The 1870–71 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 1870 and 1871, 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. Events of the election The Republican Party lost five seats, though it still retained an overwhelming majority. In advance of these elections, the last four seceded states were readmitted to the Senate.
Mississippian Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to be elected as a U.S. Senator and become a member of Congress.
In Georgia, Foster Blodgett was elected and presented his credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.
In Virginia, Republican John F. Lewis and Democrat John W. Johnston were elected on January 26, 1870, to fill seats that had been vacant since 1864 and 1865.
Results summary Senate party division, 42nd Congress (1871–1873)
Majority party: Republican (55) Minority party: Democratic (14) Other parties: Liberal Republican (1) Vacant: (4) Total seats: 74
Change in Senate composition
By March 30, 1870 After the readmission of Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi, and the special elections in Iowa and Maine.
D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 V1 D7 D8 D9 D10GainReadmitted R62GainReadmitted R61GainReadmitted R60GainSpecial R59GainReadmitted R58GainReadmitted R57GainReadmitted R47 R48 R49 R50 R51 R52 R53 R54 R55 R56Appointee elected R46 R45 R44 R43 R42 R41 R40 R39 R38 R37 Majority → R36 R27 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R17 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1 V2
Before the elections Including the February 1871 readmission of Georgia.
D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D8Ran D9Ran D10Unknown D11Unknown R63Retired R62Retired R61Retired R60Retired R59Retired R58Unknown R48Ran R49Ran R50Ran R51Ran R52Ran R53Ran R54Ran R55Unknown R56Unknown R57Unknown R47Ran R46Ran R45Ran R44Ran R43Ran R42 R41 R40 R39 R38 Majority → R37 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R36 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1
Result of the elections D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D8Hold D9Hold D10Hold D11Gain D12Gain D13Gain D14Gain V1D Loss V2R Loss R58Hold R48Re-elected R49Hold R50Hold R51Hold R52Hold R53Hold R54Hold R55Hold R56Hold R57Hold R47Re-elected R46Re-elected R45Re-elected R44Re-elected R43Re-elected R42 R41 R40 R39 R38 Majority → R37 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R36 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1
Beginning of the next Congress D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14Gain V1D Loss V2 V3 R48 R49 R50 R51 R52 R53 R54 R55 LR1Change V4R Loss R47 R46 R45 R44 R43 R42 R41 R40 R39 R38 Majority → R37 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R36 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1 Key: D# Democratic LR# Liberal Republican R# Republican V# Vacant
Race summaries
Special elections during the 41st Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1870 or in 1871 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Iowa(Class 2) James W. Grimes Republican 18581864 Incumbent resigned December 6, 1869 due to ill health.New senator elected January 18, 1870.Winner did not seek election to the next term. Maine(Class 2) Lot M. Morrill Republican 1861 18631869 1869 Interim appointee elected January 19, 1870 to finish the term.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. Virginia(Class 1) Vacant since January 2, 1864,when Joseph Segar (U) was not seated.Segar was not seated on the premise that the Union-friendly legislature was illegitimate despite having seated his predecessor based credentials from the same legislature. In reality, the Senate refused because it did not want to set a precedent for easing reentry of Confederate states. See State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected January 26, 1870.Republican gain. Virginia(Class 2) Vacant since March 4, 1865, whenJohn Curtiss Underwood (U) was not seated. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected January 26, 1870.Democratic gain.Winner was also elected late to the next term; see below. Texas(Class 1) Vacant since March 23, 1861,when Louis Wigfall (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected February 22, 1870.Republican gain. Texas(Class 2) Vacant since July 11, 1861,when John Hemphill (D) was expelled. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected February 22, 1870.Allowed to take office when state readmitted on March 30, 1870.Republican gain.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. Mississippi(Class 1) Vacant since January 21, 1861,when Jefferson Davis (D) resigned State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected February 23, 1870.Republican gain. Mississippi(Class 2) Vacant since January 12, 1861,when Albert G. Brown (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected February 23, 1870.Republican gain.Unknown if winner ran for the next term or retired; see below. Missouri(Class 3) Daniel T. Jewett Republican 1870 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected January 20, 1871 to finish the term.Democratic gain. Minnesota(Class 2) William Windom Republican 1865 Interim appointee was not elected to finish the term.New senator elected January 22, 1871 to finish the term.Republican hold.Winner was not elected to the next term; see below.Instead, interim appointee was elected to the next term; see below. Georgia(Class 3) Vacant since January 28, 1861,when Alfred Iverson Sr. (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected in 1867, but not seated until readmission on February 1, 1871.Republican gain. Georgia(Class 2) Vacant since February 4, 1861,when Robert Toombs (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected February 24, 1871.Democratic gain.Unknown if winner ran for the next term or retired; see below.
