1894–95 United States Senate elections

United States Senate elections, 1894 and 1895
30 of the 88 seats in the U.S. Senate; (as well as special elections); 45 seats needed for a majority
Majority Party before election; Democratic;	Elected Majority Party ; Republican;

The United States Senate elections of 1894 and 1895 were a slight Republican victory. It was a different story in the House where Democrats suffered massive losses. The senators elected went on to serve in the 54th Congress.

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

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 54th Congress (1895–1897)

Plurality: Republican: 42
Minority: Democrats: 39
Other parties: Populist: 4, Silver: 1, Silver Republican: 1
Total: 88
Vacant: 1, due to failure to elect. Later filled by a Democrat

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

R₃₄ Unknown	R₃₃ Ran	R₃₂ Ran	R₃₁ Ran	R₃₀ Ran	R₂₉ Ran	R₂₈ Ran	R₂₇ Ran	R₂₆ Ran	R₂₅ Ran
						D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄
D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁	D₁₀	D₉	D₈	D₇	D₆	D₅
D₁₅	D₁₆	D₁₇	D₁₈	D₁₉	D₂₀	D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄
D₃₄ Ran	D₃₃ Ran	D₃₂ Ran	D₃₁ Ran	D₃₀	D₂₉	D₂₈	D₂₇	D₂₆	D₂₅
D₃₅ Ran	D₃₆ Ran	D₃₇ Ran	D₃₈ Ran	D₃₉ Unknown	D₄₀ Unknown	D₄₁ Unknown	D₄₂ Retired	D₄₃ Retired	V₁
Majority with vacancies →									V₂
R₃₅ Retired	R₃₆ Retired	R₃₇ Retired	SR₁	P₁	P₂	P₃	D₄₄ Retired		V₃
R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇	R₁₈	R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂ Ran	R₂₃ Ran	R₂₄ Ran
R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉	R₈	R₇	R₆	R₅
						R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄

Result of the general elections

R₃₄ Hold	R₃₃ Hold	R₃₂ Hold	R₃₁ Hold	R₃₀ Hold	R₂₉ Re-elected	R₂₈ Re-elected	R₂₇ Re-elected	R₂₆ Re-elected	R₂₅ Re-elected
						D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄
D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁	D₁₀	D₉	D₈	D₇	D₆	D₅
D₁₅	D₁₆	D₁₇	D₁₈	D₁₉	D₂₀	D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄
D₃₄ Re-elected	D₃₃ Re-elected	D₃₂ Re-elected	D₃₁ Re-elected	D₃₀	D₂₉	D₂₈	D₂₇	D₂₆	D₂₅
D₃₅ Hold	D₃₆ Hold	D₃₇ Hold	D₃₈ Hold	D₃₉ Hold	D₄₀ Retired	P₄ Gain	P₃	V₄ R Loss	V₁
No majority									V₂
R₃₅ Hold	R₃₆ Hold	R₃₇ Gain	R₃₈ Gain	R₃₉ Gain	SR₁	P₁	P₂		V₃
R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇	R₁₈	R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂ Re-elected	R₂₃ Re-elected	R₂₄ Re-elected
R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉	R₈	R₇	R₆	R₅
						R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄

Beginning of the next Congress

						D₁	D₂	D₃	D₄
D₁₄	D₁₃	D₁₂	D₁₁	D₁₀	D₉	D₈	D₇	D₆	D₅
D₁₅	D₁₆	D₁₇	D₁₈	D₁₉	D₂₀	D₂₁	D₂₂	D₂₃	D₂₄
D₃₄	D₃₃	D₃₂	D₃₁	D₃₀	D₂₉	D₂₈	D₂₇	D₂₆	D₂₅
D₃₅	D₃₆	D₃₇	D₃₈	D₃₉	P₄	P₃	P₂	P₁	V₁
Plurality ↓								SR₁
R₃₅	R₃₆	R₃₇	R₃₈	R₃₉ Gain from D	R₄₀ Gain from V	R₄₁ Gain from V	R₄₂ Gain from V	S₁ Change from R
R₃₄	R₃₃	R₃₂	R₃₁	R₃₀	R₂₉	R₂₈	R₂₇	R₂₆	R₂₅
R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇	R₁₈	R₁₉	R₂₀	R₂₁	R₂₂	R₂₃	R₂₄
R₁₄	R₁₃	R₁₂	R₁₁	R₁₀	R₉	R₈	R₇	R₆	R₅
						R₁	R₂	R₃	R₄

