1866–67 United States Senate elections

United States Senate elections, 1866 and 1867
25 of the 66 (6 vacant)/72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections); 34 seats needed for a majority
Majority Party before election; Republican Party;	Elected Majority Party ; Republican Party;

The United States Senate elections of 1866 and 1867 were elections that saw the Republican Party gain two seats in the United States Senate as several of the Southern States were readmitted during Reconstruction, enlarging their majority.

As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 40th Congress (1867–1869)

Majority Party: Republican (57)
Minority Party: Democratic (9)
Other Parties: (0)
Vacant: (6)
Total Seats: 72

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After August 31, 1866 appointment in New Hampshire.

R₃₆ Retired	R₃₅ Retired	R₃₄ Unknown	R₃₃ Ran	R₃₂ Ran	R₃₁ Ran	R₃₀ Ran	R₂₉ Ran	R₂₈ Ran	R₂₇ Ran
V₆ Seceded	V₅ Seceded	V₄ Seceded	V₃ Seceded	V₂	V₁
V₇ Seceded	V₈ Seceded	V₉ Seceded	V₁₀ Seceded	D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆
R₃₇ Retired	UU₁	UU₂ Unknown	U₁	U₂	U₃ Ran	D₁₀ Retired	D₉ Ran	D₈	D₇
Majority →									R₂₇ Ran
R₁₇	R₁₈	R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅ Ran	R₂₆ Ran
R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉	R₈	R₇
V₁₄	V₁₃	V₁₂	V₁₁	R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆
V₁₅	V₁₆	V₁₇	V₁₈	V₁₉	V₂₀

As a result of the elections

R₃₆ Hold	R₃₅ Hold	R₃₄ Hold	R₃₃ Hold	R₃₂ Hold	R₃₁ Hold	R₃₀ Hold	R₂₉ Re-elected	R₂₈ Re-elected	R₁₇ Re-elected
V₆ Seceded	V₅ Seceded	V₄ Seceded	V₃ Seceded	V₂	V₁
V₇ Seceded	V₈ Seceded	V₉ Seceded	V₁₀ Seceded	D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆
R₃₇ Hold	R₃₈ Gain	R₃₉ Gain	UU₁	U₁	U₂	D₁₀ Gain	D₉ Gain	D₈	D₇
Majority →									R₁₇ Re-elected
R₁₇	R₁₈	R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅ Re-elected	R₂₆ Re-elected
R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉	R₈	R₇
V₁₄	V₁₃	V₁₂	V₁₁	R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆
V₁₅	V₁₆	V₁₇	V₁₈	V₁₉	V₂₀

Beginning of the next Congress

V₇	V₆	V₅	V₄	V₃	V₂	V₁
V₈	V₉	V₁₀	V₁₁ Not seated	D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄	D₅	D₆
R₃₈	R₃₉	R₄₀ Changed	R₄₁ Changed	R₄₂ New seat	R₄₃ New seat	R₄₄ Gain	R₄₅ Gain	D₈ Changed	D₇
R₃₇	R₃₆	R₃₅	R₃₄	R₃₃	R₃₂	R₃₁	R₃₀	R₂₉	R₂₈
Majority →									R₂₇
R₁₈	R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄	R₂₅	R₂₆	R₂₇
R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉	R₈
V₁₄	V₁₃	V₁₂	R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇
V₁₅	V₁₆	V₁₇	V₁₈	V₁₉	V₂₀	V₂₁

Key:

D_#	Democratic
R_#	Republican
UU_#	Unconditional Unionist
U_#	Unionist
V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 39th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1866 or in 1867 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Maine (Class 2)	Nathan A. Farwell	Republican	1864 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 11, 1865 to finish the term. Winner did not run for re-election to the next term, see below.	√ Nathan A. Farwell (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa (Class 3)	James Harlan	Republican	1855 (1857 Election invalidated) 1857 (Special) 1860	Incumbent resigned May 15, 1865 to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Winner elected January 13, 1866. Republican Hold. Winner did not run for re-election to the next term, see below.	√ Samuel J. Kirkwood (Republican) [data missing]
Tennessee (Class 1)	Vacant since March 4, 1862 when Andrew Johnson (D) resigned to become Military Governor of Tennessee.			State re-admitted to the Union. Winner elected July 24, 1866. Unionist gain.	√ Joseph S. Fowler (Unionist) [data missing]
Tennessee (Class 2)	Vacant since March 3, 1861 when Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) withdrew in anticipation of secession.			State re-admitted to the Union. Winner elected July 24, 1866. Unionist gain.	√ David T. Patterson (Unionist) [data missing]
New Jersey (Class 2)	John P. Stockton	Democratic	1864	Incumbent's election disputed and seat declared vacant. Winner elected September 19, 1866. Republican gain.	√ Alexander G. Cattell (Republican) [data missing]
Vermont (Class 1)	George F. Edmunds	Republican	1866 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.^[1]	√ George F. Edmunds (Republican) [data missing]
Vermont (Class 3)	Luke P. Poland	Republican	1865 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected October 24, 1866 to finish the term.^[1] Winner lost re-election to the next term, see below.	√ Luke P. Poland (Republican) [data missing]
Kansas (Class 2)	Edmund G. Ross	Republican	1866 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.^[2]	√ Edmund G. Ross (Republican) [data missing]
New Jersey (Class 1)	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen	Republican	1866 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 23, 1867 to finish the term.^[3]	√ Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (Republican) [data missing]
Nebraska (Class 1)	New State			Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Winner elected March 1, 1867. Republican gain.	√ Thomas Tipton (Unionist) [data missing]
Nebraska (Class 2)	New State			Nebraska admitted to the Union March 1, 1867. Winner elected March 1, 1867. Republican gain.	√ John M. Thayer (Republican) [data missing]

