1875 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

none related races 1874–75 United States Senate elections March 2026 January 2025 1875 United States Senate election in Wisconsin Wisconsin presidential no 1869 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 1869 1881 United States Senate election in Wisconsin 1881 January 27, 1875February 3, 1875 Legislative x150px Angus Cameron - Brady-Handy (3x4b).jpg Angus Cameron Republican Party (United States) 68 52.52% Matthew H. Carpenter - Brady-Handy.jpg Matthew H. Carpenter Republican Party (United States) 59 44.70% others 5 3.79% U.S. Senator Matthew H. Carpenter Republican Party (United States) Angus Cameron Republican Party (United States) The 1875 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held in the 28th Wisconsin Legislature between January 27, 1875, and February 3, 1875. Incumbent Republican U.S. senator Matthew H. Carpenter ran for a second six-year term, but was defeated by a determined rebellion from within his own party. Former state legislator, Republican Angus Cameron, was elected United States senator on the 11th ballot. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89082539891 Journal of Proceedings of the Wisconsin Legislature 1875 Wisconsin Legislature 64-68, 77-80, 92-94, 102-103, 114-115, 125-127, 139-140 March 6, 2025 HathiTrust This was the first time that one of Wisconsin's U.S. senators had been defeated seeking re-election. At the start of the 1875 term, Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature with 14 votes to spare, so should have been able to quickly elect a Republican United States senator. But accusations of corruption against the incumbent, Matt Carpenter, had caused a significant number of Republican legislators to pledge to voters that they would not support Carpenter's re-election to the U.S. Senate. Despite Carpenter winning enough support in the Republican caucus to obtain renomination, the holdouts refused to fall in line with the party and denied his re-election. Ultimately, Cameron was selected as a consensus choice merging the support of the 19 holdout Republicans with 49 of the 52 Democratic, Liberal Republican, or Reformer legislators. Major candidates Democratic Edward S. Bragg, former state senator and former Union Army general from Fond du Lac. Republican Angus Cameron, former speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, former state senator from La Crosse. Matthew H. Carpenter, incumbent U.S. senator. Orsamus Cole, incumbent justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. George Cochrane Hazelton, former state senator from Boscobel. Cadwallader C. Washburn, former governor of Wisconsin, former U.S. representative, former Union Army general. Results Republican nomination Prior to the caucus, Carpenter faced opposition in the caucus, but was still widely expected to win re-election in Wisconsin newspapers. During the two months between the legislative elections and the start of the legislative session, Carpenter was consumed with activity in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as presiding officer of the Senate due to the absence of Vice President Henry Wilson. https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-carpenter-pro-te/167458130/ Carpenter Re-elected Wisconsin State Journal December 23, 1874 1 March 7, 2025 Newspapers.com At the time, Carpenter's leading opponent for the nomination was former Wisconsin governor Cadwallader C. Washburn, who had been a candidate for U.S. senate in each of the last four opportunities. The Wisconsin press concluded that one of the two would certainly be the next senator. https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-us-senate-nomina/167458807/ Twenty-Eighth Legislative Session Wisconsin State Journal January 12, 1875 1 March 7, 2025 Newspapers.com The Republican caucus met on the evening of January 21. On the first ballot, Carpenter secured the nomination with 54 of 81 votes. Republican newspapers urged legislators to fall in line and support the nominee, as rumors began to emerge of a planned revolt. https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-us-senate-nomina/167459649/ The Senatorial Situation Wisconsin State Journal January 25, 1875 1 March 7, 2025 Newspapers.com Votes on January 27, 1875 The legislature met in joint session on January 27 with only one member absent. They took two votes in succession to try to pick a U.S. senator. The results were identical, no candidate reached a majority. +1st & 2nd Votes of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 27, 1875PartyCandidateBallots1st2nd Republican Matthew H. Carpenter 59 59 Democratic Edward S. Bragg 52 52 Republican Orsamus Cole 13 13 Republican George W. Allen 2 2 Republican Romanzo Bunn 2 2 Republican Horace Rublee 2 2 Republican Luther S. Dixon 1Republican senator John Schuette was the lone vote for Luther S. Dixon on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ballots. "schuette-dixon" 1"schuette-dixon" Republican Lucius Fairchild 1Republican representative Leroy S. Chase was the lone vote for Lucius Fairchild on the 1st and 2nd ballots. "chase-fairchild" 1"chase-fairchild" Absent 1 1 Needed for majority 67 67 Total votes 132 132 Votes on January 28, 1875 The legislature reconvened in joint session on January 28 and took three more votes. The three votes had nearly identical results; again no candidate reached a majority. + 3rd, 4th, & 5th Votes of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 28, 1875PartyCandidateBallots3rd4th5th Republican Matthew H. Carpenter 59 59 59 Democratic Edward S. Bragg 52 52 51"grant-bragg-carpenter" Republican Orsamus Cole 18 17On the 4th ballot, Republican representative John Bradley switched his support from Orsamus Cole to Angus Cameron. 