1856–57 United States Senate elections

none March 2026 January 2025 1856–57 United States Senate elections United States 1851 legislative no 1854–55 United States Senate elections 1854 & 1855 1858–59 United States Senate elections 1858 & 1859 Class 1 1850–51 United States Senate elections 1850 & 1851 1862–63 United States Senate elections 1862 & 1863 21 of the 62 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 32 Various dates 100px Seats up Democratic Party (US) 33 seats 37 9 34 3 12 Republican Party (US) 3 seats 11 10 18 7 3 Whig Party (US) 20 seats 8 0 3 5 5 American 1 seat 1 1 2 1 0 Free Soil Party 2 seats 2 0 1 1 1 Majority Party Democratic Party (US) Democratic Party (US) File:1856senatemap.svg Results of the elections:#0671B0 Democratic gain #92C5DE Democratic hold#CA0120 Republican gain #F48882 Republican hold#9229adff American Gain #000000 Legislature failed to elect 380px The 1856–57 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 1856 and 1857, 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 young Republican Party assumed its position as one of the United States's two main political parties. The Whigs and Free Soilers were gone by the time the next Congress began. Results summary Senate party division, 35th Congress (1857–1859) Majority party: Democratic (37–42) Minority party: Republican (20) Other party: American (4) Vacant: 1–0 Total seats: 62–66 Change in composition Before the elections After the January 14, 1856 special election in Pennsylvania. D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D21 D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26Ran D27Ran D28Ran D29Ran D30Ran D31Ran Majority → D32Ran A1 V1 V2 V3 D37Retired D36Retired D35Unknown D34Unknown D33Unknown FS2Ran FS1 R11Unknown R10Ran R9Ran R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 W2 W3 W4Unknown W5Retired W6Retired W7Retired W8Retired R1 R2 R3 W1 As a result of the elections D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D21 D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26Re-elected D27Re-elected D28Re-elected D29Re-elected D30Re-elected D31Re-elected Majority → D32Hold FS1 A1 A2Gain V1W Loss V2 V3 V4 D34Gain D33Hold R18Gain R17Re-electedDiff. party R16Hold R15Re-elected R14Re-elected R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 W2 W3 R1Gain R2Gain R3Gain R4Gain R5Gain R6 R7 R8 W1 Beginning of the next Congress D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D21 D20 D19 D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30 D31 Majority → D32 A2 A3Changed A4Changed V1 D37Gain D36Gain D35Gain D34Changed D33Changed A1 R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R2Changed R3Changed R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R1Changed Key: D# Democratic FS# Free Soil A# American R# Republican W# Whig V# Vacant Race summaries Elections during the 34th Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1856 or in 1857 before March 4; ordered by election date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Pennsylvania(Class 3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected January 14, 1856.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) William Bigler (Democratic) 61.65% Republican Party (US)Edward Joy Morris (Republican) 32.33% UnknownJohn C. Flenniken (Unknown) 0.75% Missouri(Class 3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected January 12, 1857.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) James S. Green (Democratic) February 2020 California(Class 3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.Incumbent was then elected January 13, 1857.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) William M. Gwin (Democratic) February 2020 Delaware(Class 2) Joseph P. Comegys Whig 1856 (appointed) Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 14, 1857.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Martin W. Bates (Democratic) February 2020 Maine(Class 1) Hannibal Hamlin Sr. Republican 1848 (sp. special)18511857 (r. resigned) Incumbent resigned to become Governor of Maine.Republican hold. Journal of the Senate of the State of Maine, 37th Legislature Stevens & Blaine Augusta 1857 https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Journals/Senate/SJ1857.pdf 60 Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine, 37th Legislature Stevens & Blaine Augusta 1857 https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Journals/House/HJ1857.pdf 58–59Winner was not elected to the next term, see below. First ballot (January 16, 1857) Republican Party (US) Amos Nourse (Republican) 118 H Maine House of Representatives; 28 S Maine Senate Democratic Party (US)Nathaniel Clifford III (Democratic) 21 H Maine House of Representatives; 0 S Maine Senate Whig Party (US)George Evans Sr. (Whig) 3 H Maine House of Representatives; 0 S Maine Senate Republican Party (US)Nathan Griffin Hichborn (Republican) 0 H Maine House of Representatives; 1 S Maine Senate Unknown Absent 11 H Maine House of Representatives; 0 S Maine Senate Iowa(Class 3) James Harlan Free Soil 1855 Election invalidated January 5, 1857.Incumbent re-elected January 29, 1857 as a Republican.