The 1850–51 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. 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 1850 and 1851, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
The Democratic Party lost seats, but retained a majority in the Senate. This was the last election until 2006 that the Class 1 Vermont seat voted for a non-Republican.
Results summary Senate party division, 32nd Congress (1851–1853)
Majority party: Democratic (34–35) Minority party: Whig Party (21–23) Other parties: Free Soiler (2–3) Total seats: 62
Change in composition
Before the elections
D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D W W W FS FS D D D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W
As a result of the elections
D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D V V FS FS V V V D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W
At the beginning of the first session, December 1, 1851
D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority → D W W FS FS FS V V D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W Key: D Democratic FS Free Soil W Whig V Vacant
Race summaries
Elections during the 31st Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1850 or in 1851 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Maryland(Class 1) David Stewart Whig 1849 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 12, 1850.Whig hold.Winner was elected to the next term; see below. Massachusetts(Class 1) Robert C. Winthrop Whig 1850 Interim appointee lost election to finish the term.New senator elected February 1, 1851.Democratic gain.Winner was not elected to the next term; see below.
Races leading to the 32nd Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1851; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Connecticut Roger Sherman Baldwin Whig 1847 1848 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss.Seat would not be filled until 1852. California John C. Frémont Democratic 1850 Incumbent lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would not be filled until 1852. John C. Frémont (Democratic) Delaware John Wales Whig 1849 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1851.Democratic gain. Florida David Levy Yulee Democratic 1845 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1851.Democratic hold. Indiana Jesse D. Bright Democratic 1844 Incumbent re-elected in 1850. Maine Hannibal Hamlin Sr. Democratic 1848 Incumbent re-elected. First ballot
Thirteenth ballot Maryland Thomas Pratt Whig 1850 Incumbent re-elected January 12, 1850. Massachusetts Robert Rantoul Jr. Democratic 1851 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would later be filled on April 24, 1851; see below. Charles Sumner (Free Soil) Michigan Lewis Cass Democratic 1844 or 18451848 1849 Incumbent re-elected in 1850 or 1851. Mississippi Jefferson Davis Democratic 1847 1848 Incumbent re-elected in 1850. Missouri Thomas H. Benton Democratic 18211827183318391845 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1851.Whig gain. New Jersey William L. Dayton Whig 1842 (appointed)? (special)1845 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1851.Democratic gain. New York Daniel S. Dickinson Democratic 1844 1845 Incumbent lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat would later be filled on March 19, 1851; see below. Daniel S. Dickinson (Democratic)Many; see below. Ohio Thomas Ewing Whig 1850 Incumbent lost election to the next term.Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss.Seat would later be filled on March 15, 1851; see below. Thomas Ewing (Whig) Pennsylvania Daniel Sturgeon Democratic 18401845 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 14, 1851.Democratic hold. Rhode Island Albert C. Greene Whig 1844 or 1845 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1850 or 1851.Democratic gain. Tennessee Hopkins L. Turney Democratic 1844 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1851.Whig gain. Texas Thomas J. Rusk Democratic 1846 Incumbent re-elected in 1851. Vermont Samuel S. Phelps Whig 18391845 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1850.Whig hold. Virginia James M. Mason Democratic 1847 Incumbent re-elected in 1850. Wisconsin Henry Dodge Democratic 1848 Incumbent re-elected on January 20, 1851.
Elections during the 32nd Congress In late these elections, the winners were elected in 1851 after March 4; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Ohio(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.Winner elected late March 15, 1851 on the 37th ballot.Whig gain. New York(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.Winner elected late March 19, 1851.Whig gain. Massachusetts(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.Winner elected April 24, 1851.Free Soil gain. Kentucky(Class 3) Henry Clay Whig 1806 1807 1810 1811 1831 18361842 1849 Incumbent resigned December 17, 1851, to be effective September 6, 1852.Winner elected December 30, 1851.Whig hold.
Race leading to the 33rd Congress
In this regular election, the winner was elected for the term beginning March 4, 1853.
This election involved a Class 3 seat.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Kentucky Joseph R. Underwood Whig 1846 or 1847 Incumbent retired.New senator elected December 13, 1851, far in advance of the 1853 term.Know Nothing gain.
Kentucky Kentucky (early)
One-term Whig Joseph R. Underwood retired and the Know Nothing Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky John Burton Thompson was elected early, December 13, 1851, far in advance of the 1853 term, as was common practice at the time.
Kentucky (special)
Long-term Whig and former-United States Secretary of State Henry Clay announced his resignation December 17, 1851 from the class 3 seat, to be effective September 6, 1852.
Whig Archibald Dixon was elected December 30, 1851.
