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1872–73 United States Senate elections
24 of the 74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections); 38 seats needed for a majority
	Results of the elections:; Democratic gain Democratic hold; Republican gain Republican hold; Liberal Republican gain Legislature Failed to Elect
Majority Party before election; ; Republican	Elected Majority Party ; ; Republican

The 1872–73 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with President Ulysses S. Grant'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 1872 and 1873, 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 3.

The Republican Party, while still retaining a commanding majority, lost two seats. By the beginning of the Congress, however, they would lose three more: two as defections to the Liberal Republican Party, and one a resignation of Henry Wilson to become U.S. Vice President. This remains the last election in which Republicans held a 2/3 majority in the Senate.

Results summary

Senate party division, 43rd Congress (1873–1875)

Majority party: Republican (50–51)
Minority party: Democratic (19–20)
Other parties: Liberal Republican (3–2)
Vacant: (2–1)
Total seats: 74

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the January 30, 1872 special election in North Carolina.

D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃	D₁₄	D₁₅ Ran	D₁₆ Unknown	D₁₇ Unknown
R₄₈ Unknown	R₄₉ Unknown	R₅₀ Unknown	R₅₁ Retired	R₅₂ Retired	R₅₃ Retired	R₅₄ Retired	R₅₅ Retired	R₅₆ Resigned	LR₁ Retired
R₄₇ Ran	R₄₆ Ran	R₄₅ Ran	R₄₄ Ran	R₄₃ Ran	R₄₂ Ran	R₄₁ Ran	R₄₀ Ran	R₃₉ Ran	R₃₈ Ran
Majority →									R₃₈ Ran
R₂₈	R₂₉	R₃₀	R₃₁	R₃₂	R₃₃	R₃₄	R₃₅	R₃₆	R₃₇ Ran
R₂₇	R₂₆	R₂₅	R₂₄	R₂₃	R₂₂	R₂₁	R₂₀	R₁₉	R₁₈
R₈	R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃	R₁₄	R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇
R₇	R₆	R₅	R₄	R₃	R₂	R₁

Result of the elections

D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃	D₁₄	D₁₅ Hold	D₁₆ Hold	D₁₇ Hold
R₄₈ Hold	R₄₉ Hold	R₅₀ Hold	R₅₁ Hold	R₅₂ Hold	R₅₃ Gain	LR₁ Re-elected, new party	V₁ R Loss	D₁₉ Gain	D₁₈ Gain
R₄₇ Hold	R₄₆ Hold	R₄₅ Hold	R₄₄ Hold	R₄₃ Re-elected	R₄₂ Re-elected	R₄₁ Re-elected	R₄₀ Re-elected	R₃₉ Re-elected	R₃₈ Re-elected
Majority →									R₃₇ Re-elected
R₂₈	R₂₉	R₃₀	R₃₁	R₃₂	R₃₃	R₃₄	R₃₅	R₃₆	R₃₇ Re-elected
R₂₇	R₂₆	R₂₅	R₂₄	R₂₃	R₂₂	R₂₁	R₂₀	R₁₉	R₁₈
R₈	R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃	R₁₄	R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇
R₇	R₆	R₅	R₄	R₃	R₂	R₁

Beginning of the next Congress

D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃	D₁₄	D₁₅	D₁₆	D₁₇
R₄₈	R₄₉	R₅₀	LR₁	LR₂ Changed	LR₃ Changed	V₁	V₂ Resigned	D₁₉	D₁₈
R₄₇	R₄₆	R₄₅	R₄₄	R₄₃	R₄₂	R₄₁	R₄₀	R₃₉	R₃₈
Majority →									R₃₇
R₂₈	R₂₉	R₃₀	R₃₁	R₃₂	R₃₃	R₃₄	R₃₅	R₃₆	R₃₇
R₂₇	R₂₆	R₂₅	R₂₄	R₂₃	R₂₂	R₂₁	R₂₀	R₁₉	R₁₈
R₈	R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃	R₁₄	R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇
R₇	R₆	R₅	R₄	R₃	R₂	R₁

Key:

