
(Class 1) 		Roger S. Baldwin Whig 1847 (appointed) Interim appointee elected in May 1848.
Maine
(Class 1) 		Wyman B. S. Moor Democratic 1848 (appointed) Interim appointee retired when successor elected June 7, 1848.
Democratic hold.
Wisconsin
(Class 1) 		None (new state) Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848.
Senator elected June 8, 1848.
Democratic gain.
Wisconsin
(Class 3) 		Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848.
Senator elected June 8, 1848.
Democratic gain.
Alabama
(Class 3) 		Arthur P. Bagby Democratic 1841 (special)
1842 		Incumbent resigned June 16, 1848 to become U.S. Minister to Russia.
New senator elected July 1, 1848.
Democratic hold.
Arkansas
(Class 2) 		William K. Sebastian Democratic 1848 (appointed) Interim appointee elected November 17, 1848.[3]
Iowa
(Class 2) 		None (new state) Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846.
Legislature had failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required 30 votes.[4]
Senator elected December 7, 1848.
Democratic gain.
Iowa
(Class 3) 		Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846.
Legislature had failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required 30 votes.[4]
Senator elected December 7, 1848.
Democratic gain.
Kentucky
(Class 3) 		Thomas Metcalfe Whig 1848 (appointed) Interim appointee elected January 3, 1849.[5]
Michigan
(Class 1) 		Thomas Fitzgerald Democratic 1848 (appointed) Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected January 20, 1849, but did not take his seat until March 4, 1849.
Democratic hold.
Delaware
(Class 1) 		John M. Clayton Whig 1829
1835 		Incumbent resigned February 23, 1849 to become U.S. Secretary of State.
New senator elected February 23, 1849.
Whig hold.

Races leading to the 31st Congress

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In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1849; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Alabama William R. King Democratic 1848 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1848 or 1849.
Arkansas Solon Borland Democratic 1848 (appointed) Incumbent appointee elected to a full term in November 1848.[7]
Connecticut John M. Niles Democratic 1842 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1848 or 1849.
Whig gain.
Florida James Westcott Democratic 1845 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1848.
Whig gain.
Georgia Herschel V. Johnson Democratic 1848 (appointed) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1847.[8]
Whig gain.
Illinois Sidney Breese Democratic 1843 Incumbent lost renomination.
New senator elected January 13, 1849.
Democratic hold.
Indiana Edward A. Hannegan Democratic 1842 Incumbent lost renomination.
New senator elected in 1848.
Democratic hold.
Kentucky Thomas Metcalfe Whig 1848 (appointed)
? (special) 		Incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected February 1, 1849.
Whig hold.
Louisiana Henry Johnson Whig 1844 (special) Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1848.
Democratic gain.
Maryland James Pearce Whig 1843 Incumbent re-elected in 1849.
Missouri David Rice Atchison Democratic 1843 (appointed)
1843 (special) 		Incumbent re-elected in 1849.
New Hampshire Charles G. Atherton Democratic 1843 (special) Incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1848 or 1849.
Democratic hold.
New York John Adams Dix Democratic 1845 (special) Incumbent lost re-election as a Free Soiler.
New senator elected February 6, 1849.
Whig gain.
North Carolina George Badger Whig 1846 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1849.
Ohio William Allen Democratic 1837
1842 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1849.
Free Soil gain.
Pennsylvania Simon Cameron Democratic 1845 (special) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 10, 1849.
Whig gain.
South Carolina Andrew Butler Democratic 1846 (appointed)
? (special) 		Incumbent re-elected in 1848.
Vermont William Upham Whig 1843 Incumbent re-elected in 1848.
Wisconsin Isaac P. Walker Democratic 1848 Incumbent re-elected in 1849.

Elections during the 31st Congress

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In these elections, the winners were elected in 1849 after March 4.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Illinois
(Class 3) 		James Shields Democratic 1848 or 1849 Senate voided election March 15, 1849, as incumbent had not been a U.S. citizen long enough as required by the U.S. Constitution.
Incumbent was re-elected October 27, 1849, having by then qualified.
Democratic hold.
Alabama
(Class 2) 		Benjamin Fitzpatrick Democratic 1848 (appointed) Interim appointee retired when successor elected or lost election to finish the term.
New senator elected November 30, 1849.
Democratic hold.
California
(Class 1) 		None (new state) California admitted as a state on September 9, 1850.
Senator elected December 20, 1849 and seated upon statehood.
Democratic gain.
California
(Class 3) 		California admitted as a state on September 9, 1850.
Senator elected December 20, 1849 and seated upon statehood.
Democratic gain.