17 Republican Luther S. Dixon 1"schuette-dixon" 1"schuette-dixon" 1"schuette-dixon" Republican Horace Rublee 1Republican representative Benjamin M. Coates was the lone vote for Horace Rublee on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ballot. "coates-rublee" 1"coates-rublee" 1"coates-rublee" Republican Romanzo Bunn 1Republican representative Noah D. Comstock was the lone vote for Romanzo Bunn on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th ballots. "comstock-bunn" 1"comstock-bunn" 1"comstock-bunn" Republican Angus Cameron 0 1Republican representative John Bradley was the lone vote for Angus Cameron on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th ballots. "bradley-cameron" 1"bradley-cameron" Democratic Stephen D. Carpenter 0 0 1On the 5th ballot, Liberal Republican representative Job Grant switched his vote from Bragg to Stephen D. Carpenter. "grant-bragg-carpenter" Absent 1 1 1 Needed for majority 67 67 67 Total votes 132 132 132 Votes on January 29, 1875 Two more votes were taken on January 29, with identical results. 6th & 7th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 29, 1875 Republican Party (United States) Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) 60On the 6th vote, Republican representative John H. Thomas switched his vote from Orsamus Cole to Matt Carpenter. 45.45% +1 Democratic Party (United States) Edward S. Bragg 52On the 6th ballot, Liberal Republican Job Grant switched his vote from Stephen D. Carpenter back to Bragg. 39.39% +1 Republican Party (United States) Orsamus Cole 17On the 6th ballot, Orsamus Cole lost the vote of Republican representative John H. Thomas, but gained the vote of Republican senator John Schuette. 12.88% Republican Party (United States) David Atwood 1Republican representative Benjamin M. Coates was the lone vote for David Atwood on the 6th, 7th, and 8th ballots. "coates-atwood" 0.76% +1 Republican Party (United States) Romanzo Bunn 1"comstock-bunn" 0.76% Republican Party (United States) Angus Cameron 1"bradley-cameron" 0.76% 67 50.76% 132 99.25% Vote on January 30, 1875 A larger number of legislators were absent from the votes on January 30 and February 1, reducing the number needed for a majority, but still no candidate could reach the threshold. 8th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 30, 1875 Republican Party (United States) Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) 51 43.97% -9 Democratic Party (United States) Edward S. Bragg 44 37.93% -8 Republican Party (United States) Orsamus Cole 13 11.21% -4 Republican Party (United States) Joshua J. Guppey 3On the 8th ballot, Joshua J. Guppey received votes from Republican senator Levi W. Barden and Republican representatives Robert Mitchell and John R. Rowlands (all had previously voted for Cole). 2.59% +3 Republican Party (United States) David Atwood 1"coates-atwood" 0.86% Republican Party (United States) Romanzo Bunn 1"comstock-bunn" 0.86% Republican Party (United States) Angus Cameron 1"bradley-cameron" 0.86% 58 50.88% -9 114 85.71% -18 Vote on February 1, 1875 9th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, February 1, 1875 Republican Party (United States) Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) 45 44.12% -6 Democratic Party (United States) Edward S. Bragg 37 36.27% -7 Republican Party (United States) Orsamus Cole 17 16.67% +4 Republican Party (United States) George Cochrane Hazelton 1On the 9th ballot, Republican representative Benjamin M. Coates voted for Hazelton. 0.98% +1 Republican Party (United States) Romanzo Bunn 1"comstock-bunn" 0.98% Republican Party (United States) William T. Price 1On the 9th ballot, Reformer representative Richard Dewhurst voted for William T. Price. 0.98% +1 52 50.98% -6 102 76.69% -12 Vote on February 2, 1875 10th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, February 2, 1875 Republican Party (United States) Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) 59 46.09% +14 Democratic Party (United States) Edward S. Bragg 50 39.06% +13 Republican Party (United States) Orsamus Cole 17 13.28% Republican Party (United States) George Cochrane Hazelton 2 1.56% +1 65 50.78% +13 128 96.24% +26 Vote on February 3, 1875 On the evening of February 2, 1875, the Democrats caucused with the holdout Republicans and agreed to a compromise candidate to merge their voting power—the caucus chose former speaker Angus Cameron. Wisconsin newspapers credited U.S. representative and railroad financier Alexander Mitchell with facilitating the negotiation. https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-angus-cameron/167504044/ The Dead Lock Broken Wisconsin State Journal February 3, 1875 1 March 8, 2025 Newspapers.com The legislature re-convened in joint session on February 3, and voted again, with nearly all the Democrats supporting Cameron, he achieving a majority on the 11th overall ballot. 11th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, February 3, 1875 Republican Party (United States) Angus Cameron 68On the 11th ballot, Cameron received the votes of all Democrats, Liberal Republicans, and Reformers, except for representative Bryan S. Lorigan (who voted for Carpenter)—49; he also received the votes of several Republicans, including senators Levi W. Barden, Robert C. Field, Sylvester Nevins, and John Schuette, and representatives John Anderson, Ole Anderson, Marcus Barden, John Bradley, Leroy S. Chase, Noah D. Comstock, Charles Dunlap, John B. Dwinnell, Gustav Gotze, Frank A. Leach, Robert Mitchell (Wisconsin politician), James E. Newell, Marvin Osborne, John R. Rowlands, and David E. Welch—19. 52.52% +68 Republican Party (United States) Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) 59On the 11th ballot, Carpenter received the votes of 58 of 81 Republicans. From the 10th ballot, he lost the votes of Republican representatives John Chandler Holloway (who voted for Dixon) and James Jeffery (who voted for Hazelton), and gained the votes of Republican representative John H. Thomas (who had previously been absent) and Democratic representative Bryan S. Lorigan (who previously voted for Bragg). 44.70% Republican Party (United States) George Cochrane Hazelton 3On the 11th ballot, Hazelton received the votes of Republican representatives Benjamin M. Coates, James Jeffery, and Benjamin F. Washburn. 2.27% +1 Republican Party (United States) Luther S. Dixon 1On the 11th ballot, Republican senator John Chandler Holloway voted for Dixon. 0.76% +1 Republican Party (United States) John G. Clark 1On the 11th ballot, Republican representative Kearton Coates voted for Clark. 0.76% +1 67 50.76% +2 132 99.25% +4 Republican Party (United States) Notes References 1875 Wisconsin United States Senate