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) James Harlan (Republican) February 2020 Indiana(Class 3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected February 4, 1857.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Graham N. Fitch (Democratic) February 2020 Races leading to the 35th Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1857; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California John B. Weller Democratic 1852 (special) Incumbent lost re-election.Winner elected in 1856.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) David C. Broderick (Democratic) February 2020 Connecticut Isaac Toucey Democratic 1852 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1856.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) James Dixon (Republican) February 2020 Delaware James A. Bayard Jr. Democratic 1851 Incumbent re-elected in 1857. Democratic Party (US) James A. Bayard Jr. (Democratic) February 2020 Florida Stephen Mallory Democratic 1851 Incumbent re-elected in 1857. Democratic Party (US) Stephen Mallory (Democratic) February 2020 Indiana Jesse D. Bright Democratic 18441850 Incumbent re-elected in 1856. Democratic Party (US) Jesse D. Bright (Democratic) February 2020 Maine Amos Nourse Republican 1857 (sp. special) Incumbent retired.Republican hold. Journal of the Senate of the State of Maine, 37th Legislature Stevens & Blaine Augusta 1857 https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Journals/Senate/SJ1857.pdf 60 Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine, 37th Legislature Stevens & Blaine Augusta 1857 https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Journals/House/HJ1857.pdf 58–59 First ballot (January 16, 1857) Republican Party (US) Hannibal Hamlin Sr. (Republican) 115 H Maine House of Representatives; 28 S Maine Senate Democratic Party (US)Nathaniel Clifford III (Democratic) 21 H Maine House of Representatives; 1 S Maine Senate Whig Party (US)David Bronson III (Whig) 3 H Maine House of Representatives; 0 S Maine Senate Republican Party (US)Lot Myrick Morrill (Republican) 1 H Maine House of Representatives; 0 S Maine Senate UnknownAbsent 1 H Maine House of Representatives; 0 S Maine Senate Maryland Thomas Pratt Whig 1850 (special)1851 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected in 1856 or 1857.American gain. Know Nothing Anthony Kennedy (American) February 2020 Massachusetts Charles Sumner Free Soil 1851 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1857 as a Republican.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Charles Sumner (Republican) February 2020 Michigan Lewis Cass Democratic 1844 or 18451848 (resigned)1849 (special) Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected in January 1857.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Zachariah Chandler (Republican) February 2020 Mississippi Stephen Adams Democratic 1852 (special) Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected in 1856 or 1857.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Jefferson Davis (Democratic) February 2020 Missouri Henry S. Geyer Whig 1851 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1857.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Trusten Polk (Democratic) February 2020 New Jersey John Renshaw Thomson Democratic 1853 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1857. Democratic Party (US) John Renshaw Thomson (Democratic) 50 Whig Party (US)Joseph Fitz Randolph (Opposition) 22 Republican Party (US)Richard Stockton Field (Opposition) 6 February 2020 New York Hamilton Fish Whig 1851 Incumbent retired.New senator elected February 3, 1857.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Preston King (Republican) 91 Democratic Party (US)Daniel E. Sickles (Democratic) 34 Know NothingJoel T. Headley (American) 15 Ohio Benjamin Wade Republican 1851 Incumbent re-elected in 1856. Republican Party (US) Benjamin Wade (Republican) February 2020 Pennsylvania Richard Brodhead Democratic 1851 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected January 13, 1857.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Simon Cameron (Republican) 50.38% Democratic Party (US)John W. Forney (Democratic) 43.61% Democratic Party (US)Henry D. Foster (Democratic) 5.26% Democratic Party (US)William Wilkins (Democratic) 0.75% Rhode Island Charles T. James Democratic 1850 or 1851 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1856.