Races leading to the 40th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1867; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	Vacant since January 21, 1861 when Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) withdrew.			Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	None.
Arkansas	Vacant since July 11, 1861 when Charles B. Mitchel (D) was expelled.			Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	None.
California	James A. McDougall	Democratic	1860	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican gain.	√ Cornelius Cole (Republican) [data missing]
Connecticut	Lafayette S. Foster	Republican	1860	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1866. Republican hold.	√ Orris S. Ferry (Republican) Lafayette S. Foster (Republican) [data missing]
Florida	Vacant since January 21, 1861 when David Levy Yulee (D) withdrew.			Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	None.
Georgia	Vacant since January 28, 1861 when Alfred Iverson, Sr. (D) withdrew.			Winner elected in 1867. Senate refused to seat the winner. Seat remained vacant until 1871 when Georgia was readmitted.	√ Joshua Hill (Republican) [data missing]
Illinois	Lyman Trumbull	Republican	1854 or 1855 1861	Incumbent re-elected in 1867.	√ Lyman Trumbull (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa	Samuel J. Kirkwood	Republican	1865 (Special)	Incumbent lost nomination. Winner elected January 13, 1866.^[4] Republican hold.	√ James Harlan (Republican) 118 votes H. H. Trimble (Democratic) 20 votes
Indiana	Henry Lane	Republican	1860	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1867. Republican hold.	√ Oliver P. Morton (Republican) [data missing]
Kansas	Samuel C. Pomeroy	Republican	1861	Incumbent re-elected in 1867.	√ Samuel C. Pomeroy (Republican) [data missing]
Kentucky	Garrett Davis	Unionist	1861 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1867 as a Democrat. Democratic gain.	√ Garrett Davis (Democratic) [data missing]
Louisiana	Vacant since February 4, 1861 when John Slidell (D) resigned.			Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	None.
Maryland	John Creswell	Unconditional Unionist	1865 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1866 or in 1867. Democratic gain. Senate refused to seat him as a person "who had given aid and comfort" to the Confederate cause. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	√ Philip Francis Thomas (Democratic) [data missing]
Missouri	B. Gratz Brown	Republican	1863 (Special)	Incumbent retired due to ill health. Winner elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican hold.	√ Charles D. Drake (Republican) [data missing]
Nevada	James W. Nye	Republican	1865	Incumbent re-elected in 1867.	√ James W. Nye (Republican) [data missing]
New Hampshire	George G. Fogg	Republican	1866 (Appointed)	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican hold.	√ James W. Patterson (Republican) [data missing]
New York	Ira Harris	Republican	1861	Incumbent lost renomination. Winner elected January 15, 1867. Republican hold.	√ Roscoe Conkling (Republican) Henry C. Murphy (Democratic) George F. Comstock (Democratic)
North Carolina	Vacant since March 11, 1861 when Thomas Clingman (D) resigned.			Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	None.
Ohio	John Sherman	Republican	1861 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1866.	√ John Sherman (Republican) [data missing]
Oregon	James Nesmith	Democratic	1860 or 1861	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1866 or 1867. Republican gain.	√ Henry W. Corbett (Republican) [data missing]
Pennsylvania	Edgar Cowan	Republican	1861	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected January 15, 1867. Republican hold.	√ Simon Cameron (Republican) 61.65% Edgar Cowan (Republican) 36.84%
South Carolina	Vacant since November 11, 1860 when James Henry Hammond (D) withdrew.			Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868.	None.
Vermont	Luke P. Poland	Republican	1865 (Appointed) 1866	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1866. Republican hold.	√ Justin S. Morrill (Republican) Luke P. Poland (Republican) [data missing]
Wisconsin	Charles Durkee	Republican	1861	Incumbent re-elected in 1866.	√ Timothy O. Howe (Republican) [data missing]

Elections during the 40th Congress

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Tennessee	David T. Patterson	Democratic	1866 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Winner elected early in October 22, 1867 for the term beginning March 4, 1869.	√ William G. Brownlow (Republican) 63 William B. Stokes (Republican) 39^[5]

New York

The New York election was held on January 15, 1867, by the New York State Legislature. Republican Ira Harris had been elected in February 1861 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1867.