Key:

D_#	Democratic
P_#	Populist
R_#	Republican
S_#	Silver
SR_#	Silver Republican
V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 53rd Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1894 or in 1895 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Mississippi (Class 2)	Edward C. Walthall	Democratic	1885 (Appointed) 1886 (Special) 1889 1892 (for term beginning 1895)	Incumbent resigned due to ill health. New senator elected February 7, 1894. Democratic hold. Walthall, however, had already been re-elected to next term.^[1]	√ Anselm J. McLaurin (Democratic) [data missing]
Louisiana (Class 2)	Donelson Caffery	Democratic	1892 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected May 23, 1894.^[2]	√ Donelson Caffery (Democratic) [data missing]
Louisiana (Class 3)	Newton C. Blanchard	Democratic	1894 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected May 23, 1894.^[3]	√ Newton C. Blanchard (Democratic) [data missing]
Georgia (Class 2)	Patrick Walsh	Democratic	1894 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 7, 1894.^[4]	√ Patrick Walsh (Democratic) [data missing]
North Carolina (Class 3)	Thomas Jarvis	Democratic	1894 (Appointed)	Unknown if interim appointee retired or lost election to finish the term. New senator elected November 7, 1894. Republican gain. New senator qualified January 23, 1895.	√ Jeter Pritchard (Republican) [data missing]
Montana (Class 1)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected January 16, 1895.	√ Lee Mantle (Republican) [data missing]
Wyoming (Class 1)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected January 23, 1895.	√ Clarence D. Clark (Republican) [data missing]
California (Class 3)	George C. Perkins	Republican	1893 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 23, 1895.^[5]	√ George C. Perkins (Republican) [data missing]
Michigan (Class 1)	John Patton Jr.	Republican	1894 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost election to finish the term. New senator elected January 24, 1895. Republican hold.	√ Julius C. Burrows (Republican) [data missing]
Washington (Class 1)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected February 1, 1895.	√ John L. Wilson (Republican) [data missing]

Elections leading to the 54th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1895; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	John Tyler Morgan	Democratic	1876 1882 1888	Incumbent re-elected in 1894.	√ John Tyler Morgan (Democratic) [data missing]
Arkansas	James Berry	Democratic	1885 (Special) 1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ James Berry (Democratic) [data missing]
Colorado	Edward O. Wolcott	Republican	1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ Edward O. Wolcott (Republican) [data missing]
Delaware	Anthony C. Higgins	Republican	1888 or 1889	Incumbent lost re-election. Failure to elect. Republican loss.	Anthony C. Higgins (Republican) [data missing]
Georgia	Patrick Walsh	Democratic	1894 (Special)	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1894. Democratic hold.	√ Augustus Bacon (Democratic) [data missing]
Illinois	Shelby M. Cullom	Republican	1882 1888	Incumbent re-elected in 1894.	√ Shelby M. Cullom (Republican) [data missing]
Idaho	George Shoup	Republican	1890	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ George Shoup (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa	James F. Wilson	Republican	1888	Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 17, 1894.^[6] Republican hold.	√ John H. Gear (Republican) Horace Boies (Democratic)
Kansas	John Martin	Democratic	1893 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in January 1895. Republican gain.	√ Lucien Baker (Republican) [data missing]
Kentucky	William Lindsay	Democratic	1893 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1894.^[7]	√ William Lindsay (Democratic) [data missing]
Louisiana	Donelson Caffery	Democratic	1891 (Appointed) 1894	Incumbent re-elected May 14, 1894.^[8]	√ Donelson Caffery (Democratic) 97 Jones 21 Allen Barksdale 7^[8]
Maine	William P. Frye	Republican	1881 (Special) 1883 1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ William P. Frye (Republican) [data missing]
Massachusetts	George Frisbie Hoar	Republican	1877 1883 1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ George Frisbie Hoar (Republican) [data missing]
Michigan	James McMillan	Republican	1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ James McMillan (Republican) [data missing]
Minnesota	William D. Washburn	Republican	1888	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1895. Republican hold.	√ Knute Nelson (Republican) William D. Washburn (Republican) [data missing]
Mississippi	Anselm J. McLaurin	Democratic	1894	Incumbent retired as predecessor had already been elected to the next term. Predecessor elected early January 20, 1892.^[1] Democratic hold.	√ Edward C. Walthall (Democratic) Clerk Lewis C.E. Hooker^[1]
Montana	Thomas C. Power	Republican	1890	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in January 1895.^[9] Republican hold.	√ Thomas H. Carter (Republican) [data missing]
Nebraska	Charles F. Manderson	Republican	1883 1888	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected January 15, 1895. Republican hold.	√ John M. Thurston (Republican) William Jennings Bryan (Democratic) [data missing]
New Hampshire	William E. Chandler	Republican	1887 (Special) 1889 (Legislature failed to elect) 1889 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	[data missing]
New Jersey	John R. McPherson	Democratic	1877 1883 1889	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1895. Republican gain.	√ William Joyce Sewell (Republican) [data missing]
North Carolina	Matt W. Ransom	Democratic	1872 (Special) 1876 1883 1889	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1894. Populist gain.	√ Marion Butler (Populist) Matt W. Ransom (Democratic) [data missing]
Oregon	Joseph N. Dolph	Republican	1882 1888	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected February 23, 1895.^[10] Republican hold.	√ George W. McBride (Republican) Joseph N. Dolph (Republican) [data missing]
Rhode Island	Nathan F. Dixon III	Republican	1889 (Special)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1894. Republican hold.	√ George P. Wetmore (Republican) [data missing]
South Carolina	Matthew Butler	Democratic	1876 1882 1888	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1894. Democratic hold.	√ Benjamin Tillman (Democratic) [data missing]
South Dakota	Richard F. Pettigrew	Republican	1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1894.	√ Richard F. Pettigrew (Republican) [data missing]
Tennessee	Isham G. Harris	Democratic	1877 1883 1889	Incumbent re-elected in 1895.	√ Isham G. Harris (Democratic) [data missing]
Texas	Richard Coke	Democratic	1876 1882 1888	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1894. Democratic hold.	√ Horace Chilton (Democratic) [data missing]
Virginia	Eppa Hunton	Democratic	1892 (Appointed) 1893 (Special)	Incumbent retired. New senator was already elected early December 19, 1893.^[11] Democratic hold.	√ Thomas S. Martin (Democratic) [data missing]
West Virginia	Johnson N. Camden	Democratic	1893 (Special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 23, 1895.^[12] Republican gain.	√ Stephen B. Elkins (Republican) 60 votes Johnson N. Camden (Democratic) 29 votes Neal (Populist) 2 votes.^[12]
Wyoming	Joseph M. Carey	Republican	1890	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1895. Republican hold.	√ Francis E. Warren (Republican) Joseph M. Carey (Republican)

