1854–55 United States Senate elections

none March 2026 January 2025 1854–55 United States Senate elections United States 1851 legislative no 1852–53 United States Senate elections 1852 & 1853 1856–57 United States Senate elections 1856 & 1857 Class 3 1848–49 United States Senate elections 1848 & 1849 1860–61 United States Senate elections 1860 & 1861 21 of the 62 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 32 Various dates 100px Seats up Democratic Party (US) 34 seats 36 8 33 3 11 Whig Party (US) 20 seats 18 3 14 4 7 Republican Party (US) New party 3 3 3 Free Soil Party 2 seats 4 1 2 2 3 American 1 seat 1 0 1 0 Majority party Democratic Party (US) Democratic Party (US) File:1854senatemap.svg Results:#0671B0 Democratic gain #92C5DE Democratic hold #f3d586 Whig hold#b4a722ff Free Soil Gain #9229adff American Gain#ca0020ff Republican Gain #000000 Legislature failed to elect 390px The 1854–55 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 1854 and 1855, 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 3. These elections saw the final decline of the Whig Party and the maintained majority of the Democrats. Those Whigs in the Southern United States who were opposed to secession ran on the "Opposition Party" ticket, and were elected to a minority. Along with the Whigs, the Senate roster also included Free Soilers, Americans, and a new party: the Republicans. Only five of the twenty-one senators up for election were re-elected. Results summary Senate party division, 34th Congress (1855–1857) Majority party: Democratic (35) Minority party: Opposition (20) (Whigs, Republicans, Americans, Free Soilers) Vacant: 7 Total seats: 62 Change in Senate composition Before the elections After the October 14, 1854 special election in Vermont. 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 FS4Retired A1 V1 V2 V3 D36Retired D35Unknown D34Unknown D33Ran FS3Retired FS2Retired FS1 W18Retired W17Retired W16Retired W15Unknown W14Unknown W13Ran W12Ran W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 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 D29Hold D30Gain D31Gain Majority → D32Gain V2 V3 V4 V5D Loss V6D Loss V7D Loss V8D Loss V9D Loss D33Gain V1W Loss A1 FS2Gain FS1 R3Gain R2Gain R1Gain W14Hold W13Re-elected W12Re-elected W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 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 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 D35Gain D34Gain D33 V1 A2Changed A1 FS2 FS1 R7Gain R6Changed R5Changed R4Changed R3 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 R1 R2 W1 Beginning of the first session, December 3, 1855 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 V1 V2 V3 V4 D36Gain D35 D34 D33 A1 FS2 FS1 R9Gain R8Gain R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 R1 R2 W1 Key: D# Democratic FS# Free Soil A# American R# Republican W# Whig V# Vacant Race summaries Special elections during the 33rd Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1854 or in 1855 before March 4; ordered by election date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Mississippi(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect in 1853.New senator elected January 7, 1854.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Albert G. Brown (Democratic) February 2020 Connecticut(Class 3) Truman Smith Whig 1848 or 1849 Incumbent resigned May 24, 1854.New senator elected May 24, 1854.Free Soil gain.Successor did not run for the next term, see below. Free Soil Party Francis Gillette (Free Soil) February 2020 Vermont(Class 3) Samuel S. Phelps Whig 1853 (appointed) Incumbent lost entitlement to sit on March 16, 1854.Samuel S. Phelps (W-VT) had been appointed by the governor during a recess of the state legislature, and the legislature later convened and adjourned a session without electing a senator to replace fill the vacancy. The Senate ruled that Phelps had lost his entitlement to sit when the legislature adjourned. See https://books.google.com/books?id=qDsbwABUeI0C&q=senate+samuel+phelps&pg=PA242 The Constitution in Congress 9780226129006 Currie David P. May 10, 2005 University of Chicago PressNew senator elected October 14, 1854.Free Soil gain.Successor did not run for the next term, see below. Free Soil Party Lawrence Brainerd (Free Soil) February 2020 Arkansas(Class 3) Robert W. Johnson Democratic 1853 (appointed) Interim appointee elected November 10, 1854.https://books.google.com/books?id=PeHByMYxVm8C