The 1868–69 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 1868 and 1869, 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 Republican Party maintained their Senate majority. Six former Confederate states were then readmitted separately from the regular election, each electing two Republicans. This increased the Republicans' already overwhelming majority to the largest proportion of seats ever controlled by the party.
Results summary Senate party division, 41st Congress (1869–1871)
Majority party: Republican (57) Minority party: Democratic (9) Other parties: (0) Vacant: (8) Total seats: 74
Change in Senate composition
Beginning of 1868
D3 D2 D1 V4 V3 V2 V1 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 V5Readmitted V6Readmitted V7Readmitted V8Readmitted V9Readmitted R44 R45 V17Readmitted V16Readmitted V15Readmitted V14Readmitted V13Readmitted V12Readmitted V11Special V10Readmitted R43 R42 R41 R40 R39 R38 R37 R36 R35 R34 Majority → R33 R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R3 R2 R1 V18 V19 V20 V21
After the readmission of the Confederate states
D3 D2 D1 V4 V3 V2 V1 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9Gain R57Gain R56Gain R55Gain R54Gain R44 R45 R46Gain R47Gain R48Gain R49Gain R50Gain R51Gain R52Gain R53Gain R43 R42 R41 R40 R39 R38 R37 R36 R35 R34 Majority → R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R3 R2 R1 V5 V6 V7 V8
Before the elections After July 16, 1868, readmission of South Carolina.
D3 D2 D1 V4Seceded V3Seceded V2Seceded V1 D4 D5Unknown D6Retired D7Retired D8Retired D9Retired R57Retired R56Retired R55Unknown R54Unknown R44Ran R45Ran R46Ran R47Ran R48Ran R49Ran R50Ran R51Ran R52Ran R53Unknown R43Ran R42Ran R41Ran R40 R39 R38 R37 R36 R35 R34 Majority → R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R3 R2 R1 V5 V6 V7 V8
Result of the elections
D3 D2 D1 V4Seceded V3Seceded V2Seceded V1 D4 D5Hold D6Hold D7Gain D8Gain D9Gain R57Gain R56Gain R55Gain R54Hold R44Re-elected R45Re-elected R46Re-elected R47Re-elected R48Hold R49Hold R50Hold R51Hold R52Hold R53Hold R43Re-elected R42Re-elected R41Re-elected R40 R39 R38 R37 R36 R35 R34 Majority → R24 R25 R26 R27 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19 R18 R17 R16 R15 R14 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R3 R2 R1 V5 V6 V7 V8 Key: D# Democratic R# Republican V# Vacant
Race summaries
Elections during the 40th Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1868 or in 1869 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Kentucky(Class 2) James Guthrie Democratic 1864 Incumbent resigned due to failing health.New senator elected February 18, 1868.Democratic hold. Maryland(Class 3) Vacant since March 3, 1867, whenSenator-elect Philip F. Thomas failed to qualify. New senator elected March 7, 1868.Democratic gain. Florida(Class 1) Vacant since January 21, 1861,when Stephen Mallory (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected June 17, 1868.Republican gain.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. Arkansas(Class 2) Vacant since July 11, 1861,when William K. Sebastian (D) was expelled. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected June 22, 1868.Republican gain. Arkansas(Class 3) Vacant since July 11, 1861,when Charles B. Mitchel (D) was expelled. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected June 23, 1868.Republican gain. Florida(Class 3) Vacant since January 21, 1861,when David Levy Yulee (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected June 25, 1868.Republican gain. Louisiana(Class 2) Vacant since February 4, 1861,when Judah P. Benjamin (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 8, 1868.Republican gain. Louisiana(Class 3) Vacant since February 4, 1861,when John Slidell (D) resigned. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 9, 1868.Republican gain. Alabama(Class 2) Vacant since January 21, 1861,when Clement Claiborne Clay (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 13, 1868.Republican gain. Alabama(Class 3) Vacant since January 21, 1861,when Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 13, 1868.Republican gain. North Carolina(Class 2) Vacant since March 6, 1861,when Thomas Bragg (D) resigned. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 14, 1868.Republican gain. North Carolina(Class 3) Vacant since March 11, 1861,when Thomas Clingman (D) resigned. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 14, 1868.Republican gain. South Carolina(Class 2) Vacant since November 10, 1860,when James Chesnut Jr. (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 15, 1868.Republican gain. South Carolina(Class 3) Vacant since November 11, 1860,when James Henry Hammond (D) withdrew. State readmitted to the Union.New senator elected July 16, 1868.Republican gain. Delaware(Class 1) James A. Bayard Jr. Democratic 1851185718631864 1867 Interim appointee elected January 19, 1869 to finish the term.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below.
