The 1863 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 3, 1863. The Union candidate Edwin D. Morgan defeated the Democratic candidate Erastus Corning on the joint ballot of the Senate and the Assembly.
Background Republican Preston King was elected in 1857. King's term was due to expire on March 4, 1863, with the end of the 37th United States Congress.
The 86th New York State Legislature convened on January 6, 1863, following general elections held in 1862. Thirty senators elected in 1861 were held over from the 85th Legislature. The incoming legislature consisted of 23 Unionists and nine Democrats in the Senate and 64 Unionists and 64 Democrats in the Assembly.
A long struggle to elect a speaker ensued in the closely divided Assembly. The Union candidate Henry Sherwood and the Democratic candidate Gilbert Dean received 63 votes each on the first ballot. Voting continued for several days without a majority for either candidate. Failure to organize the chamber threatened to postpone the election of a U.S. senator indefinitely. Sherwood and Dean withdrew their candidacies on January 16; the Union members then switched their votes to Democrat Theophilus C. Callicot, in exchange for Callicot's support for the Union candidate in the senatorial election. A Democratic filibuster continued the contest until January 26, when Callicot defeated the replacement Democratic candidate Eliphaz Trimmer on the 92nd ballot.
Nominations Union Party The Union members of the legislature held a caucus on February 2, 1863. Morgan, King, Daniel S. Dickinson, Charles B. Sedgwick, David D. Field, Henry J. Raymond, Ward Hunt, and Henry R. Selden were candidates. Morgan was nominated with a majority on the second ballot.
+ 1863 New York Union U.S. senatorial caucus Candidate U.S. senatorial ballot Informal 1st 2nd Edwin D. Morgan 25 39 50 Preston King 19 16 11 Daniel S. Dickinson 15 11 13 Charles B. Sedgwick 11 7 1 David D. Field 7 5 2 Henry J. Raymond 6 8 9 Ward Hunt 4 Henry R. Selden 1 Blank 1 TOTAL 89 86 86
Democratic Party The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on February 2, 1863. The meeting found it inexpedient to nominate a candidate and advised members to vote their conscience in the senatorial election. The caucus met again on February 3 and voted to reconsider the previous day's motion. Erastus Corning defeated Fernando Wood on the first ballot.
+ 1863 New York Democratic U.S. senatorial caucus Candidate 1st Erastus Corning 28 Fernando Wood 25 Scattering 18 TOTAL 71
General election The Senate and the Assembly met separately on February 3 to hold an election for the next term. Morgan was nominated by the Senate with 23 votes to 7 for Corning.
In the Assembly, Morgan led on the first ballot with 64 votes, one less than a majority, Speaker Callicot having voted for John A. Dix. The Union members then switched their votes to Dix, who was nominated by the Assembly on the second ballot with 65 votes to 63 for Corning.
The two chambers being in disagreement, the Legislature convened in joint session. Morgan defeated Corning on the first joint ballot.
Result + 1863 United States Senate election in New York Party Candidate State Assembly State Senate Joint session 1st ballot 2nd ballot 1st ballot 1st ballot Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Union Edwin D. Morgan 64 50.00 colspan="2" 23 76.67 86 54.43 Democratic Erastus Corning 62 48.44 63 49.22 7 23.33 70 44.30 Union John A. Dix 1 0.78 65 50.78 colspan="2" 1 0.63 Democratic Fernando Wood 1 0.78 colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" Union Daniel S. Dickinson colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" 1 0.63 Total votes Votes needed to win 65 50.01 65 50.01 16 50.01 80 50.01
See also 1862–63 United States Senate elections
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