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) James F. Simmons (Republican) February 2020 Tennessee James C. Jones Whig 1851 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss.Seat would remain vacant until October 8, 1857; see below. February 2020 Texas Thomas J. Rusk Democratic 18461851 Incumbent re-elected in 1857. Democratic Party (US) Thomas J. Rusk (Democratic) February 2020 Vermont Solomon Foot Republican 1850 Incumbent re-elected in 1856. Republican Party (US) Solomon Foot (Republican) February 2020 Virginia James M. Mason Democratic 1847 (special)1850 Incumbent re-elected in 1856. Democratic Party (US) James M. Mason (Democratic) February 2020 Wisconsin Henry Dodge Democratic 18481851 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 23, 1857. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89069539237 Journal of the Assembly of Wisconsin Wisconsin Legislature 1857 80–84 Joint Convention February 28, 2025 HathiTrust Republican gain. Republican Party (US) James R. Doolittle (Republican) 67.52% Democratic Party (US) Charles Dunn (Democratic) 30.77% Republican Party (US) David Taylor (Republican) 0.85% "Jack Frost" 0.85% Elections during the 35th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1857 after March 4; ordered by election date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history New Hampshire(Class 3) James Bell Republican 1855 Incumbent died May 25, 1857.New senator elected June 27, 1857. Republican hold. Republican Party (US) Daniel Clark (Republican) February 2020 Tennessee(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected October 8, 1857.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Andrew Johnson (Democratic) February 2020 South Carolina(Class 3) Andrew Butler Democratic 1846 (appointed)? (special)18481854 Incumbent died May 25, 1857.New senator elected December 7, 1857.Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) James H. Hammond (Democratic) February 2020 Complete list of states Maryland List of United States senators from Maryland November 2022 1857 United States Senate election in Maryland - D99FE8 -% Whig Party (United States) Anthony Kennedy Senator Anthony Kennedy, standing.jpg 1863 1863 United States Senate election in Maryland 1851 1851 United States Senate election in Maryland 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly Legislative 1857 presidential Anthony Kennedy won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=122896 Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1857 2022-11-05 www.ourcampaigns.com Kennedy took office on March 4, 1857, succeeding Thomas G. Pratt.U.S. Senators (Maryland), Former https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/39fed/05ussen/former/html/00sen.html 2026-02-18 msa.maryland.gov At the time, Kennedy was affiliated with the American Party (Know Nothing), reflecting the party's influence in Maryland politics during the mid-1850s.Bioguide Search https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/K000103 2026-02-18 bioguide.congress.gov New York United States Senate election in New York, 1857 The New York election was held February 3, 1857, by the New York State Legislature. Whig Hamilton Fish had been elected in 1851 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1857. In 1855, the Whig Party and the Anti-Nebraska Party merged in New York to form the Republican Party. At the State election in November 1855, 16 Republicans, 11 Americans, 4 Democrats and 1 Temperance man were elected for a two-year term (1856–1857) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1856, 81 Republicans, 31 Democrats and 8 Americans were elected to the Assembly for the session of 1857. The 80th New York State Legislature met from January 6 to April 18, 1857, at Albany, New York. Preston King was nominated by a caucus of Republican State legislators. King had been a Democratic congressman from 1843 to 1847, a Free Soil congressman from 1849 to 1853, and had joined the Republican Party upon its foundation at the State convention in September 1855. The convention nominated King for Secretary of State, but he was defeated by Joel T. Headley in a four-way race. Secretary of State Joel T. Headley was the candidate of the American Party. State Senator Daniel E. Sickles was the candidate of the Democratic Party. In the Assembly the vote confirmed the party caucus selections. When State Senator Sickles received votes, the same objection to his eligibility was raised as was in 1833 regarding Nathaniel P. Tallmadge. This time, Speaker DeWitt C. Littlejohn ruled that the objection was "partially tenable and partially not so." However, the Speaker held that any member could vote for anybody, and only if the candidate received sufficient votes to win the election, a decision would be required. Otherwise, like in this case, the eligibility of an also-ran was irrelevant. In the State Senate, only 24 votes were given. Zenas Clark (Rep.) and John B. Halsted (Rep.) were sick at home. Eaton J. Richardson (Rep.) paired with Sidney Sweet (Am.). Joseph H. Petty (Am.) was absent. William Kelly (Dem.), Mark Spencer (Dem.), and the Democratic candidate Sickles himself, declined