After many ballots, the vote in the final deciding ballot was:
Before Clay's resignation was effective, he died June 24, 1852. Democratic Secretary of State of Kentucky David Meriwether was appointed July 6, 1852 pending the effective date of the special election. Dixon was then seated September 1, 1852 to finish the term that would end in 1855.
Maryland Maryland (special)
Reverdy Johnson won election in 1844 but retired to become the United States Attorney General. In order to fill his seat, David Stewart was elected as a temporary appointment until a successor could be elected. Thomas Pratt won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.
Maryland (regular)
Thomas Pratt won election to a full term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.
Massachusetts
In 1851, Democrats gained control of the legislature in coalition with the Free Soilers. However, the legislature deadlocked on this Senate race, as Democrats refused to vote for Charles Sumner (the Free Soilers' choice).
New York
The election in New York was held on February 4 and March 18 and 19, 1851. Daniel S. Dickinson (Democratic) had been elected in 1845 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1851. The Whig Party in New York was split in two opposing factions: the Seward/Weed faction (the majority, opposed to the Compromise of 1850) and the "Silver Grays" (supporters of President Millard Fillmore and his compromise legislation, led by Francis Granger whose silver gray hair originated the faction's nickname). The opposing factions of the Democratic Party in New York, the "Barnburners" and the "Hunkers", had reunited at the State election in November 1850, and managed to have almost their whole State ticket elected, only Horatio Seymour was defeated for Governor by a plurality of 262 votes.
At the State election in November 1849, 14 Seward Whigs, 3 Silver Gray Whigs and 15 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1850–1851) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1850, a Whig majority was elected to the Assembly for the session of 1851. The 74th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to April 17, and from June 10 to July 11, 1851, at Albany, New York.
Ex-Governor of New York Hamilton Fish was the candidate of the Whig Party, but was also a close friend of Henry Clay who was one of the leaders of the Fillmore faction in Washington, D.C. He was thus considered the only viable compromise candidate. The Silver Grays asked Fish to pledge his support for the Compromise, but Fish refused to make any comment, saying that he did not seek the office, and that the legislators should vote guided by Fish's known political history. Fish had earlier stated his opposition against the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 but was believed to support most of the remainder of the Compromise. Nevertheless, Silver Gray State Senator James W. Beekman declared that he would not vote for Fish for personal reasons, a dislike stemming from the time when they were fellow students at Columbia University.
The State Legislature met on February 4, the legally prescribed day, to elect a U.S. Senator. In the Assembly, Fish received a majority of 78 to 49. In the State Senate the vote stood 16 for Fish and 16 votes for a variety of candidates, among them Beekman's vote for Francis Granger. After a second ballot with the same result, Beekman moved to adjourn, which was carried by the casting vote of the lieutenant governor, and no nomination was made.
On February 14, Senator George B. Guinnip offered a resolution to declare John Adams Dix elected to the U.S. Senate. On motion of Senator George R. Babcock, the resolution was laid on the table, i.e. consideration was postponed.
On February 15, Guinnip again offered a resolution to declare John Adams Dix elected to the U.S. Senate. Senator Stephen H. Johnson offered an amendment to this resolution, declaring Daniel S. Dickinson elected. On motion of Senator Marius Schoonmaker, the resolution was laid on the table too.
On March 18, when two Democratic State Senators were absent, having gone to New York City, the Whigs persuaded the Democrats in a 14-hour session to re-open the U.S. Senate election, and Senate electionin the small hours of March 19 Fish was nominated by a vote of 16 to 12 (Beekman, Johnson (both Whigs), Thomas B. Carroll and William A. Dart (both Democratic) did not vote).
Fish was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.
Candidate Party Senate(32 members)February 4(first ballot) Senate(32 members)February 4(second ballot) Assembly(128 members)February 4 Senate(32 members)March 19 Assembly(128 members)March 19 Hamilton Fish Whig 16 16 78 16 68 John Adams Dix Democratic 1 1 29 6 6 James T. Brady Democratic 7 Horatio Seymour Democratic 1 1 4 1 Francis Granger Whig 1 1 2 1 Aaron Ward Democratic 1 1 1 Daniel S. Dickinson Democratic 1 1 1 Arphaxed Loomis Democratic 1 1 1 Amasa J. Parker Democratic 1 1 1David Buel Jr. Democratic 1 1 Augustus C. Hand Democratic 1 1 John Hunter Democratic 1 1 John Fine Democratic 1 1 Levi S. Chatfield Democratic 1 1 John Tracy Democratic 1 1 Abraham Bockee Democratic 1 1 George Rathbun Democratic 1 1 Timothy Jenkins Democratic 1 1 William L. Marcy Democratic 1 Washington Irving 1 John L. Riker 1 Erastus Corning Democratic 1 Levi S. Chatfield Democratic 1 George Wood 1 Daniel Lord 1 James S. Wadsworth Democratic 1 William C. Bouck Democratic 1
Ohio