Races leading to the 41st Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1869; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California John Conness Republican 1862–63 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected in 1868.Democratic gain. Eugene Casserly (Democratic) Connecticut James Dixon Republican 18561863 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1868 or 1869.Republican hold. William Buckingham (Republican) Delaware James A. Bayard Jr. Democratic 1851185718631864 1867 1869 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1869.Democratic hold. Thomas F. Bayard Sr. (Democratic) Florida Adonijah Welch Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1868 or 1869.Republican hold. Abijah Gilbert (Republican) Indiana Thomas A. Hendricks Democratic 1862 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1868.Republican gain. Daniel D. Pratt (Republican) Maine Lot Myrick Morrill Republican 1861 1863 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected.Republican hold. First ballot Maryland William P. Whyte Democratic 1868 (appointed) Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1868 or 1869.Democratic hold. William T. Hamilton (Democratic) Massachusetts Charles Sumner Republican 1851 (special)18571863 Incumbent re-elected in 1869. Charles Sumner (Republican) Michigan Zachariah Chandler Republican 18571863 Incumbent re-elected in 1869. Zachariah Chandler (Republican) Minnesota Alexander Ramsey Republican 1863 Incumbent re-elected in 1869. Mississippi Vacant since January 21, 1861, when Jefferson Davis (D) resigned. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.Seat remained vacant until 1870. None. Missouri John B. Henderson Republican 1862 1862 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1868.Republican hold. Carl Schurz (Republican) Nebraska Thomas Tipton Republican 1867 Incumbent re-elected in 1869. Thomas Tipton (Republican) Nevada William M. Stewart Republican 1865 Incumbent re-elected in 1869. William M. Stewart (Republican) New Jersey Frederick T. Frelinghuysen Republican 1866 (appointed)1867 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1869.Democratic gain. New York Edwin D. Morgan Republican 1863 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 19, 1869.Republican hold. Ohio Benjamin Wade Republican 185118561863 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected in 1868.Democratic gain. Allen G. Thurman (Democratic) Pennsylvania Charles R. Buckalew Democratic 1863 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected January 19, 1869.Republican gain. Rhode Island William Sprague IV Republican 1862 Incumbent re-elected in 1868. William Sprague IV (Republican) Tennessee David T. Patterson Democratic 1866 Incumbent retired.New senator elected early on October 22, 1867, for the term beginning March 4, 1869.Republican gain. Texas Vacant since March 23, 1861, when Louis Wigfall (D) withdrew. Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.Seat remained vacant until 1870. None. Vermont George F. Edmunds Republican 1866 (appointed)1866 Incumbent re-elected in 1868. George F. Edmunds (Republican) Virginia 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 Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction.Seat remained vacant until 1870. None. West Virginia Peter G. Van Winkle Republican 1863 Incumbent lost re-election or retired.New senator elected in 1869.Republican hold. Arthur I. Boreman (Republican) 43(H), 19(S)Daniel Lamb (Republican) 10(H), 3(S) Wisconsin James R. Doolittle Republican 18571863 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 27, 1869.Republican hold.
Elections during the 41st Congress There were no elections in 1869 during this Congress after March 4.
Delaware
Interim appointed Senator James A. Bayard Jr. was elected January 19, 1869 to finish his term.Byrd and Wolff, page 90
Maryland
Maryland (special)
William Pinkney Whyte won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat to fill the vacancy created by Reverdy Johnson.
Maryland (regular)
William Thomas Hamilton won election against Thomas Swann by a margin of 9.09%, or 10 votes for the Class 1 seat.
Maryland (March special)
Philip Francis Thomas, a Democrat, was elected in 1867, however, failed to qualify for the seat due to his support for the Confederacy. George Vickers was elected to finish the rest of the term by a margin of 17.65%, or 18 votes, for the Class 3 seat.
Minnesota The Minnesota U.S. Senate election was held by the state legislature on January 19, 1869, with each chamber voting separately. Republican Senator Alexander Ramsey received 16 of 21 votes in the state Senate and 36 of 44 in the state House. The legislature declared Ramsey the duly elected U.S. Senator in a joint convention on January 20, 1869. Democratic nominee Charles W. Nash was an attorney from Hastings, former state Senator for the 7th Senate District (1862–1864), and the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 1865. +1869 Minnesota U.S. Senate electionRepublicanAlexander Ramsey (inc.)5280.00DemocratCharles W. Nash1320.00
New York
The election in New York was held on January 19, 1869, by the New York State Legislature. Republican Edwin D. Morgan had been elected in February 1863 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1869. At the State election in November 1867, 17 Republicans and 15 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1868–1869) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1868, Democrat John T. Hoffman was elected Governor, and 75 Republicans and 53 Democrats were elected for the session of 1869 to the Assembly. The 92nd New York State Legislature met from January 5 to May 11, 1869, at Albany, New York.