1880–81 United States Senate elections

none March 2026 June 2016 1880–81 United States Senate elections United States 1877 legislative no 1878–79 United States Senate elections 1878 & 1879 1882–83 United States Senate elections 1882 & 1883 Class 1 1874–75 United States Senate elections 1874 & 1875 1886–87 United States Senate elections 1886 & 1887 25 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 39 Dates vary by state(And other dates for special elections) Seats up x180px Republican Party (US) Henry B. Anthony as Republican Conference Chair Henry B. Anthony - Brady-Handy.jpg March 4, 1863 Rhode Island 32 15 37 + VPThe Readjuster caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. 5 10 Democratic Party (US) William A. Wallace as Democratic Caucus Chair(Lost re-election) William A. Wallace - Brady-Handy.jpg March 4, 1877 Pennsylvania 42 9 37 5 14 Readjuster Party 0 1 1 1 0 Independent (US) 1 0 1 0 Anti-Monopoly Party (United States) 1 0 0 1 1 Majority Party Democratic Party (US) Republican 380px Results of the elections:#0671B0 Democratic gain #92C5DE Democratic hold#CA0120 Republican gain #F48882 Republican hold#00cafeff Readjuster gain The 1880–81 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the presidential election of 1880. 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 1880 and 1881, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/17th-amendment 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913) National Archives and Records Administration February 8, 2022 In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1. The Democratic Party lost five seats. The newly elected Readjuster senator William Mahone caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. This changed when Vice President Chester Arthur ascended to the Presidency on September 19, 1881: with the Vice Presidency vacant during the remainder of Arthur's term, the Senate became evenly divided for the first of four times in history. Results summary Senate party division, 47th Congress (1881–1883) Majority party: Republican (37) Minority party: Democratic (37) Other parties: Independent (1); Readjuster (1) Total seats: 76 Change in Senate composition Before the elections D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19 D29Ran D30Ran D31Ran D32Ran D33Ran D34Ran D35Ran D36Ran D37Ran D38Ran Majority → D39Unknown R29Unknown R30Retired R31Retired R32Retired AM1Retired I1 D42Retired D41Unknown D40Unknown R28Unknown R27Ran R26Ran R25Ran R24Ran R23Ran R22 R21 R20 R19 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1 After the elections D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19 D29Re-elected D30Re-elected D31Re-elected D33Re-elected D33Hold D34Hold D35Hold D36Gain D37Gain I1 Plurality ↓ RA1Gain R29Hold R30Hold R31Gain R32Gain R33Gain R34Gain R35Gain R36Gain R37Gain R28Hold R27Hold R26Re-elected R25Re-elected R24Re-elected R23Re-elected R22 R21 R20 R19 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1 Key: AM# Anti-Monopoly Party D# Democratic I# Independent RA# Readjuster R# Republican V# Vacant Race summaries Elections during the 46th Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1880 or in 1881 before March 4; ordered by election date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Georgia(Class 3) John B. Gordon Democratic 18731879 Incumbent resigned to promote a venture for the Georgia Pacific Railway.New senator elected May 26, 1880.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Joseph E. Brown (Democratic) February 2020 Alabama(Class 3) Luke Pryor Democratic 1880 (appointed) Interim appointee retired or lost election.New senator elected November 23, 1880.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) James L. Pugh (Democratic) February 2020 Michigan(Class 1) Henry P. Baldwin Republican 1879 (appointed) Interim appointee elected January 19, 1881. Republican Party (US) Henry P. Baldwin (Republican) February 2020 Races leading to the 47th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1881; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California Newton Booth Anti-Monopoly 1874 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1880.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) John F. Miller (Republican) 27 Democratic Party (US)William T. Wallace (Democratic) 11 Workingmen's Party of CaliforniaHenry George (Workingmen's) 2 12 January 1881 Formal Election of General Miller. