1864–65 United States Senate elections

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1864–65 United States Senate elections
← 1862 & 1863 Various dates 1866 & 1867 →
24 of the 72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
25 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Henry B. Anthony[a]
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since March 4, 1863
Leader's seat Rhode Island
Last election 32 seats 10 seats
Seats before 31 10
Seats after 33 9
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 1
Seats up 9 4
Races won 11 3
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Unconditional Unionist Party (US) Union
Last election 1 seat 5 seats
Seats before 5 3
Seats after 4 2
Seat change Decrease 1 Decrease 1
Seats up 1 1
Races won 0 0
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold
     Confederacy      Barred from being seated
Majority Party before election


Republican

Elected Majority Party


Republican

The 1864–65 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. They occurred during the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's re-election. 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 1864 and 1865, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.

The Republican Party gained two seats. Most of the Southern states were absent because of the Civil War.

Results summary

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Senate party division, 39th Congress (1865–1867)

  • Majority party: Republican (37)
  • Minority party: Democratic (9)
  • Other parties: Unconditional Unionist (1); Unionist (1)
  • Vacant: (24)
  • Total seats: 72

Change in Senate composition

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Before the elections

[edit]
V5
Seceded 		V4
Seceded 		V3
Seceded 		V2 V1
V6
Seceded 		V7
Seceded 		V8
Seceded 		V9
Seceded 		V10
Seceded 		V11
Seceded 		D1 D2 D3 D4
UU5
Ran 		U1 U2 U3
Retired 		D10
Ran 		D9
Retired 		D8
Unknown 		D7
Retired 		D6 D5
UU4 UU3 UU2 UU1 R31
Ran 		R30
Ran 		R29
Retired 		R28
Ran 		R27
Ran 		R26
Retired
Majority → R25
Unknown
R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23
Ran 		R24
Ran
R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6
V16 V15 V14 V13 V12 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
V17 V18 V19 V20 V21

As a result of the elections

[edit]
V5
Seceded 		V4
Seceded 		V3
Seceded 		V2 V1
V6
Seceded 		V7
Seceded 		V8
Seceded 		V9
Seceded 		V10
Seceded 		V11
Seceded 		D1 D2 D3 D4
UU2 UU3 UU4 U1 U2 D9
Gain 		D8
Hold 		D7
Re-elected 		D6 D5
UU1 R33
Gain 		R32
Gain 		R31
Re-elected
new party 		R30
Hold 		R29
Hold 		R28
Hold 		R27
Re-elected 		R26
Re-elected 		R25
Re-elected
Majority →
R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23
Re-elected 		R24
Re-elected
R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5
V17 V16 V15 V14 V13 V12
U Loss 		R1 R2 R3 R4
V18 V19 V20 V21 V22

Beginning of the next Congress

[edit]
V6 V5 V4 V3 V2 V1
V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5
R36
Changed 		R37
Changed 		UU1 V13
UU Loss 		U1 V12
D Loss 		D9
Gain 		D8 D7 D6
R35
New state 		R34
New state 		R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26
Majority → R25
R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24
R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6
V18 V17 V16 V15 V14 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24
Key:
D# Democratic
R# Republican
UU# Unconditional Unionist
U# Unionist
V# Vacant

Race summaries

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Elections during the 38th Congress

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In these elections — some special and some initial — the winners were seated during 1864 or in 1865 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Maryland
(Class 3) 		Thomas Holliday Hicks Unconditional
Unionist 		1862 (appointed) Interim appointee elected January 11, 1864[2] to finish the term.
Delaware
(Class 1) 		James A. Bayard Jr. Democratic 1851
1857
1863 		Incumbent resigned January 29, 1864.
Winner elected January 29, 1864.
Democratic hold.
Nevada
(Class 1) 		None (new state) Nevada's first Senators were elected February 1, 1865.
Republican gain.
Nevada
(Class 3) 		Nevada's first Senators were elected February 1, 1865.
Republican gain.
Virginia
(Class 1) 		Lemuel J. Bowden Unionist 1863 Incumbent died January 2, 1864.
Winner elected sometime in 1865.
The Senate refused to seat him to avoid setting a precedent for allowing premature re-entry of Confederate states.[3]
Unionist loss.
Seat remained vacant until 1870.