D_#	Democratic
LR_#	Liberal Republican
R_#	Republican
V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 42nd Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1872 or in 1873 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
North Carolina (Class 2)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected January 30, 1872. Democratic gain.	▌Y Matt W. Ransom (Democratic) [data missing]
Kentucky (Class 3)	Willis B. Machen	Democratic	1872 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 21, 1873. Winner was not elected to the next term; see below.	▌Y Willis B. Machen (Democratic) 104 ▌Tarvin Baker (Republican) 18^[2]
Louisiana (Class 3)	William P. Kellogg	Republican	1868	Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana. Legislature failed to elect. The seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876, due to a Senate dispute; see below.^[3] Republican loss.	▌P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican) ▌John Ray (Unknown)^[4] [data missing]

Races leading to the 43rd Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1873; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	George E. Spencer	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent re-elected in 1872.	▌Y George E. Spencer (Republican) [data missing]
Arkansas	Benjamin F. Rice	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold.	▌Y Stephen W. Dorsey (Republican) [data missing]
California	Cornelius Cole	Republican	1866–67	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold.	▌Y Aaron A. Sargent (Republican) [data missing]
Connecticut	Orris S. Ferry	Republican	1866	Incumbent re-elected May 15, 1872 as a Liberal Republican. Liberal Republican gain.	▌Y Orris S. Ferry (Liberal Republican) 51.55% ▌Joseph R. Hawley (Republican) 48.45%^[5]
Florida	Thomas W. Osborn	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold.	▌Y Simon B. Conover (Republican) [data missing]
Georgia	Joshua Hill	Republican	1867 (not seated) 1871 (admitted)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1873. Democratic gain.	▌Y John Brown Gordon (Democratic) [data missing]
Illinois	Lyman Trumbull	Liberal Republican	1855 1861 1867	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 20, 1873. Republican gain.	▌Y Richard J. Oglesby (Republican) 54.53% ▌Lyman Trumbull (Liberal Republican) 42.47%^[6]
Indiana	Oliver P. Morton	Republican	1867	Incumbent re-elected in 1873.	▌Y Oliver P. Morton (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa	James Harlan	Republican	1855 1857 (election voided) 1857 (special) 1860 1865 (resigned) 1866	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected January 17, 1872.^[7] Republican hold.	▌Y William B. Allison (Republican) ▌Joseph C. Knapp (Democratic)
Kansas	Samuel C. Pomeroy	Republican	1861 1867	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1873. Republican hold.	▌Y John Ingalls (Republican) [data missing]
Kentucky	Willis B. Machen	Democratic	1872 (appointed)	Interim appointee retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872. Democratic hold. Winner was not elected to finish the current term, see above.	▌Y Thomas C. McCreery (Democratic) ▌John Marshall Harlan (Republican)^[8]
Louisiana	William P. Kellogg	Republican	1868	Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana. Legislature failed to elect and the seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876 due to a Senate dispute.^[3]	▌P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican) ▌William L. McMillen (Republican) [data missing]
Maryland	George Vickers	Democratic	1868 (special)	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Democratic hold.	▌Y George R. Dennis (Democratic) [data missing]
Missouri	Francis Blair	Democratic	1871 (special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Democratic hold.	▌Y Lewis V. Bogy (Democratic) [data missing]
Nevada	James W. Nye	Republican	1865 1867	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1873. Republican hold.	▌Y John P. Jones (Republican) [data missing]
New Hampshire	James W. Patterson	Republican	1866–67	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1872. Republican hold.	▌Y Bainbridge Wadleigh (Republican) [data missing]
New York	Roscoe Conkling	Republican	1867	Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873.	▌Y Roscoe Conkling (Republican) ▌Charles A. Wheaton (Democratic) ▌William M. Evarts (Republican) ▌Henry R. Selden (Liberal Republican)
North Carolina	John Pool	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872. Democratic gain.	▌Y Augustus Merrimon (Democratic) [data missing]
Ohio	John Sherman	Republican	1861 (special) 1866	Incumbent re-elected in 1872.	▌Y John Sherman (Republican) [data missing]
Oregon	Henry W. Corbett	Republican	1866–67	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872. Republican hold.	▌Y John H. Mitchell (Republican) [data missing]
Pennsylvania	Simon Cameron	Republican	1867	Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873.	▌Y Simon Cameron (Republican) 57.14% ▌William A. Wallace (Democratic) 37.59% ▌Thomas Marshall (Liberal Republican) 0.75% ▌Hendrick B. Wright (Democratic) 0.75%
South Carolina	Frederick A. Sawyer	Republican	1868	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold.	▌Y John J. Patterson (Republican) [data missing]
Vermont	Justin S. Morrill	Republican	1866	Incumbent re-elected in 1872.	▌Y Justin S. Morrill (Republican) [data missing]
Wisconsin	Timothy O. Howe	Republican	1861 1867	Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1873.	▌Y Timothy O. Howe (Republican) ▌ Henry L. Palmer (Democratic) ▌ Charles A. Eldredge (Democratic)