The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 volume 4 Bicentennial Robert C. Byrd Robert Byrd Wendy Wolff U.S. Government Printing Office October 1, 1993 9780160632563 , page 80Winner was later elected to the next term; see below. Democratic Party (US) Robert W. Johnson (Democratic) February 2020 North Carolina(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect in 1853.New senator elected November 24, 1854.Journals of the Senate and House of Commons of the General Assembly of North-Carolina 1855 24 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Journals_of_the_Senate_and_House_of_Comm/YNpKAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA24&printsec=frontcover&dq=reid 21 March 2026Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) David Settle Reid (Democratic) February 2020 Massachusetts(Class 2) Julius Rockwell Whig 1854 (appointed) Interim appointee lost election.Successor elected January 31, 1855.American gain. Know Nothing Henry Wilson (American) Know NothingNahum F. Bryant (American) Whig Party (US)Ephraim M. Wright (Whig) Whig Party (US)Julius Rockwell (Whig) Elections leading to the 34th Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1855; ordered by state. All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Alabama Benjamin Fitzpatrick Democratic 1848 (appointed)1849 (successor elected)1853 (appointed)1853 (special) Incumbent retired or lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would remain vacant until November 26, 1855; see below. February 2020 Arkansas Robert W. Johnson Democratic 1853 (appointed)1854 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1855. Democratic Party (US) Robert W. Johnson (Democratic) February 2020 California William M. Gwin Democratic 1850 Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would remain vacant until 1857. Democratic Party (US)William M. Gwin (Democratic) Connecticut Francis Gillette Free Soil 1854 (special) Incumbent retired.Successor elected in 1854.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Lafayette S. Foster (Republican) February 2020 Florida Jackson Morton Whig 1848 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1854.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) David Levy Yulee (Democratic) February 2020 Georgia William Crosby Dawson Whig 1847https://books.google.com/books?id=p90RAAAAYAAJ&q=%22william+c.+dawson%22&pg=PA427 Stryker's American Register and Magazine 1849 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1854 or 1855.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Alfred Iverson Sr. (Democratic) February 2020 Illinois James Shields Democratic 1849 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 8, 1855.Journal of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, 1855. Lanphier & Walker, Printers Springfield, IL 1855 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.15545134;view=1up;seq=352 Democratic hold. Democratic Party (US) Lyman Trumbull (Democratic) 51 Democratic Party (US)Joel A. Matteson (Democratic) 47 Whig Party (US)Archibald Williams (Whig) 1 Indiana John Pettit Democratic 1853 (special) Incumbent lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would remain vacant util 1857. Democratic Party (US)John Pettit (Democratic)February 2020 Iowa Augustus C. Dodge Democratic 18481849 Incumbent lost re-election.Incumbent then resigned February 22, 1855 to become U.S. Minister to Spain.Successor elected in 1855.Free Soil gain. Free Soil Party James Harlan (Free Soil) Democratic Party (US)Augustus C. Dodge (Democratic) February 2020 Kentucky Archibald Dixon Whig 1851 (special) Incumbent retired.Successor elected January 10, 1854.Whig hold. Whig Party (US) John J. Crittenden (Whig) 78 Democratic Party (US)Lazarus W. Powell (Democratic) 59Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, December 31, 1853 - March 10, 1854 1853 Albert G. Hodges Frankfort, Kentucky 67 Louisiana John Slidell Democratic 1853 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1854 or 1855. Democratic Party (US) John Slidell (Democratic) February 2020 Maryland James Pearce Whig 18431849 Incumbent re-elected in 1855. Whig Party (US) James Pearce (Whig) February 2020 Missouri David Rice Atchison Democratic 1843 (appointed)1843 (special)1849 Incumbent lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would remain vacant until 1857. Democratic Party (US)David Rice Atchison (Democratic) Democratic Party (US)Thomas Hart Benton (Democratic) Whig Party (US) ? February 2020 (Whig) New Hampshire John S. Wells Democratic 1855 (appointed) Incumbent retired or lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would remain vacant until July 30, 1855, see below. February 2020 New York William H. Seward Whig 1849 Incumbent re-elected February 6, 1855.Winner became a Republican shortly thereafter. Whig Party (US) William H. Seward (Whig) Democratic Party (US)Daniel S. Dickinson (Dem./Hard) Democratic Party (US)Horatio Seymour (Dem./Soft) Whig Party (US)Washington Hunt (Whig) Democratic Party (US)John Adams Dix (Dem./Soft) Whig Party (US)Millard Fillmore (Whig) Democratic Party (US)William F. Allen (Democratic) Others, see below North Carolina George Badger Whig 1846 (special)1849 Incumbent retired.New senator elected on November 25, 1854.Journals of the Senate and House of Commons of the General Assembly of North-Carolina 1855 24–27 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Journals_of_the_Senate_and_House_of_Comm/YNpKAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA27&printsec=frontcover 21 March 2026 Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Asa Biggs (Democratic) February 2020 Ohio Salmon P. Chase Free Soil 1849 Incumbent retired.Successor elected March 4, 1854.Taylor & Taylor 30, vol IIDemocratic gain. Democratic Party (US) George E. Pugh (Democratic) 80 votes Whig Party (US)Ephraim R. Eckley (Whig) 15 votes Whig Party (US)Salmon P. Chase (Whig) 10 votes Whig Party (US)Robert C. Schenck (Whig) 1 voteTaylor & Taylor 30, vol II Pennsylvania James Cooper Whig 1849 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss.Seat would remain vacant until 1856. Know NothingSimon Cameron (American) Democratic Party (US)Charles R. Buckalew (Democratic) South Carolina Andrew Butler Democratic 1852 (appointed)? (special)1848 Incumbent re-elected in 1854. Democratic Party (US) Andrew Butler (Democratic) February 2020 Vermont Lawrence Brainerd Free Soil 1854 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1855.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Jacob Collamer (Republican) February 2020 Wisconsin Isaac P. Walker Democratic 18481849 Incumbent retired.New senator elected February 1, 1855.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) Charles Durkee (Republican) 50.47% Democratic Party (US) Byron Kilbourn (Democratic) 36.45% Democratic Party (US) Charles Dunn (Democratic) 4.67% Republican Party (US) James Duane Doty (Republican) 3.74% Democratic Party (US) Harrison Carroll Hobart (Democratic) 1.87% Democratic Party (US) David Agry (Democratic) 1.87% Republican Party (US) James McMillan Shafter (Republican) 0.93% Elections during the 34th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1855 after March 4. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history New Hampshire(Class 2) Vacant Charles G. Atherton (D) died November 15, 1853.Jared W. Williams (D) was appointed to continue Atherton's term.Williams's appointment expired July 15, 1854 when the legislature then failed to elect a successor.New senator elected July 30, 1855.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) John P. Hale (Republican) February 2020 New Hampshire(Class 3) Vacant John S. Wells's (D) term expired March 3, 1855.Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected late July 30, 1855.Republican gain. Republican Party (US) James Bell (Republican) February 2020 Alabama(Class 3) Vacant Benjamin Fitzpatrick's (D) term expired March 3, 1855.Legislature had failed to elect.Incumbent was then elected late November 26, 1855.Democratic gain. Democratic Party (US) Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democratic) February 2020 Kentucky thumb|125px|Senator John J. Crittenden On January 10, 1854, the Kentucky legislature elected Whig U.S. Attorney General (and former-senator and former-Governor of Kentucky) John J. Crittenden to succeed Dixon, beating the then-incumbent Governor of Kentucky, Lazarus W. Powell. John J. Crittenden (Whig) 78 votes Lazarus W. Powell (Democratic) 59 votesJournal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, December 31, 1853 - March 10, 1854 1853 Albert G. Hodges Frankfort, Kentucky 67 Maryland List of United States senators from Maryland November 2022 1855 United States Senate election in Maryland - F0C862 -% Whig Party (United States) James Pearce James Alfred Pearce, standing.jpg 1861 1861 United States Senate election in Maryland 1849 1849 United States Senate election in Maryland 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly Legislative January 1855 presidential James Pearce won re-election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=122903 Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1855 2022-11-05 www.ourcampaigns.com New York 1855 United States Senate election in New York The election was held on February 6, 1855. William H. Seward had been elected in 1849 to this seat and his term would expire on March 3, 1855. At the time the Democratic Party was split into two opposing factions: the "Hards" and the "Softs". After most of the "Barnburners" had left the party, joining the Whigs, the majority of "Hunkers" split over the question of reconciliation with the minority of Barnburners who had remained Democrats. The Hard faction (led by Daniel S. Dickinson) was against it, in true Hunker fashion claiming all patronage for themselves; the Soft faction (led by William L. Marcy, which included the former Barnburners, advocated party unity as a necessity to defeat the Whigs. In 1854, the Republican Party was founded as a national party, but in New York the Whigs and the Anti-Nebraska Party ran concurrently at the State election. The unification of these occurred in New York only during the nomination convention for the State election in November 1855. Also running in the 1854 election were the American Party and nominees of the Temperance movement. In a general way, party lines were blurred until the re-alignment during the late 1850s after the disbanding of the American Party. At the State election in November 1853, 23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected for a two-year term (1854–1855) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1854, Whig State Senator Myron H. Clark was elected Governor of New York, and 82 Whigs, 26 Softs, 16 Hards and 3 Temperance men were elected for the session of 1855 to the New York State Assembly. "Know Nothings are sprinkled miscellaneously among Whigs, Hards and Softs; and exactly how many there are of these gentry in the Assembly Nobody Knows."Result and comment in The Whig Almanac 1855 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune The 78th New York State Legislature met from January 2 to April 14, 1855, at Albany, New York. In the Assembly, Seward received 69 votes, given by 65 Whigs; 1 Democrat; 1 Temperance man; 1 Republican and 1 Whig-Republican. Dickinson received 14 votes, given by 13 Democrats and 1 American. Horatio Seymour received the votes of 12 Democrats. Dix received 7 votes, given by 5 Democrats; 1 Independent Democrat and 1 Temperance man. Fillmore received 4 votes, given by 2 Whigs; 1 Democrat and 1 Temperance-American. Horatio Seymour Jr., received the votes of 2 Americans. King, Butler, Lester, Wait and Bronson received 1 Democratic vote each. Campbell received 1 Temperance-American vote. Howell received 1 American vote. Hoffman and Haven received 1 Whig vote each. In the State Senate, Seward received 18 Whig votes, Dickinson 5 Hard votes, and Allen 2 Whig votes. Preston and Church received 1 Soft vote each. Hoffman, Babcock, Ullmann and Fillmore received 1 American vote each. Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected. Candidate Party Senate(32 members) Assembly(128 members) √ William H. Seward Whig √ 18 √ 69 Daniel S. Dickinson Dem./Hard 5 14 Horatio Seymour Dem./Soft 12 Washington Hunt Whig 9 John Adams Dix Dem./Soft 7 Millard Fillmore Whig 1 4 William F. Allen Democratic 2 Horatio Seymour Jr. 2 Preston King 1 1 Ogden Hoffman Whig 1 1 Daniel Ullmann American 1 Sanford E. Church Democratic 1 George R. Babcock Whig 1 William W. Campbell American 1 Benjamin F. Butler Democratic 1 Albert Lester Democratic 1 Greene C. Bronson Democratic 1 Solomon G. Haven Opposition 1John D. Howell 1L. or J. Wait 1 See also 1854 United States elections 1854–55 United States House of Representatives elections 33rd United States Congress 34th United States Congress Notes 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; pg. 137 for State Senators 1855; pg. 248ff for Members of Assembly 1855) Members of the 34th United States Congress STATE AFFAIRS; Election of a U.S. Senator for Six Years in NYT on February 7, 1855 Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 William Alexander Taylor Aubrey Clarence Taylor 1899 State of Ohio Taylor & Taylor https://books.google.com/books?id=ztegAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA240 Result Senate: Journal of the Senate (78th Session) (1855; pg. 198)