to vote. State Senator Justin A. Smith (Am.) raised the question if the vote for Sickles could be counted. A new State Constitution had been adopted in 1846, which had clarified the question of eligibility of State legislators. Smith quoted from the State Constitution: "No member of the Legislature shall receive any civil appointment within this State, or to the Senate of the United States, from the Governor, the Governor and Senate, or from the Legislature, during the term for which he shall have been elected; and all votes given for any such member, for any such office or appointment, shall be void." Lt. Gov. Henry R. Selden (later a judge of the New York Court of Appeals) decided to count the vote, holding that the United States Constitution described the eligibility for the office and devolved on the State legislatures only the power to prescribe the "times, places and manners of holding the elections for that office", thus not implying a right for the State governments to exclude any person who would be eligible under the U.S. Constitution.Journal of the Senate of the State of New York (80th Session) (pages 171f) Preston King was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected. House Republican Democrat AmericanState Senate (32 members)Preston King 14Daniel E. Sickles 1Joel T. Headley 9State Assembly (128 members)Preston King 77Daniel E. Sickles 33Joel T. Headley 6 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (special) 1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania The Class 3 election was held on January 14, 1856. William Bigler was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.U.S. Senate Election - 14 January 1856 http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/sen/PaSen1856.pdf Wilkes University December 22, 2013 The Pennsylvania General Assembly had previously convened on February 13, 1855, for the regularly scheduled Senate election for the term beginning on March 4, 1855. Two ballots were recorded on February 13, followed by three on February 27, 1855. On the fifth and final ballot during this convention, former Senator Simon Cameron had led with 55 votes to future Senator Charles R. Buckalew's 23. No candidate was elected, however, and the hung election convention adjourned by a vote of 66 to 65. Upon the expiration of incumbent James Cooper's term on March 4, 1855, the seat was vacated and would remain vacant until William Bigler's election in January 1856.U.S. Senate Election - 13 February 1855, 27 February 1855 http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/sen/PaSen1855.pdf Wilkes University December 22, 2013 On January 14, 1856, the election convention of the General Assembly re-convened and elected Democratic former Governor of Pennsylvania William Bigler on the first ballot to serve the remainder of the term that began on March 4, 1855, and would expire on March 4, 1861. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows: State legislature results Democratic Party (United States) William Bigler 82 61.65 Republican Party (US) Edward Joy Morris 43 32.33 Unknown John C. Flenniken 1 0.75 N/A Not voting 7 5.26 |- | colspan="3" align="right" | Totals | align="right" | 133 | align="right" | 100.00% Pennsylvania (regular) 1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania The Class 1 election in Pennsylvania was held on January 13, 1857. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.U.S. Senate Election - 13 January 1857 http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/sen/PaSen1857.pdf Wilkes University December 22, 2012 The Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on January 13, 1857, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1857. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows: State legislature resultsPA US Senate - 1857 http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=345197 OurCampaigns December 22, 2012 Republican Party (US) Simon Cameron 67 50.38 Democratic Party (US) John W. Forney 58 43.61 Democratic Party (US) Henry D. Foster 7 5.26 Democratic Party (US) William Wilkins 1 0.75 |-bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="3" align="right" | Totals | align="right" | 133 | align="right" | 100.00% See also 1856 United States elections 1856 United States presidential election 1856–57 United States House of Representatives elections 34th United States Congress 35th United States Congress References Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators [gives wrong date "February 6"]; pg. 137 for State Senators 1857; pg. 252ff for Members of Assembly 1857) STATE AFFAIRS.; The Election of Preston King as United States Senator in NYT on February 4, 1857 Result NY Senate: Journal of the Senate (80th Session) (1857; pg. 171) Result NY Assembly: Journal of the Assembly (80th Session) (1857; pg. 245f) Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project Category:Hannibal Hamlin