1855 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

none related races 1854–55 United States Senate elections March 2026 January 2025 January 2025 1855 United States Senate election in Wisconsin Wisconsin presidential no 1849 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 1849 1861 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 1861 January 30, 1855February 1, 1855 Legislative x150px Charles Durkee portrait.jpg Charles Durkee Republican Party (United States) 54 50.47% Byron Kilbourn photo.jpg Byron Kilbourn Democratic Party (United States) 39 36.45% Others 14 13.08% U.S. Senator Isaac P. Walker Democratic Party (United States) Charles Durkee Republican Party (United States) The 1855 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held in the 8th Wisconsin Legislature between January 30, 1855, and February 1, 1855. Incumbent Democratic U.S. senator Isaac P. Walker did not run for re-election. Former U.S. representative Charles Durkee was elected United States senator on the eighth ballot, and became the first Republican U.S. senator from Wisconsin. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082089511 Journal of the Senate of Wisconsin 1855 Wisconsin Legislature 120–152 November 26, 2024 This was the first U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin after the creation of the Republican Party. Republicans held a majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly, with 44 of 82 seats; Democrats held a narrow majority in the Wisconsin Senate, with 13 of 25 seats. As the Republican Party was a new creation, party loyalties were still in flux, with several members of the legislature not officially aligned with either major party. With 44 seats in the Assembly and 11 seats in the Senate, Republicans technically held a bare majority of the total legislator votes, but they struggled for three days to unify behind their candidate. Durkee ultimately received 53 of the 55 votes of Republican legislators. The two holdouts who did not vote for Durkee were representatives Joseph Schrage of Sheboygan County and Mitchell L. Delaney of Washington County. To secure the necessary 54 votes, Durkee won the vote of independent (later Republican) Alexander Randall. Major candidates Democratic Byron Kilbourn, one of the founders of Milwaukee and a former mayor of the city. Harrison Carroll Hobart, former state senator and former speaker of the state Assembly. Morgan Lewis Martin, state representative and former delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Wisconsin Territory. Republican Charles Durkee, former U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. James Duane Doty, former governor of the Wisconsin Territory, former U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. Results Votes on January 30, 1855 The legislature met in joint session on January 30 and took three votes in succession to try to pick a U.S. senator. 1st Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, January 30, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 50 47.62% Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 18 17.14% Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 10 9.52% Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 5 4.76% Democratic Party (United States) Edward G. Ryan 5 4.76% Democratic Party (United States) Morgan Lewis Martin 3 2.86% Republican Party (United States) Edward D. Holton 2 1.90% Republican Party (United States) James T. Lewis 2 1.90% Democratic Party (United States) William Pitt Lynde 2 1.90% Republican Party (United States) Marshall Strong 2 1.90% Henry S. Baird 1 0.95% John A. Brown 1 0.95% Democratic Party (United States) Stephen A. Douglas 1 0.95% Democratic Party (United States) Abram D. Smith 1 0.95% John Y. Smith 1 0.95% Frank H. Waite 1 0.95% Absent or not voting 2 53 50.48% 105 98.13% 2nd Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, January 30, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 49 46.67% -1 Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 22 20.95% +4 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 9 8.57% -1 Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 6 5.71% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Edward G. Ryan 3 2.86% -2 Democratic Party (United States) David Agry 2 1.90% +2 Republican Party (United States) Edward D. Holton 2 1.90% John H. Lathrop 2 1.90% +2 Democratic Party (United States) Morgan Lewis Martin 2 1.90% -1 Republican Party (United States) Marshall Strong 2 1.90% Republican Party (United States) James T. Lewis 1 0.95% -1 Democratic Party (United States) William Pitt Lynde 1 0.95% -1 Democratic Party (United States) Abram D. Smith 1 0.95% John Y. Smith 1 0.95% John H. Vance 1 0.95% +1 Frank H. Waite 1 0.95% Absent or not voting 2 53 50.48% 105 98.13% 3rd Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, January 30, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 45 42.86% -4 Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 20 19.05% -2 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 12 11.43% +3 Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 6 5.71% John H. Lathrop 6 5.71% +4 Democratic Party (United States) Eleazer Wakeley 3 2.86% +3 Republican Party (United States) Edward D. Holton 2 1.90% Republican Party (United States) James T. Lewis 2 1.90% +1 Republican Party (United States) Marshall Strong 2 1.90% Democratic Party (United States) Charles Dunn 1 0.95% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Morgan Lewis Martin 1 0.95% -1 Democratic Party (United States) William Pitt Lynde 1 0.95% Democratic Party (United States) Edward G. Ryan 1 0.95% -2 Democratic Party (United States) Abram D. Smith 1 0.95% John H. Vance 1 0.95% Frank H. Waite 1 0.95% Absent or not voting 2 53 50.48% 105 98.13% No person securing the majority, the convention voted to adjourn until 11am the following day. Votes on January 31, 1855 The legislature re-convened in joint session on Wednesday, January 31, and took three more votes for U.S. senator. 