Individual elections

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Maryland

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See also: List of United States senators from Maryland
1849 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 1844 December 1849 1850 ⊟
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
Candidate David Stewart
Party Democratic
Legislative vote -
Percentage -%
1849 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 1843 January 1849 1855 ⊟
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
Candidate James Pearce
Party Whig
Legislative vote -
Percentage -%

Reverdy Johnson won election in 1844 but retired to become the United States Attorney General. In order to fill his seat, David Stewart was elected by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.[10]

James Pearce won re-election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.[11]

New York

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Main article: United States Senate election in New York, 1849

The New York election was held February 6, 1849. Barnburner John Adams Dix had been elected in 1845 to this seat after the resignation of Silas Wright, and Dix's term would expire on March 3, 1849. In November 1848, Dix was the Barnburners/Free-Soilers candidate for Governor of New York, but was defeated by Whig Hamilton Fish.

At this time New York Democratic Party was split in two fiercely opposing factions: the Barnburners" and the "Hunkers". The Barnburners organized the Free Soil Party in 1848 and nominated Martin Van Buren for U.S. President. Due to the split, the Whig Party won most of the elective offices by pluralities.

At the State election in November 1847, 24 Whigs and 8 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1848–1849) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1848, 106 Whigs, 15 Free Soilers and 7 Hunkers were elected to the Assembly for the session of 1849. The 72nd New York State Legislature met from January 2 to April 11, 1849, at Albany, New York.

Ex-Governor of New York William H. Seward was nominated by a caucus of Whig State legislators on February 1, 1849. The vote was 88 for Seward, 12 for John A. Collier, 18 scattering and 4 blanks. The incumbent U.S. Senator John Adams Dix ran for re-election supported by the Free Soilers. Ex-Chancellor Reuben H. Walworth was the candidate of the Hunkers. Walworth had been third place in the last gubernatorial election, behind Fish and Dix. Ex-Congressman Daniel D. Barnard (Whig) received 2 scattering votes in the Senate. William H. Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

House Whig Free Soil Dem./Hunker also ran
State Senate (32 members) William H. Seward 19 John Adams Dix 6 Reuben H. Walworth 2 Daniel D. Barnard 2
State Assembly (128 members) William H. Seward 102 John Adams Dix 15 Reuben H. Walworth 7

Ohio

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Main article: United States Senate election in Ohio, 1849

The two houses of the Ohio General Assembly met in joint session February 22, 1849, with 72 representatives and 35 senators present to elect a Senator (Class 3) to succeed incumbent William Allen. On the fourth ballot, Salmon P. Chase was elected with a majority of the votes cast, as follows:[12]

Ballot William Allen Thomas Ewing Joshua Reed Giddings Salmon P. Chase Reuben Hitchcock Emery D. Potter David T. Disney John C. Vaughn blank ballots total votes cast
1 27 41 9 14 1 2 1 0 11 106
2 1 41 8 52 0 0 0 0 4 108
3 0 39 9 53 0 0 0 2 2 105
4 0 39 11 55 0 0 0 1 0 106

The second ballot was declared a nullity by Speaker of the Senate Brewster Randall, because there were one more ballots cast than members present.

Pennsylvania

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Main article: United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1849

The Pennsylvania election was held January 10, 1849. James Cooper was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[13]

Incumbent Democrat Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1845, 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 10, 1849, to elect a new Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1849. Three ballots were recorded. The results of the third and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:

State Legislature Results[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig James Cooper 66 49.62
Democratic Richard Brodhead 62 46.62
Free Soil Thaddeus Stevens 3 2.26
N/A Not voting 2 1.50
Totals 133 100.00%

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. 8 February 2022.
  2. ^ Byrd, p. 129.
  3. ^ Byrd, p. 164.
  4. ^ a b Clark, pp. 17–46, 72–79.
  5. ^ Byrd, p. 112.
  6. ^ Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, begun and held in the Town of Frankfort, on Saturday 30th December 1848. Frankfort, KY: A. G. Hodges & Co, State Printers. 1848. p. 26.
  7. ^ a b "Encyclopedia of Arkansas".
  8. ^ "Stryker's American Register and Magazine". 1849.
  9. ^ Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, begun and held in the Town of Frankfort, on Saturday 30th December 1848. Frankfort, KY: A. G. Hodges & Co, State Printers. 1848. p. 170.
  10. ^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Dec 00, 1849". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1849". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  12. ^ Taylor, William Alexander; Taylor, Aubrey Clarence (1899). Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 ... State of Ohio. p. 232.
  13. ^ a b "U.S. Senate Election - 10 January 1849" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved 22 December 2013.

References

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