Races leading to the 42nd Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1871; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Alabama Willard Warner Republican 1868 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1870.Democratic gain. Arkansas Alexander McDonald Republican 1868 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1870.Republican hold. Delaware Willard Saulsbury Sr. Democratic 18581864 Incumbent lost re-election to his older brother.New senator elected in 1870.Democratic hold. Georgia Homer V. M. Miller Democratic 1871 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1876 or 1877.Democratic loss.Senate later refused to seat Senator-elect Foster Blodgett. Illinois Richard Yates Republican 1864–65 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1870 or 1871.Republican hold. Iowa James B. Howell Republican 1870 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 18, 1870.Republican hold. Kansas Edmund G. Ross Republican 1866 1867 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1871.Republican hold. Kentucky Thomas C. McCreery Democratic 1868 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected December 16, 1869.Democratic hold. Louisiana John S. Harris Republican 1868 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.New senator elected in 1870 or 1871.Republican hold. Maine Lot M. Morrill Republican 1861 18631869 1869 1870 Incumbent re-elected in 1870 or 1871. Massachusetts Henry Wilson Republican 1855 18591865 Incumbent re-elected in 1871. Michigan Jacob M. Howard Republican 1862 1865 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected January 18, 1871.Republican hold. Minnesota Ozora P. Stearns Republican 1871 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in January 1871.Republican hold. Mississippi Hiram Rhodes Revels Republican 1870 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.New senator elected January 18, 1870.Republican hold. Nebraska John M. Thayer Republican 1867 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1870.Republican hold. New Hampshire Aaron H. Cragin Republican 1864 Incumbent re-elected in 1870. New Jersey Alexander G. Cattell Republican 1866 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1870 or 1871.Republican hold. North Carolina Joseph Abbott Republican 1868 Incumbent lost renomination.Legislature failed to elect.Republican loss.Seat remained vacant until January 30, 1872. Oregon George H. Williams Republican 1864 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1870.Democratic gain. Rhode Island Henry B. Anthony Republican 18581864 Incumbent re-elected in 1870. South Carolina Thomas J. Robertson Republican 1868 Incumbent re-elected in 1870. Tennessee Joseph S. Fowler Republican 1866 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1870 or 1871.Democratic gain. Texas Morgan C. Hamilton Republican 1870 State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected February 22, 1870.Republican hold.Winner was also elected to the unexpired term; see above. Virginia John W. Johnston Democratic 1870 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat remained vacant until March 15, 1871. West Virginia Waitman T. Willey Republican 18631865 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1871.Democratic gain.
Elections during the 42nd Congress In this election, the winner was elected in 1871 after March 4.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Virginia(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.Previous incumbent re-elected March 15, 1871.Democratic gain. John W. Johnston (Democratic) Georgia(Class 2) Vacant Foster Blodgett (R) had presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.New senator elected November 14, 1871.Democratic gain. Thomas M. Norwood (Democratic)
West Virginia Henry G. Davis, a Democratic state legislator, was elected to replace outgoing Republican incumbent Waitman T. Willey. Davis won the Democratic caucus vote over former legislators Daniel Lamb and Benjamin H. Smith. Davis' victory was attributed to widespread support throughout the state, as well as among party leaders. Nearly all of Lamb's votes, meanwhile, were localized to the Northern Panhandle. +Democratic nominationCandidateFirst BallotVotes%Henry G. Davis2752.9Daniel Lamb1223.5Benjamin H. Smith1223.5Total51100Needed to win26>50 +Floor votePartyCandidateHouseSenateVotes%Votes%DemocraticHenry G. Davis3972.21466.7RepublicanJames H. Brown1527.8733.3Total5410021100Needed to win28>5011>50
See also 1870 United States elections 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections 41st United States Congress 42nd United States Congress
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