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1900–01 United States Senate elections

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1900–01 United States Senate elections
← 1898 & 1899 January 16, 1900 –
March 28, 1901		 1902 & 1903 ⊟
30 of the 90 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections)
46 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader William B. Allison James K. Jones
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since March 4, 1897 March 4, 1899
Leader's seat Iowa Arkansas
Seats before 53 27
Seats after 55 29
Seat change Increase 2 Increase 2
Seats up 17 11
Races won 14 13
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Populist Silver Republican
Seats before 4 2
Seats after 2 2
Seat change Decrease 2 Steady
Seats up 1 1
Races won 0 1
  Fifth party
 
Party Silver
Seats before 2
Seats after 2
Seat change Steady
Seats up 0
Races won 0
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold
     Silver Republican gain      Silver Republican hold
     Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election


Republican

Elected Majority Party


Republican

The 1900–01 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with President William McKinley's re-election as well as the 1900 House of Representatives elections. 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 1900 and 1901, 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 2.

Both the Republicans and the Democrats gained two seats at the expense of various third parties and vacancies. Special elections were held to fill vacant seats in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Montana (of which the Republicans won the two former and Democrats the latter) as well as to replace appointees in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Vermont (all of which were carried by the Republicans). Republicans flipped Democratic-held seats in Minnesota, as well as a Populist seat in Nebraska and a Silver Republican held seat in South Dakota. The Silver Republican party kept itself to net neutral gain by flipping a Republican held seat in Idaho. The Democratic party, meanwhile, flipped Republican held seats in Montana and Colorado as well as a Populist held seat in North Carolina.

In Nebraska and Montana's special election, senators were elected shortly after the beginning of the 57th Congress on March 4. In Delaware, the legislature again failed to elect a candidate, leaving both senate seats vacant– the only time a state has gone without representation in the Senate since the first Congress.

Results summary

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Senate party division, 57th Congress (1901–1903)

  • Majority party: Republican (55)
  • Minority party: Democratic (29)
  • Other parties: Populist (2); Silver Republican 2; Vacant 2
  • Total seats: 90

Change in Senate composition

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Before the elections

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At the beginning of 1900.

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5
D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6
D16
Ran 		D17
Ran 		D18
Ran 		D19
Ran 		D20
Ran 		D21
Ran 		D22
Retired 		D23
Retired 		D24
Retired 		D25
Retired
SR2 SR1 S1 S2 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
Ran 		D26
Retired
SR3
Ran 		R51
Retired 		R50
Unknown 		R49
Ran 		R48
Ran 		R47
Ran 		R46
Ran 		R45
Ran 		R44
Ran 		V1
Majority → V2
R36
Ran 		R37
Ran 		R38
Ran 		R39
Ran 		R40
Ran 		R41
Ran 		R42
Ran 		R43
Ran 		V3
R35
Ran 		R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26
R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R25
R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

Result of the general elections

[edit]
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5
D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6
D16
Re-elected 		D17
Re-elected 		D18
Re-elected 		D19
Re-elected 		D20
Re-elected 		D21
Hold 		D22
Hold 		D23
Hold 		D24
Hold 		D25
Hold
SR1 S1 S2 P1 P2 P3 P4 D28
Gain from P 		D27
Gain from R 		D26
Gain from R
SR2 SR3
Gain from R 		R48
Gain from SR 		R47
Re-elected 		R46
Re-elected 		R45
Re-elected 		R44
Hold 		R43
Re-elected 		V5
D Loss 		V1
Majority → V4
R Loss 		V2
R36
Re-elected 		R37
Re-elected 		R38
Re-elected 		R39
Re-elected 		R40
Re-elected 		R41
Re-elected 		R42
Hold 		V3
R35
Re-elected 		R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26
R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R25
R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

Beginning of the next Congress

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D1 D2 D3 D4 D5
D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10
Change from SR 		D9 D8 D7 D6
D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24 D25
R52
Gain from V 		R53
Gain from V 		SR2 SR1 P1 P2 P3 D28 D27 D26
R51
Change from P 		R50
Change from S 		R49
Change from S 		R48 R47 R46 R45 R44 V4
D Loss 		V1
Majority →
R36 R37 R38 R39 R40 R41 R42 R43 V3 V2
R35 R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26
R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R25
R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
Key:
D# Democratic
P# Populist
R# Republican
S# Silver
SR# Silver Republican
V# Vacant

Race summaries

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Elections to the 56th Congress

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In these elections, the winner was seated in the current (56th) Congress during 1900 or in 1901 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Mississippi
(Class 2) 		William V. Sullivan Democratic 1898 (appointed) Interim appointee elected January 16, 1900.
Winner was not a candidate in the election for the next term; see below.
California
(Class 1) 		Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
New senator elected February 7, 1900.
Republican gain.
Vermont
(Class 3) 		Jonathan Ross Republican 1899 (appointed) Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected October 18, 1900.[2]
Republican hold.
Pennsylvania
(Class 1) 		Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.
Predecessor appointed, but declared not entitled to the seat.[4]
Predecessor re-elected January 16, 1901.
Republican gain.
Minnesota
(Class 1) 		Charles A. Towne Democratic 1900 (appointed) Interim appointee lost election.
New senator elected January 23, 1901.
Republican gain.
Utah
(Class 1) 		Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.[2]
New senator elected January 23, 1901.
Republican gain.
Delaware
(Class 1) 		Vacant Legislature had failed to elect to begin the term.
Legislature again failed to elect to finish the term.[8]