Elections during the 54th Congress

There were no elections in 1895 after March 4.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c "GEORGE AND WALTHALL ELECTED". The New York Times. January 20, 1892. p. 1.
^ Byrd, p. 114.
^ Byrd, p. 115.
^ Byrd, p. 96.
^ Byrd, p. 83.
^ Clark, p. 234.
^ Kleber, John E. The Kentucky Encyclopedia. p. 558.
^ ^a ^b "MR. CAFFREY HIS OWN SUCCESSOR". The New York Times. May 15, 1894. p. 1.
^ Goodspeed, p. 457.
^ "George Wycliffe McBride". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
^ ""TWO VIRGINIA SENATORS ELECTED"". The New York Times. December 20, 1893.
^ ^a ^b "Elkins Elected in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 24, 1895. p. 5.

References

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, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, ed. (1904). "The Province and the States: A History of the Province of Louisiana Under France and Spain, And of the Territories and States of the United States Formed Therefrom" (Vol. VI ed.). Madison, Wisconsin: Western Historical Association.

[Mississippi-1] "GEORGE AND WALTHALL ELECTED". The New York Times. January 20, 1892. p. 1.

[FOOTNOTEByrd114-2] Byrd, p. 114.

[FOOTNOTEByrd115-3] Byrd, p. 115.

[FOOTNOTEByrd96-4] Byrd, p. 96.

[FOOTNOTEByrd83-5] Byrd, p. 83.

[FOOTNOTEClark234-6] Clark, p. 234.

[KY1893-7] Kleber, John E. The Kentucky Encyclopedia. p. 558.

[Louisiana-8] "MR. CAFFREY HIS OWN SUCCESSOR". The New York Times. May 15, 1894. p. 1.

[FOOTNOTEGoodspeed457-9] Goodspeed, p. 457.

[Oregon-10] "George Wycliffe McBride". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Retrieved October 27, 2016.

[11] ""TWO VIRGINIA SENATORS ELECTED"". The New York Times. December 20, 1893.

[NYTWV1895-12] "Elkins Elected in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 24, 1895. p. 5.

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