In the 1859 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the eighth Iowa General Assembly. Following the expansion of the Iowa Senate from 36 to 43 seats in 1859, elections were held for 27 of the state senate's 43 seats.[e] State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net eight Senate seats.
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 22 seats and Democrats having 21 seats (a net gain of 7 seats for Democrats).[a]
Summary of Results
Note: The holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.
^ abcThe Iowa Senate expanded from 36 seats to 43 seats following the 1859 general election.[1]
^Article IV, section 18, of the Constitution of Iowa at that time established that the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa shall perform the duties of the President of the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor performed the duties of President of the Senate from January 11, 1858 through January 14, 1991. As of 1991, duties of Iowa's Lieutenant Governor no longer include presiding over the state Senate.[2]
^As Lieutenant Governor, Oran Faville was the eighth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the seventh Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Republican Senator William W. Hamilton in that leadership position.[3]
^As the next Lieutenant Governor, Nicholas J. Rusch was the ninth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the eighth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Republican Oran Faville in that leadership position.[4]
^The first was a 2-member district at the time. However, only one of the seats in the district was contested in the election. The other was held by a holdover senator not up for re-election.
^The second district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Bailey was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 3 to 2.
^The third district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The fourth district transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
^ abSenator Coolbaugh was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 4 to 8.
^The fifth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Saunders was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 7 to 9. During the next term, Senator Saunders resigned on May 14, 1861, causing a vacancy in his seat.[7]
^The eighth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Johnson was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 8 to 11.
^The ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Anderson was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 9 to 12.
^The tenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^During the next term, Senator Wilson resigned on October 7, 1861, causing a vacancy in his seat.[8]
^The eleventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twelfth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Pusey was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 12 to 31.
^The fourteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Patterson was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 19 to 14. During the next term, Senator Patterson resigned on May 14, 1861, causing a vacancy in his seat.[9]
^The fifteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Sherraden was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 15 to 16.
^The sixteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The seventeenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Neal was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 17 to 18.
^The eighteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator McPherson was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 18 to 30.
^The nineteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twentieth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Davis was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 23 to 20.
^The twenty-first district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twenty-second district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twenty-third district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Davis was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 27 to 23.
^The twenty-fourth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twenty-fifth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^ abSenator Mann was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 29 to 25.
^The twenty-sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twenty-seventh district transitioned from a 1- to 2-member district.
^ abSenator Wilson was an incumbentholdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 31 to 27.
^The twenty-eighth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The twenty-ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The thirtieth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-first district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-second district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-third district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-fourth district was a 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-fifth district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
^During the next term, Senator Drummond resigned on May 14, 1861, causing a vacancy in his seat.[10]
^The thirty-sixth district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-seventh district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-eighth district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
^The thirty-ninth district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
^The fortieth district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
^The forty-first district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
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