At the State election in November 1865, 27 Republicans and 5 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1866-1867) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1866, 82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1867 to the Assembly. The 90th State Legislature met from January 1 to April 20, 1867, at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 10, State Senator Charles J. Folger presided. State Senator Thomas Parsons (28th D.) was absent, but had his vote cast by proxy. They nominated Congressman Roscoe Conkling for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Ira Harris was voted down.

Candidate	Informal ballot	First ballot	Second ballot	Third ballot	Fifth ballot
Roscoe Conkling	33	39	45	53	59
Noah Davis	30	41	44	50	49
Ira Harris	32	24	18	6
Ransom Balcom^[6]	7	4	2	wd
Horace Greeley	6	wd
Charles J. Folger	1	1			1

Notes:

On the fourth ballot, 110 votes were cast, one too many, and it was annulled.
"wd" = name withdrawn

The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met also on January 10. State Senator Henry C. Murphy was nominated on the first ballot with 25 votes against 21 for Ex-D.A. of New York A. Oakey Hall. Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.

**1867 United States Senator election result**
House	Republican		Democratic		Democratic
State Senate (32 members)	Roscoe Conkling	24	Henry C. Murphy	2	George F. Comstock	1
State Assembly (128 members)	Roscoe Conkling	78	Henry C. Murphy	42

Notes:

The vote for Ex-Chief Judge Comstock was cast by Henry C. Murphy.
The votes were cast on January 15, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 16 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

Conkling was re-elected in 1873 and 1879, and remained in office until May 17, 1881, when he resigned in protest against the distribution of federal patronage in New York by President James A. Garfield without being consulted. The crisis between the Stalwart and the Half-Breed factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson was appointed Collector of the Port of New York, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held on January 15, 1867. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.^[7]

Incumbent Republican Edgar Cowan, who was elected in 1861, was a candidate for re-election to another term, but was defeated by former Democratic Senator and former United States Secretary of War Simon Cameron, who had previously switched to the Republican Party.^[8] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 15, 1867, to elect a Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1867. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

State Legislature Results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Simon Cameron	82	61.65
	Republican	Edgar Cowan (Inc.)	49	36.84
	N/A	Not voting	2	1.50
Totals			133	100.00%

References

^ ^a ^b Byrd and Wolff, p. 176
^ Byrd and Wolff, p. 108
^ Byrd and Wolff, p. 142
^ Clark, p. 141
^ Coulter, E. Merton. "William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands". p. 347.
^ Ransom Balcom (1818-1879), of Binghamton, justice of the New York Supreme Court (6th D.) 1856-77
^ ^a ^b "U.S. Senate Election - 15 January 1867" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
^ "CAMERON, Simon, (1799 - 1889)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). "The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992" (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office.
Clark, Dan Elbert (1912). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner, 1867 (see pg. 568 for U. S. Senators; pg. 444 for State Senators 1867; pg. 505f for Members of Assembly 1867)
Members of the 40th United States Congress
Result state election 1865 in The Tribune Almanac for 1866 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
Result state election 1866 in The Tribune Almanac for 1867 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
...THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS; Hon. Roscoe Conkling, of Oneida County, Nominated for United States Senator; ...DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS; Hon. Henry C. Murphy, of Kings County, Nominated for United States Senator in NYT on January 11, 1867
Journal of the New York State Assembly (1867; pages 98f and 103)
Journal of the New York State Senate (1867; pages 58f and 62)
Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project

[ByrdVT-1] Byrd and Wolff, p. 176

[ByrdKS-2] Byrd and Wolff, p. 108

[ByrdNJ-3] Byrd and Wolff, p. 142

[4] Clark, p. 141

[5] Coulter, E. Merton. "William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands". p. 347.

[6] Ransom Balcom (1818-1879), of Binghamton, justice of the New York Supreme Court (6th D.) 1856-77

[results-7] "U.S. Senate Election - 15 January 1867" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

[8] "CAMERON, Simon, (1799 - 1889)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 22, 2013.

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Results summary

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

As a result of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress

Race summaries

Special elections during the 39th Congress

Races leading to the 40th Congress

Elections during the 40th Congress

New York

Pennsylvania

See also

References