Elections to the 57th Congress

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In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1901; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral
history
Alabama John T. Morgan Democratic 1876
1882
1888
1894 		Incumbent re-elected November 27, 1900.[9]
Arkansas James H. Berry Democratic 1885 (special)
1889
1895 		Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1901.[10]
Colorado Edward O. Wolcott Republican 1889
1895 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 15, 1901.[11]
Democratic gain.
Delaware Richard R. Kenney Democratic 1897 (special) Legislature failed to elect.
Democratic loss.
Georgia Augustus O. Bacon Democratic 1894 Incumbent re-elected November 6, 1900.[2]
Idaho George L. Shoup Republican 1890
1895 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 16, 1901.[12][13]
Silver Republican gain.
New senator changed party to Democratic.
Illinois Shelby M. Cullom Republican 1882
1888
1894 		Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1901.[8][14]
Iowa John H. Gear Republican 1894 Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1900.[15][2]
Incumbent died July 14, 1900.[2]
A new senator was appointed to finish the term and to the next term.[2]
Kansas Lucien Baker Republican 1895 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 22, 1901.[17]
Republican hold.
Kentucky William Lindsay Democratic 1882 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 16, 1900, after an election January 10, 1900[2] was cast in doubt.[18]
Democratic hold.
Louisiana Donelson Caffery Democratic 1894 (appointed)
1894 (special)
1894 		Incumbent retired.
New senator elected May 22, 1900.[19]
Democratic hold.
Maine William P. Frye Republican 1881 (special)
1883
1889
1895 		Incumbent re-elected January 15, 1901.[20][21]
Massachusetts George F. Hoar Republican 1877
1883
1889
1895 		Incumbent re-elected January 15, 1901.[6][22]
Michigan James McMillan Republican 1889
1895 		Incumbent re-elected January 15, 1901.[6][23]
Minnesota Knute Nelson Republican 1895 Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1901.[6]
Mississippi William V. Sullivan Democratic 1898 (appointed) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 16, 1900.
Democratic hold.
Winner was not a candidate to finish the term; see above.
Montana Thomas H. Carter Republican 1895 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 16, 1901.[6]
Democratic gain.
The election was later challenged.[2]
Nebraska John M. Thurston Republican 1895 Legislature failed to elect.[26]
Republican loss. 		[data missing]
New Hampshire William E. Chandler Republican 1889 (special)
1895 		Incumbent lost remomination.
New senator elected January 15, 1901.[27][5]
Republican hold.
New Jersey William J. Sewell Republican 1895 Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1901.[5][28]
North Carolina Marion Butler Populist 1894 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 22, 1901.[5][29]
Democratic gain.
Oregon George W. McBride Republican 1895 Incumbent lost renomination.
New senator elected February 24, 1901.[5][30]
Republican hold.
Rhode Island George P. Wetmore Republican 1894 Incumbent re-elected June 12, 1900.[31]
South Carolina Benjamin Tillman Democratic 1894 Incumbent re-elected January 15, 1901.[7][32]
South Dakota Richard F. Pettigrew Silver
Republican 		1889
1894 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 22, 1901.[7][33]
Republican gain.
Tennessee Thomas B. Turley Democratic 1883 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 16, 1901.[7][34]
Democratic hold.
Texas Horace Chilton Democratic 1882 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 22, 1901.[7][35]
Democratic hold.
Virginia Thomas S. Martin Democratic 1893 (early) Incumbent had already been re-elected early December 19, 1899.
West Virginia Stephen B. Elkins Republican 1895 Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1901.[7][36]
Wyoming Francis E. Warren Republican 1890
1893 (lost)
1895 		Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1901.[7]

Early election to the 58th Congress

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In this election, the winner was seated in the 58th Congress, starting March 4, 1903.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Louisiana
(Class 3) 		Samuel D. McEnery Democratic 1896 Incumbent re-elected early May 22, 1900 for the term beginning March 4, 1903.[2][19]

Elections during the 57th Congress

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In these elections, the winners was elected in 1901 after March 4 and seated in the 57th Congress.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Montana
(Class 1) 		Vacant William A. Clark resigned May 15, 1900, and was later elected to the state's other seat; see above.
New senator elected March 7, 1901.[6]
Democratic gain.
Nebraska
(Class 1) 		William V. Allen Populist 1893
1899 (lost)
1899 (appointed) 		Interim appointee lost election as a Fusion candidate.[38]
New senator elected March 28, 1901.[26]
Republican gain.
Nebraska
(Class 2) 		Vacant Legislature had failed to elect; see above.
New senator elected March 28, 1901.[26]
Republican gain.