Elections during the 43rd Congress

In this election, the winner was elected in 1873 after March 4.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Massachusetts (Class 2)	Henry Wilson	Republican	1855 (special) 1859 1865 1871	Incumbent resigned to become U.S. Vice President. New senator elected March 12, 1873.^[9] Republican hold.	▌Y George S. Boutwell (Republican) 152 ▌Henry L. Dawes (Republican) 115 ▌George B. Loring (Republican) 2 ▌John K. Tarbox (Democratic) 2 ▌William Whiting (Democratic) 2 ▌C. G. Greene (Unknown) 2 votes^[9]
California (Class 1)	Eugene Casserly	Democratic	1868	Incumbent resigned. New senator elected December 23, 1873.^[10] Democratic hold.	▌Y John S. Hager (Democratic) ▌[FNU] Cole^[b] (Republican) ▌[FNU] Goodwin (Unknown) ▌[FNU] Swift (Unknown) ▌[FNU] Lewis (Unknown) ▌[FNU] Edgerton (Unknown)^[11]

Early election

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
California (Class 1)	Eugene Casserly	Democratic	1868	Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873. New senator elected early December 20, 1873.^[12] Anti-Monopoly gain.	▌Y Newton Booth (Anti-Monopoly) 60 [data missing]^[12]

Alabama

Arkansas

California

California (regular, class 3)

California (special)

California (early)

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Kentucky (regular)

Kentucky (special)

Louisiana

Louisiana (special)

Louisiana (regular)

Maryland

George R. Dennis was elected by a margin of 75.27%, or 70 votes, for the Class 3 seat.^[13]

Massachusetts (special)

Missouri

Nevada

New Hampshire

New York

The New York election was held January 21, 1873.^[c] Republican Roscoe Conkling had been elected in January 1867 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1873.

At the State election in November 1871, 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1872–1873) in the State Senate. In 1872, a faction of the Republican Party opposed the re-election of President Ulysses S. Grant and the Radical Republicans who supported him, and under the name Liberal Republican Party nominated a joint ticket with the Democratic Party. At the State election in November 1872, 91 Republicans, 35 Democrats and 2 Independents were elected for the session of 1873 to the Assembly. The 96th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 30, 1873, at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 8, State Senator William B. Woodin, of Auburn (25th D.), presided. 18 state senators and 88 assemblymen were present. They re-nominated Conkling unanimously. The caucus of the Democratic State legislators nominated Ex-First Judge of Dutchess County Charles Wheaton.

Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.

House	Republican		Democratic		Republican		Liberal Republican
State Senate (32 members)	Roscoe Conkling	20	Charles A. Wheaton^[d]	5	William M. Evarts	1	Henry R. Selden	1
State Assembly (128 members)	Roscoe Conkling	92	Charles A. Wheaton	26

Note: The vote for Ex-U.S. Attorney General William M. Evarts was cast by Norman M. Allen (32nd district), the vote for Ex-Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Henry R. Selden by Gabriel T. Harrower (27th district). Allen, Harrower and Abiah W. Palmer (11th district) were the three Liberal Republicans in the State Senate.

North Carolina

North Carolina (regular)

North Carolina (late)

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania State Senate, voted on January 21, 1873. Incumbent Republican Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1867, won re-election.^[14]

State Legislature Results^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Simon Cameron (Incumbent)	76	57.14
	Democratic	William A. Wallace	50	37.59
	Liberal Republican	Thomas Marshall	1	0.75
	Democratic	Hendrick Wright	1	0.75
	N/A	Not voting	5	3.76
Totals			133	100.00%

South Carolina

Vermont

Wisconsin

Notes

^ as Republican Conference Chair
^ Possibly Cornelius Cole
^ Although the votes were cast on January 21, both Houses met in a joint session on January 22 to compare nominations, and declare the result.^{[citation needed]}
^ Charles A. Wheaton (1834-1886), lawyer, of Poughkeepsie, First Judge of the Dutchess County Court 1863-67^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
^ Kleber, John E. (October 17, 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 598. ISBN 9780813159010.
^ ^a ^b Taft, pp. 483–512.
^ "LA - Louisiana". www.senate.gov.
^ "CT US Senate". OurCampaigns.com. May 25, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2019., citing The Journal of the House of Representatives of Connecticut 1872.
^ "Our Campaigns - IL US Senate Race - Jan 20, 1873". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
^ Clark, p. 167.
^ Kleber, John E. (October 17, 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 595. ISBN 9780813159010.
^ ^a ^b "Election of Ex-Secretary Boutwell as United States Senator". The New York Times. March 13, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^ "UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. RECENT DECISIONS / CURIOUS LAWSUIT. SENATOR HAGAR, OF CALIFORNIA". The New York Times. December 26, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^ "THE CALIFORNIA SENATORSHIP". The New York Times. December 17, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "THE CALIFORNIAN SENATORSHIP ELECTION OF BOOTH". The New York Times. December 21, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^ "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 18, 1872". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "U.S. Senate Election - 21 January 1873" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

Sources

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
Taft, George S.; Furber, George P.; Buck, George M.; Webb, Charles A.; Pierce, Herbert R. (1913). "Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1913". U.S. Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Members of the 43rd United States Congress
ALBANY.; Unanimous Nomination of Roscoe Conkling for U.S. Senator in NYT on January 9, 1873
ALBANY.; Nomination of Roscoe Conkling as United States Senator in NYT on January 22, 1873
The Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling: Orator, Statesman and Advocate by Alfred R. Conkling (page 449) [gives wrong date for governor's inauguration "January 6", the inauguration happens invariably on January 1; and adds non-existent middle initial "G."]
Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project

[1] s Republican Conference Chair

[12] Possibly Cornelius Cole

[16] Although the votes were cast on January 21, both Houses met in a joint session on January 22 to compare nominations, and declare the result.^{[citation needed]}

[17] Charles A. Wheaton (1834-1886), lawyer, of Poughkeepsie, First Judge of the Dutchess County Court 1863-67^{[citation needed]}

[2] "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.

[3] Kleber, John E. (October 17, 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 598. ISBN 9780813159010.

[FOOTNOTETaft483–512-4] Taft, pp. 483–512.

[5] "LA - Louisiana". www.senate.gov.

[CT-6] "CT US Senate". OurCampaigns.com. May 25, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2019., citing The Journal of the House of Representatives of Connecticut 1872.

[7] "Our Campaigns - IL US Senate Race - Jan 20, 1873". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.

[FOOTNOTEClark167-8] Clark, p. 167.

[9] Kleber, John E. (October 17, 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 595. ISBN 9780813159010.

[MassNYT2-10] "Election of Ex-Secretary Boutwell as United States Senator". The New York Times. March 13, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.

[11] "UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. RECENT DECISIONS / CURIOUS LAWSUIT. SENATOR HAGAR, OF CALIFORNIA". The New York Times. December 26, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.

[13] "THE CALIFORNIA SENATORSHIP". The New York Times. December 17, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.

[CA1NYT-14] "THE CALIFORNIAN SENATORSHIP ELECTION OF BOOTH". The New York Times. December 21, 1873. p. 1. Retrieved February 17, 2020.

[15] "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 18, 1872". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved November 5, 2022.

[results-18] "U.S. Senate Election - 21 January 1873" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

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1872–73 United States Senate elections