Elections leading to the 39th Congress

[edit]

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1865; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral
history
Alabama Vacant since January 21, 1861 when Clement Claiborne Clay (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1868. 		None.
Arkansas Vacant since July 11, 1861 when William K. Sebastian (D) was expelled. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1868. 		None.
Delaware Willard Saulsbury Sr. Democratic 1858 Incumbent re-elected in 1864.
Georgia Vacant since February 4, 1861 when Robert Toombs (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1871. 		None.
Illinois William A. Richardson Democratic 1863 (special) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1864 or 1865.
Republican gain.
Iowa James W. Grimes Republican 1858 Incumbent re-elected January 11, 1864.
Kansas James H. Lane Republican 1861 Incumbent re-elected in 1865.
Kentucky Lazarus W. Powell Democratic 1858 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1865.
Democratic hold.
Louisiana Vacant since February 4, 1861 when Judah P. Benjamin (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1868. 		None.
Maine Nathan A. Farwell Republican 1864 (appointed) Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected in 1864 or 1865.
Republican hold.
Massachusetts Henry Wilson Republican 1855 (special)
1859 		Incumbent re-elected in 1865.
Michigan Jacob M. Howard Republican 1862 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1865.
Minnesota Morton S. Wilkinson Republican 1858 or 1859 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1865.
Republican hold.
  • ▌Green tickY Daniel S. Norton (Republican) 46 votes (77.97%)
  • ▌James George (Democratic) 13 votes (22.03%)[5]
Mississippi Vacant since January 12, 1861 when Albert G. Brown (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1870. 		None.
New Hampshire John P. Hale Republican 1846
1853 (retired)
1855 (special) 		Incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1864.
Republican hold.
New Jersey John C. Ten Eyck Republican 1858 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1864.
Democratic gain.
Election was later disputed and seat declared vacant.
North Carolina Vacant since March 6, 1861 when Thomas Bragg (D) resigned. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1868. 		None.
Oregon Benjamin F. Harding Democratic 1862 (special) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1864.
Republican gain.
Rhode Island Henry B. Anthony Republican 1858 Incumbent re-elected in 1864.
South Carolina Vacant since November 10, 1860 when James Chesnut Jr. (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1868. 		None.
Tennessee Vacant since March 3, 1861 when Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1866. 		None.
Texas Vacant since July 11, 1861 when John Hemphill (D) was expelled. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.
Seat remained vacant until 1870. 		None.
Virginia John S. Carlile Unionist 1861 Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in 1865.
The Senate refused to seat him to avoid setting a precedent for allowing premature re-entry of Confederate states.[3]
Unionist loss.
Seat remained vacant until 1870.
West Virginia Waitman T. Willey Unconditional
Unionist 		1863 Incumbent re-elected in 1865 as a Republican.
Republican gain.

Elections during the 39th Congress

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In this election, the winner was elected in 1865 after March 4.

1864 United States Senate special election in Maryland
← 1861 December 1864 1865 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
Candidate Thomas Holliday Hicks
Party Unconditional Unionist
Legislative vote -
Percentage -%
State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Maryland
(Class 3) 		Thomas Holliday Hicks Unconditional
Unionist 		1862 (appointed)
1864 (special) 		Incumbent died February 14, 1865.
New senator elected March 9, 1865.
Unconditional Unionist hold.

Maryland

[edit]
See also: List of United States senators from Maryland

Maryland (1864 special)

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James Pearce died, and Thomas Holliday Hicks was appointed to his seat. He then won election to finish the rest of the term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.[6]

1865 United States Senate special election in Maryland
← 1864 February 1865 1868 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
Candidate John Creswell
Party Unconditional Unionist
Legislative vote -
Percentage -%

Maryland (1865 special)

[edit]

Thomas Holliday Hicks died, and John Creswell was appointed to his seat. He then won election to finish the rest of the term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.[7]

West Virginia

[edit]

Incumbent Waitman T. Willey was re-elected by the legislature to his first full term as United States Senator, with Willey being elected as a Republican. Willey would serve his term until 1871.

1865 United States Senate election in West Virginia
← 1863 January 31, 1865 1871 →
Needed to win: Majority of votes cast jointly by the Legislature
69 votes cast; 35 votes needed
 
Candidate Waitman Willey
Party Republican
First ballot 53 votes
76.8%
U.S. senator before election

Waitman Willey
Unconditional Union

Elected U.S. senator

Waitman Willey
Republican

Willey was the only candidate to be formally nominated, though attempted nominations were made of Archibald Campbell and House Speaker Lee Roy Kramer. Campbell's nomination was promptly withdrawn, and Kramer declined his.[8]

Party Candidate 1st Ballot
Votes %
Republican Waitman Willey 53 76.8
Republican Lee Roy Kramer 7 10.1
Republican Daniel Polsley 6 8.7
Republican Archibald Campbell 2 2.9
Republican David Hunter Strother 1 1.4
Total 69 100
Needed to win 35 >50


See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ as Republican Conference Chair

References

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  1. ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Byrd & Wolff, page 120
  3. ^ a b "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  4. ^ Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa"., page 131
  5. ^ University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1865 Minnesota U.S. Senate Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Dec 00, 1862". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Feb 00, 1865". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  8. ^ Journal of the House of Delegates of West Virginia for the Session Commencing January 17, 1865. Wheeling: West Virginia Legislature. 1865. p. 57.
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