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MP18810112.2.5&srpos=1&e=------188-en--20--1--txt-txIN-miller+senate----1881--- Santa Barbara Daily Press Santa Barbara 6 October 2024 Connecticut William W. Eaton Democratic 1874 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Joseph R. Hawley (Republican) February 2020 Delaware Thomas F. Bayard Democratic 18691875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Democratic Party (US) Thomas F. Bayard (Democratic) February 2020 Florida Charles W. Jones Democratic 1875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Democratic Party (US) Charles W. Jones (Democratic) February 2020 Indiana Joseph E. McDonald Democratic 1874–75 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.The governors of Indiana Gugin Linda C. St. Clair James E 2006 Indiana Historical Society Press 9780871951960 https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780871951960 February 17, 2020 Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Benjamin Harrison (Republican) 81 Democratic Party (US)Joseph E. McDonald (Democratic) 62 Maine Hannibal Hamlin Sr. Republican 1848 (sp. special)18511857 (r. resigned)18571861 (r. resigned)18691875 Incumbent retired.New senator elected.Republican hold. Journal of the Senate of the State of Maine, 60th Legislature Sprague & Son Augusta 1881 https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Journals/Senate/SJ1881.pdf 80-81 Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine, 60th Legislature Sprague & Son Augusta 1881 https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Journals/House/HJ1881.pdf 70-72 First ballot (January 18, 1881) Republican Party (US) Eugene Hale (Republican) 83 H Maine House of Representatives; 22 S Maine Senate Democratic Party (US)Joseph Locke Smith (Democratic) 64 H Maine House of Representatives; 8 S Maine Senate Greenback PartyHarris Merrill Plaisted (Greenback) 0 H Maine House of Representatives; 1 S Maine Senate Maryland William P. Whyte Democratic 1868 (appointed)1869 (retired)1874 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1880.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Arthur P. Gorman (Democratic) February 2020 Massachusetts Henry L. Dawes Republican 1875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Republican Party (US) Henry L. Dawes (Republican) February 2020 Michigan Henry P. Baldwin Republican 1881 (special) Incumbent retired.Winner elected January 18, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Omar D. Conger (Republican) February 2020 Minnesota Samuel J. R. McMillan Republican 1875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Republican Party (US) Samuel J. R. McMillan (Republican) February 2020 Mississippi Blanche Bruce Republican 1874 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) James Z. George (Democratic) February 2020 Missouri Francis Cockrell Democratic 1874 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Democratic Party (US) Francis Cockrell (Democratic) February 2020 Nebraska Algernon Paddock Republican 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Charles Van Wyck (Republican) Republican Party (US)Algernon Paddock (Republican) February 2020 Nevada William Sharon Republican 1875 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected January 12, 1881.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) James G. Fair (Democratic) February 2020 New Jersey Theodore F. Randolph Democratic 1875 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) William J. Sewell (Republican) Democratic Party (US)Theodore F. Randolph (Democratic) February 2020 New York Francis Kernan Democratic 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 20, 1881.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Thomas C. Platt (Republican) Democratic Party (US)Francis Kernan (Democratic) February 2020 Ohio Allen G. Thurman Democratic 18681874 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) John Sherman (Republican) Democratic Party (US)Allen G. Thurman (Democratic) February 2020 Pennsylvania William A. Wallace Democratic 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 23, 1881.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) John I. Mitchell (Republican) 59.76% Democratic Party (US)William A. Wallace (Democratic) 36.65% Rhode Island Ambrose Burnside Republican 1874 Incumbent re-elected in 1880. Republican Party (US) Ambrose Burnside (Republican) February 2020 Tennessee James E. Bailey Democratic 1877 (special) Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880 or 1881.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Howell E. Jackson (Democratic) February 2020 Texas Samuel B. Maxey Democratic 1875 Incumbent re-elected January 26, 1881. * Democratic Party (US) Samuel B. Maxey (Democratic) 73 Democratic Party (US) James W. Throckmorton (Democratic) 42 Republican Party (US) Edmund J. Davis (Republican) 6 Democratic Party (US) John H. Reagan (Democratic) 1https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/SenateJournals/17/01261881_14_38.pdf Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas: First Session of the Seventeenth Legislature. January 26, 1881 Austin, Texas 38 Thirteenth Dayhttps://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/HouseJournals/17/01261881_14_54.pdf Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Texas January 26, 1881 Austin, Texas 54 Thirteenth Day Vermont George F. Edmunds Republican 1866 (appointed)1866 (special)18681874 Incumbent re-elected in 1880. Republican Party (US) George F. Edmunds (Republican) February 2020 Virginia Robert E. Withers Democratic 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Readjuster gain.Winner caucused with the Republicans. Readjuster Party William Mahone (Readjuster) February 2020 West Virginia Frank Hereford Democratic 1877 (special) Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880 or 1881.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Johnson N. Camden (Democratic) February 2020 Wisconsin Angus Cameron Republican 1875 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 26, 1881. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112109669116 Journal of Proceedings of the Wisconsin Legislature 1881 Wisconsin Legislature 92–93 January 26, 1881 March 11, 2025 HathiTrust Blue Book for the State of Wisconsin 22 https://books.google.com/books?id=H4VKAQAAMAAJ&q=Philetus+Sawyer+1887&pg=PA463 463 1883Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Philetus Sawyer (Republican) 75.38% Democratic Party (US)James G. Jenkins (Democratic) 22.31% Republican Party (US)C. C. Washburn (Republican) 1.54% Democratic Party (US)Charles D. Parker (Democratic) 0.77% Elections during the 47th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1881 after March 4; ordered by date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Wisconsin(Class 3) Matthew H. Carpenter Republican 18691875 (lost)1879 Incumbent died February 24, 1881.New senator elected March 10, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Angus Cameron (Republican) 78.23% Democratic Party (US) William F. Vilas (Democratic) 21.77% Maine(Class 2) James G. Blaine Republican 1876 (appointed)1877 (special)1877 Incumbent resigned March 5, 1881 to become U.S. Secretary of State.New senator elected March 18, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) William P. Frye (Republican) February 2020 New York(Class 1) Thomas C. Platt Republican 1881 Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York.New senator elected July 27, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Warner Miller (Republican) February 2020 New York(Class 3) Roscoe Conkling Republican 186718731879 Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York.New senator elected July 29, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Elbridge G. Lapham (Republican) February 2020 Rhode Island(Class 1) Ambrose Burnside Republican 18741880 Incumbent died September 13, 1881.New senator elected October 5, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Nelson W. Aldrich (Republican) February 2020 Minnesota(Class 2) Alonzo J. Edgerton Republican 1881 (appointed) Interim appointee replaced by successor elected October 30, 1881.Republican hold. Republican Party (US) William Windom (Republican) February 2020 Virginia(Class 2) John W. Johnston Democratic 18711877 Incumbent lost re-election for the term beginning March 4, 1883.Winner elected early December 21, 1881.Jones Salmon Emily Harrison H. Riddleberger (1843–1890) http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Riddleberger_Harrison_H_1843-1890 Encyclopedia Virginia/Dictionary of Virginia Biography March 4, 2015Readjuster gain.Winner caucused with the Republicans. Readjuster Party Harrison H. Riddleberger (Readjuster) Democratic Party (US)John W. Johnston (Democratic) February 2020 Maryland List of United States senators from Maryland November 2022 no 1880 United States Senate election in Maryland - B0CEFF -% Democratic Party (United States) Arthur Pue Gorman Arthur Pue Gorman.jpg B0CEFF % Democratic Party (United States) William Pinkney Whyte William Pinkney Whyte 1865-1880 Maryland politician.jpg 1886 1886 United States Senate election in Maryland 1874 1874 United States Senate election in Maryland 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly Legislative 1880 presidential Arthur Pue Gorman won election William Pinkney Whyte for an unknown margin of votes for the Class 1 seat.https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=122950 Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1880 2022-11-05 www.ourcampaigns.com Nevada List of United States senators from Nevada On January 12, 1881, James Graham Fair (Republican) was elected.1881 The Journal of the Assembly of the Tenth Session of the Legislature of the State of Nevada https://books.google.com/books?id=kA4bAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA30 Carson City, NV State Printing Office 30 New York 1881 United States Senate election in New York List of United States senators from New York The New York election was held January 18, 1881, by the New York State Legislature. Democrat Francis Kernan had been elected in January 1875 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1881. At the State election in November 1879, 25 Republicans and 7 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1880–1881) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1880, 81 Republicans and 47 Democrats were elected for the session of 1881 to the Assembly. The 104th State Legislature met from January 4, 1881, on at Albany, New York. The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 13, State Senator Dennis McCarthy presided. All but one of the legislators were present, only State Senator Edward M. Madden (13th D.) was absent. The caucus nominated Ex-Congressman Thomas C. Platt for the U.S. Senate. Platt was a friend of the other U.S. Senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling, and belonged to the Stalwart faction. The opposing Half-Breeds (in the press sometimes referred to as the "anti-machine men") at first wanted to nominate Chauncey M. Depew, but he withdrew before balloting. The majority of the Half-Breeds, led by President pro tempore of the State Senate William H. Robertson, then supported Platt, a minority voted for Sherman S. Rogers, the defeated Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1876. Congressman Richard Crowley was supported by a faction led by Speaker of the State Assembly George H. Sharpe, allied with Governor Alonzo B. Cornell. U.S. Vice President William A. Wheeler, and Congressmen Elbridge G. Lapham and Levi P. Morton also received votes. +1881 Republican caucus for United States Senator result Office Candidate First ballotU.S. SenatorThomas C. Platt 54Richard Crowley 26Sherman S. Rogers 10William A. Wheeler 10Elbridge G. Lapham 4Levi P. Morton 1 The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on January 17, State Senator Charles A. Fowler (14th D.) presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Francis Kernan by acclamation. Thomas C. Platt was the choice of both the State Senate and the Assembly, and was declared elected. +1881 United States Senator election result House Republican DemocratState Senate (32 members) Thomas C. Platt 25Francis Kernan 6State Assembly (128 members) Thomas C. Platt 79Francis Kernan 44 Notes: The votes were cast on January 18, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 19 to compare nominations, and declare the result. State Senator Stevens (Dem., 22nd D.) was absent and did not vote. Pennsylvania 1881 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania List of United States senators from Pennsylvania The Pennsylvania election was held on thirty separate dates from January to February 1881. On February 23, 1881, John I. Mitchell was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.U.S. Senate Election - 27 January 1881 - 23 February 1881 http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/sen/PaSen1881.pdf Wilkes University December 23, 2012 The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 27, 1881, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1881. Thirty-five ballots were recorded on thirty separate dates spanning from January 27 to February 23, 1881. The results of the thirty-fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows: State legislature resultsPA US Senate - 1881 http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=345201 OurCampaigns December 22, 2012 Republican Party (US) John I. Mitchell 150 59.76 Democratic Party (US) William A. Wallace (Incumbent) 92 36.65% N/A Not voting 7 2.79% N/A Other 2 0.80% 251 100% See also 1880 United States elections 1880 United States presidential election 1880 United States House of Representatives elections 46th United States Congress 47th United States Congress Notes References Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov Members of the 47th United States Congress SENATOR THOMAS C. PLATT; SELECTED BY THE CAUCUS UPON THE FIRST BALLOT in NYT on January 14, 1881 COMPLIMENTING MR. KERNAN.; THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS RENOMINATES HIM FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR in NYT on January 18, 1881 Election result: BUSY STATE LEGISLATORS in NYT on January 19, 1881 Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project