The 1846–47 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 1846 and 1847, 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 2.

The Democratic Party gained four seats in the United States Senate.

Results Senate party division, 30th Congress (1847–1849)

Majority party: Democratic (34–38) Minority party: Whig (20–21) Other parties: Independent Democratic (1) Total seats: 58–60

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the February 1846 elections in Texas.   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 W W W V D D W W W W W W W W W W   W W W W W W W W

As a result of the regular elections

  V 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 V V ID D D D D D W W W W W W W W W W   V W W W W W W W W

As a result of the regular elections

  V 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 ID D D D D D W W W W W W W W W W   V W W W W W W W W Key: D Democratic ID Independent Democratic W Whig V Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 29th Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1846 or in 1847 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Mississippi(Class 2) Joseph W. Chalmers Democratic 1845 Interim appointee elected January 10, 1846. Texas(Class 1) None (new state) Texas was admitted to the Union December 29, 1845.Senator elected February 21, 1846.Democratic gain. Texas(Class 2) Texas was admitted to the Union December 29, 1845.Senator elected February 21, 1846.Democratic gain. New Hampshire(Class 2) Benning W. Jenness Democratic 1845 Appointee lost election to finish the term.New senator elected June 13, 1846.Liberty gain.Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. North Carolina(Class 3) William H. Haywood Jr. Democratic 1843 Incumbent resigned July 25, 1846 rather than disobey instructions from the N.C. General Assembly.New senator elected November 25, 1846.Whig gain. Louisiana(Class 2) Alexander Barrow Whig 1840 Incumbent died December 29, 1846.New senator elected January 21, 1847.Democratic gain.Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. Virginia(Class 1) Isaac S. Pennybacker Democratic 1845 Incumbent died January 12, 1847.New senator elected January 21, 1847.Democratic hold. Iowa(Class 2) None (new state) Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846.Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split preventing any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.Seats remained vacant until December 7, 1848. Iowa(Class 3)

Races leading to the 30th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1847; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Alabama Dixon Hall Lewis Democratic 1844 Incumbent elected to full term in 1847. Arkansas Chester Ashley Democratic 1844 Incumbent re-elected in 1846. Delaware Thomas Clayton Whig 1837 1841 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.Winner elected in 1846 or 1847.Whig hold. Georgia John M. Berrien Whig 18251829 18401845 1845 Incumbent re-elected in 1846. Illinois James Semple Democratic 1843 ? Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1846.Democratic hold. Kentucky James T. Morehead Whig 1841 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1846 or 1847.Whig hold. Louisiana Pierre Soulé Democratic 1847 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1847.Democratic hold. Maine George Evans Whig 1840 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1846.Democratic gain. Massachusetts John Davis Whig 18351841 1845 Incumbent re-elected in 1847. Michigan William Woodbridge Whig 1841 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in February 1847.Democratic gain. Mississippi Joseph W. Chalmers Democratic 1845 ? Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected in 1846 or 1847.Democratic hold. New Hampshire Joseph Cilley Liberty 1846 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1846.Independent Democratic gain. New Jersey Jacob W. Miller Whig 1841 Incumbent re-elected in 1846. North Carolina Willie Mangum Whig 1840 1841 Incumbent re-elected in 1847. Rhode Island James F. Simmons Whig 1841 Incumbent lost re-election.New member elected in 1846 or 1847.Whig hold. South Carolina John C. Calhoun Democratic 1832 183418401843 1845 Incumbent re-elected in 1846. Tennessee Spencer Jarnagin Whig 1843 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss. Texas Sam Houston Democratic 1846 Incumbent re-elected in 1847 Virginia William S. Archer Whig 1840 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1846.Democratic gain.

Special elections during the 30th Congress In this special election, the winner was elected in 1847 after March 4.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Tennessee(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had earlier failed to elect.New senator elected November 22, 1847.Whig gain.

Iowa

Iowa became a state in December 1846, but did not elect its senators until December 1848.

Louisiana

Alexander Barrow (W) died December 29, 1846. Pierre Soulé (D) was elected January 21, 1847 just to finish the term. Solomon W. Downs (D) was elected to the next term.

New Hampshire Democratic appointee Benning W. Jenness lost the June 13, 1846 election to finish the term and the election the same day to the next term. Joseph Cilley (Liberty) was elected to finish the term, but lost the election to the next term. John P. Hale (Independent Democratic) was elected to the next term and would later become a Free Soiler.

Virginia

William S. Archer (W) lost re-election to Democrat Robert M. T. Hunter.

Virginia (special)

Isaac S. Pennybacker (D), who was not up for election, died January 12, 1847. James Murray Mason (D) was elected January 21, 1847.

See also 1846 United States elections 1846–47 United States House of Representatives elections 29th United States Congress 30th United States Congress

References

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov