The 1872–73 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with President Ulysses S. Grant's re-election. 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 1872 and 1873, 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 3.
The Republican Party, while still retaining a commanding majority, lost two seats. By the beginning of the Congress, however, they would lose three more: two as defections to the Liberal Republican Party, and one a resignation of Henry Wilson to become U.S. Vice President. This remains the last election in which Republicans held a 2/3 majority in the Senate.
Results summary Senate party division, 43rd Congress (1873–1875)
Majority party: Republican (50–51) Minority party: Democratic (19–20) Other parties: Liberal Republican (3–2) Vacant: (2–1) Total seats: 74
Change in composition
Before the elections After the January 30, 1872 special election in North Carolina.
D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R LR R R R R R R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Result of the elections D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R LR V D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Beginning of the next Congress D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R LR LR LR V V D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R Key: D Democratic LR Liberal Republican R Republican V Vacant
Race summaries
Special elections during the 42nd Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1872 or in 1873 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history North Carolina(Class 2) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected January 30, 1872.Democratic gain. Kentucky(Class 3) Willis B. Machen Democratic 1872 Interim appointee elected January 21, 1873.Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. Louisiana(Class 3) William P. Kellogg Republican 1868 Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana.Legislature failed to elect.The seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876, due to a Senate dispute; see below.Republican loss.
Races leading to the 43rd Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1873; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Alabama George E. Spencer Republican 1868 Incumbent re-elected in 1872. Arkansas Benjamin F. Rice Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1872 or 1873.Republican hold. California Cornelius Cole Republican 1866–67 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1872 or 1873.Republican hold. Connecticut Orris S. Ferry Republican 1866 Incumbent re-elected May 15, 1872 as a Liberal Republican.Liberal Republican gain. Florida Thomas W. Osborn Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1872 or 1873.Republican hold. Georgia Joshua Hill Republican 1867 1871 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1873.Democratic gain. Illinois Lyman Trumbull LiberalRepublican 185518611867 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 20, 1873.Republican gain. Indiana Oliver P. Morton Republican 1867 Incumbent re-elected in 1873. Iowa James Harlan Republican 18551857 1857 18601865 1866 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 17, 1872.Republican hold. Kansas Samuel C. Pomeroy Republican 18611867 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1873.Republican hold. Kentucky Willis B. Machen Democratic 1872 Interim appointee retired or lost re-election.New senator elected December 19, 1871.Democratic hold.Winner was not elected to finish the current term, see above. Louisiana William P. Kellogg Republican 1868 Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana.Legislature failed to elect and the seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876 due to a Senate dispute. Maryland George Vickers Democratic 1868 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1872 or 1873.Democratic hold. Missouri Francis Blair Democratic 1871 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1872 or 1873.Democratic hold. Nevada James W. Nye Republican 18651867 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1873.Republican hold. New Hampshire James W. Patterson Republican 1866–67 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected in 1872.Republican hold. New York Roscoe Conkling Republican 1867 Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873. North Carolina John Pool Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1872.Democratic gain. Ohio John Sherman Republican 1861 1866 Incumbent re-elected in 1872. Oregon Henry W. Corbett Republican 1866–67 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1872.Republican hold. Pennsylvania Simon Cameron Republican 1867 Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873. South Carolina Frederick A. Sawyer Republican 1868 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1872 or 1873.Republican hold. Vermont Justin S. Morrill Republican 1866 Incumbent re-elected in 1872. Wisconsin Timothy O. Howe Republican 18611867 Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1873.
Elections during the 43rd Congress
In this election, the winner was elected in 1873 after March 4.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Massachusetts(Class 2) Henry Wilson Republican 1855 185918651871 Incumbent resigned to become U.S. Vice President.New senator elected March 12, 1873.Republican hold. California(Class 1) Eugene Casserly Democratic 1868 Incumbent resigned.New senator elected December 23, 1873.Democratic hold.
Early election
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California(Class 1) Eugene Casserly Democratic 1868 Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873.New senator elected early December 20, 1873.Anti-Monopoly gain.
Alabama
Arkansas
California
California (regular, class 3)
California (special)
California (early)
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Kentucky (regular)
Kentucky (special)
Louisiana
Louisiana (special)
Louisiana (regular)
Maryland
George R. Dennis was elected by a margin of 75.27%, or 70 votes, for the Class 3 seat.
Massachusetts (special)
Missouri
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
The New York election was held on January 21, 1873. Republican Roscoe Conkling had been elected in January 1867 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1873.
At the State election in November 1871, 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1872–1873) in the State Senate. In 1872, a faction of the Republican Party opposed the re-election of President Ulysses S. Grant and the Radical Republicans who supported him, and under the name Liberal Republican Party nominated a joint ticket with the Democratic Party. At the State election in November 1872, 91 Republicans, 35 Democrats and two Independents were elected for the session of 1873 to the Assembly. The 96th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 30, 1873, at Albany, New York.
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 8, State Senator William B. Woodin, of Auburn (25th D.), presided. 18 state senators and 88 assemblymen were present. They re-nominated Conkling unanimously. The caucus of the Democratic State legislators nominated Ex-First Judge of Dutchess County Charles Wheaton.
Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.
House Republican Democratic Republican Liberal Republican State Senate (32 members) Roscoe Conkling 20 Charles A. Wheaton 5 William M. Evarts 1 Henry R. Selden 1 State Assembly (128 members) Roscoe Conkling 92 Charles A. Wheaton 26
Note: The vote for Ex-U.S. Attorney General William M. Evarts was cast by Norman M. Allen (32nd district), the vote for Ex-Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Henry R. Selden by Gabriel T. Harrower (27th district). Allen, Harrower and Abiah W. Palmer (11th district) were the three Liberal Republicans in the State Senate.
North Carolina
North Carolina (regular)
North Carolina (late)
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania State Senate, voted on January 21, 1873. Incumbent Republican Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1867, won re-election.
| colspan=3 align=right | Totals | align=right | 133 | align=right | 100.00%
South Carolina
Vermont
Wisconsin
The 26th Wisconsin Legislature met in joint session on January 22, 1873, to elect a U.S. senator. The voting was almost entirely along party lines, with five Democrats absent. Of the 128 in attendance, Timothy O. Howe received the votes of all but one of the Republican legislators, winning his third term as U.S. senator.
See also 1872 United States elections 1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections 1872 United States presidential election 42nd United States Congress 43rd United States Congress
Notes
References
Sources Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
Members of the 43rd United States Congress ALBANY.; Unanimous Nomination of Roscoe Conkling for U.S. Senator in NYT on January 9, 1873 ALBANY.; Nomination of Roscoe Conkling as United States Senator in NYT on January 22, 1873 The Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling: Orator, Statesman and Advocate by Alfred R. Conkling (page 449) [gives wrong date for governor's inauguration "January 6", the inauguration happens invariably on January 1; and adds non-existent middle initial "G."] Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project