Pennsylvania (special)

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Main article: 1901 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania

The special election in Pennsylvania was held on January 15, 1901, after the regularly scheduled legislative election in January–April 1899 failed to elect a Senator. Former Senator Matthew Quay, who had left the Senate for nearly two years because of the political stalemate, was again elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.[39][40]

Republican Matthew Quay was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in the 1893 election. With Sen. Quay's term expiring on March 4, 1899, the General Assembly convened on January 18, 1899, to elect a Senator for the next term. Between January 18 and April 19, 1899, seventy-nine ballots were recorded in an attempt to elect a Senator. Instead, the legislature adjourned sine die without electing a Senator due to a dispute between Sen. Quay's political machine and an anti-Quay faction within the Republican Party, along with Democratic Party opposition.[39]

Sen. Quay's term expired on March 4, 1899. Since a Senator had not been elected for the successive term, the seat was vacated. At the time, Quay was under indictment for misuse of funds. He was acquitted, after which Governor William Stone appointed Quay to the vacated Senate seat (a power the Governor did not legally have until the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1913). The Senate refused to recognize Quay's appointment, and the seat remained vacant until a Senator could be officially elected (which would ultimately be Quay himself, after a nearly two-year hiatus). This incident, among others, would later be cited by supporters of the 17th Amendment, which mandated the direct election of U.S. Senators.[39]

The Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on January 15, 1901, for a special election to elect a Senator to serve out the remainder of the term that began on March 4, 1899. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

State Legislature Results[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Matthew Quay 130 51.18
Democratic James M. Guffey 56 22.05
Republican John Dalzell 34 13.39
Republican Charles E. Smith 12 4.72
Republican George Franklin Huff 7 2.76
Republican John Stewart 3 1.18
Socialist John H. Harris 1 0.39
Republican William McConway 1 0.39
Republican Henry C. McCormick 1 0.39
Republican Marlin Olmsted 1 0.39
Prohibition Silas C. Swallow 1 0.39
Republican Charles Tubbs 1 0.39
N/A Not voting 6 2.36
Totals 254 100.00%

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. February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Tribune Almanac (1901), p. 300.
  3. ^ a b Tribune Almanac (1901), pp. 299–300.
  4. ^ a b Tribune Almanac (1901), p. 299.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tribune Almanac (1902), p. 300.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tribune Almanac (1902), p. 298.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Tribune Almanac (1902), p. 301.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Tribune Almanac (1902), p. 297.
  9. ^ "Senator morgan re-elected". The New York Times. November 28, 1900. p. 7.
  10. ^ a b "Another Term for Berry of Arkansas". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  11. ^ a b "Patterson wins in colorado". The New York Times. January 16, 1901. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Dubois lands the prize". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. January 16, 1901. p. 1.
  13. ^ "Dubois chosen on first ballot". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. January 16, 1901. p. 1.
  14. ^ "Cullom of Illinois Succeeds Himself". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  15. ^ a b Clark, p. 245.
  16. ^ A different source tallied the results with an additional vote for both Gear and White.[2]
  17. ^ "J.R. Burton the Choice in Kansas". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  18. ^ "Blackburn's Election Duplicated". The New York Times. January 17, 1900. p. 2.
  19. ^ a b "Louisiana Senators Elected". The New York Times. May 23, 1900. p. 2.
  20. ^ a b Tribune Almanac (1902), pp. 297–298.
  21. ^ a b "Frye Wins Out in Maine". The New York Times. January 16, 1901. p. 3.
  22. ^ a b "Democrats Help Re-elect Hoar". The New York Times. January 16, 1901. p. 3.
  23. ^ a b "McMillan of Michigan Re-elected". The New York Times. January 16, 1901. p. 3.
  24. ^ Tribune Almanac (1902), p. 299.
  25. ^ "W.A. CLARK AGAIN A SENATOR.; Montana Legislature Elects Him on the First Ballot -- He Buys All the Wine in Helena". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  26. ^ a b c d e Tribune Almanac (1902), pp. 299–300.
  27. ^ a b "Burnham Is New Hampshire's Choice". The New York Times. January 16, 1901. p. 3.
  28. ^ a b "Senator sewell re-elected". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  29. ^ "North Carolina Elects a Democrat". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  30. ^ a b "Oregon elects a senator". The New York Times. February 25, 1901. p. 1.
  31. ^ "Senator wetmore re-elected". The New York Times. June 13, 1900. p. 2.
  32. ^ "Tillman South Carolina's Choice". The New York Times. January 24, 1901. p. 5.
  33. ^ a b "R.J. Gamble Succeeds Pettigrew". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  34. ^ "Tennessee Elects Carmack". The New York Times. January 17, 1901. p. 2.
  35. ^ a b "Bailey a Senator from Texas". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  36. ^ "Elkins Re-elected in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  37. ^ "Warren Wins in Wyoming". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  38. ^ a b c d "Fusion" here meant Democratic.Tribune Almanac (1902), pp. 299–300
  39. ^ a b c "U.S. Senate Election - 1899" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  40. ^ a b "U.S. Senate Election - 15 January 1901" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 23, 2012.

References

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