4th Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, January 31, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 50 47.17% +5 Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 15 14.15% -5 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 11 10.38% -1 Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 5 4.72% -1 Democratic Party (United States) Eleazer Wakeley 5 4.72% +2 Democratic Party (United States) William Pitt Lynde 3 2.83% +2 Democratic Party (United States) Solomon Juneau 2 1.89% +2 John H. Lathrop 2 1.89% -4 Republican Party (United States) Marshall Strong 2 1.89% Henry S. Baird 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Gabriel Bouck 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Samuel Crawford 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) William M. Dennis 1 0.94% +1 Albert W. Emery 1 0.94% +1 Republican Party (United States) Edward D. Holton 1 0.94% -1 Jerome Lalor 1 0.94% +1 Republican Party (United States) James T. Lewis 1 0.94% -1 Republican Party (United States) Walter D. McIndoe 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) William Rudolph Smith 1 0.94% +1 Frank H. Waite 1 0.94% Absent or not voting 1 54 50.94% 106 99.07% 5th Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, January 31, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 50 47.17% Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 14 13.21% -1 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 13 12.26% +2 Democratic Party (United States) Eleazer Wakeley 6 5.66% +1 Democratic Party (United States) William Pitt Lynde 3 2.83% Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 2 1.89% -3 John H. Lathrop 2 1.89% Republican Party (United States) Marshall Strong 2 1.89% Democratic Party (United States) David Agry 1 0.94% +1 Henry S. Baird 1 0.94% Democratic Party (United States) William A. Barstow 1 0.94% +1 E. B. Bowen 1 0.94% +1 William W. Brown 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Nelson Dewey 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Charles Dunn 1 0.94% +1 Albert W. Emery 1 0.94% Republican Party (United States) Edward D. Holton 1 0.94% Democratic Party (United States) Daniel Howell 1 0.94% +1 H. K. Laughlin 1 0.94% +1 General McManman 1 0.94% +1 Frank H. Waite 1 0.94% Absent or not voting 1 54 50.94% 106 99.07% 6th Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, January 31, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 51 48.11% +1 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 14 13.21% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 12 11.32% -2 Democratic Party (United States) Eleazer Wakeley 10 9.43% +4 Democratic Party (United States) Morgan Lewis Martin 3 2.83% +3 Democratic Party (United States) Charles Dunn 2 1.89% +1 John H. Lathrop 2 1.89% Democratic Party (United States) William Pitt Lynde 2 1.89% -1 Republican Party (United States) Marshall Strong 2 1.89% Henry S. Baird 1 0.94% Republican Party (United States) William H. Ebbets 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Charles A. Eldredge 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 1 0.94% -1 Republican Party (United States) Edward D. Holton 1 0.94% Democratic Party (United States) William Hull 1 0.94% +1 Republican Party (United States) James T. Lewis 1 0.94% +1 Frank H. Waite 1 0.94% Absent or not voting 1 54 50.94% 106 99.07% No person securing the majority, the convention voted to adjourn until 3pm the following day. Votes on February 1, 1855 The legislature re-convened in joint session on Thursday, February 1, and took two more votes for U.S. senator, finally achieving a majority on the 2nd vote of the day, the 8th ballot overall. 7th Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, February 1, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 53 50.00% +2 Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 38 35.85% +26 John H. Lathrop 4 3.77% +2 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 2 1.89% -12 Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 2 1.89% +1 Democratic Party (United States) David Agry 1 0.94% +1 Henry S. Baird 1 0.94% Democratic Party (United States) James S. Brown 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Charles Dunn 1 0.94% -1 Joseph Pierce 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Edward G. Ryan 1 0.94% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Abram D. Smith 1 0.94% +1 Absent or not voting 1 54 50.94% 106 99.07% 8th Vote of the 8th Wisconsin Legislature, February 1, 1855 Republican Party (United States) Charles Durkee 54 50.47% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Byron Kilbourn 39 35.45% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Charles Dunn 5 4.67% +4 Republican Party (United States) James Duane Doty 4 3.74% Democratic Party (United States) David Agry 2 1.87% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Harrison Carroll Hobart 2 1.87% Republican Party (United States) James McMillan Shafter 1 0.93% +1 54 50.47% 107 100.0% Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) Charles Durkee, having received a majority of the 107 votes of the legislature, was declared elected U.S. senator. See also 1854–55 United States Senate elections References 1855 Wisconsin United States Senate