The 1874–75 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 1874 and 1875, 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.

Although the Republican Party (the party of incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant) maintained their Senate majority, the Democratic Party gained nine seats.

Results summary

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row. Parties Total Democratic Republican LiberalRepublican Anti-Monopoly Before these elections 19 52 2 0 73 Not up 14 32 2 — 48 Class 2 (1870/71) 9 15 1 — 25 Class 3 (1872/73) 5 17 1 — 31 Up 5 22 1 — 36 Regular: Class 1 5 20 — — 25 Special: Class 1 0 1 1 — 2 Special: Class 2 0 1 — — 1 Incumbent retired 2 11 — — 13 Held by same party 1 4 — — 5 Replaced by other party 7 Republicans replaced by 7 Democrats1 Democrat replaced by 1 Anti-Monopolist 8 Result 8 4 — 1 13 Incumbent's intent unknown 1 4 — — 5 Held by same party 1 2 — — 3 Replaced by other party 2 Republicans replaced by 2 Democrats 2 Result 3 2 — — 5 Incumbent ran 2 5 — — 7 Won re-election 2 2 — — 4 Lost re-election 1 Republican replaced by 1 Democrat 1 Lost renominationbut held by same party — 2 — — 2 Result 3 4 — — 7 Total elected 14 10 — 1 25 Net change 9 10 — 1 9 Result 28 42 2 1 73

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections After the April 17, 1874, special election in Massachusetts.

D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15Ran D16Ran D17Unknown R48Retired R49Retired R50Retired R51Retired R52Retired LR1 LR2 V1 D19Retired D18Retired R47Retired R46Retired R45Retired R44Retired R43Retired R42Retired R41Retired R40Unknown R39Unknown R38Unknown Majority → R37Ran R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33Ran R34Ran R35Ran R36Ran 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 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15Re-elected D16Re-elected D17Hold D27Gain D26Gain D25Gain D24Gain D23Gain D22Gain D21Gain D20Gain D19Gain D18Hold D28Gain AM1Gain V1 LR2 LR1 R42Hold R41Hold R40Hold R39Hold R38Hold Majority → R37Hold R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33Re-elected R34Re-elected R35Hold R36Hold 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 D14 D15 D16 D17 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19 D18 D28 AM1 V1 R44Change R43Change 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: AM# Anti-Monopoly Party D# Democratic LR# Liberal Republican R# Republican V# Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 43rd Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1874 or in 1875 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Kansas(Class 2) Robert Crozier Republican 1873 Interim appointee retired February 2, 1874.New senator elected February 2, 1874.Republican hold. Mississippi(Class 1) Adelbert Ames Republican 1870 Incumbent resigned March 17, 1873, to become Governor of Mississippi.New senator elected February 3, 1874.Republican hold.Winner did not run for the next term; see below. Massachusetts(Class 1) Charles Sumner LiberalRepublican 1851 185718631869 Incumbent died March 12, 1874.New senator elected April 17, 1874.Republican gain.Winner did not run for the next term; see below.

Races leading to the 44th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1875; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California Eugene Casserly Democratic 1868 Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873.New senator elected early December 20, 1873.Anti-Monopoly gain. Connecticut William A. Buckingham Republican 1868–69 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected May 19, 1874.Democratic gain.Incumbent died February 5, 1875, and Eaton was appointed to finish the term. Delaware Thomas F. Bayard Democratic 1869 Incumbent re-elected in 1875. Florida Abijah Gilbert Republican 1868–69 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1875.Democratic gain. Indiana Daniel D. Pratt Republican 1868 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1874 or 1875.Democratic gain. Maine Hannibal Hamlin Sr. Republican 1848 18511857 18571861 1869 Incumbent re-elected. First ballot Maryland William P. Whyte Democratic 1874 Incumbent retired to run for Maryland Governor.New senator elected in 1874.Democratic hold. Massachusetts William B. Washburn Republican 1874 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1875.Republican hold. Michigan Zachariah Chandler Republican 185718631869 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1874.Republican hold. Minnesota Alexander Ramsey Republican 18631869 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1875.Republican hold. Mississippi Henry R. Pease Republican 1874 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in February 1874.Republican hold. Missouri Carl Schurz Republican 1868 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1874.Democratic gain. Nebraska Thomas Tipton Republican 18671869 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1875.Republican hold. Nevada William M. Stewart Republican 18651869 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 12, 1875.Republican hold. New Jersey John P. Stockton Democratic 18641866 1869 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1875.Democratic hold. New York Reuben Fenton Republican 1869 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 20, 1875.Democratic gain. Ohio Allen G. Thurman Democratic 1868 Incumbent re-elected in 1874. Pennsylvania John Scott Republican 1869 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 19, 1875.Democratic gain. Rhode Island William Sprague IV Republican 18621868 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1875.Republican hold. Tennessee Parson Brownlow Republican 1867 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 26, 1875, on the 54th ballot.Democratic gain. Texas James W. Flanagan Republican 1870 Incumbent retired.New senator elected on January 28, 1875.Democratic gain. Vermont George F. Edmunds Republican 1866 1866 1868 Incumbent re-elected on October 20, 1874. Virginia John F. Lewis Republican 1870 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1875.Democratic gain. West Virginia Arthur I. Boreman Republican 1868–69 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1874 or 1875.Democratic gain. Wisconsin Matthew H. Carpenter Republican 1869 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 3, 1875.Republican hold.

Elections during the 44th Congress There were no special elections in 1875 to the 44th Congress.

Maryland

William Pinkney Whyte won election for an unknown margin of votes for the Class 1 seat.

New York

The New York election was held on January 19 and 20, 1875, by the New York State Legislature.

Republican Reuben E. Fenton had been elected in January 1869 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1875.

At the state election in November 1873, a Republican majority was elected for a two-year term (1874–1875) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1874, Democrat Samuel J. Tilden was elected Governor, 75 Democrats and 53 Republicans were elected for the session of 1875 to the Assembly, and Democrat Albert P. Laning was elected in the 31st District to fill a vacancy in the State Senate. The 98th New York State Legislature met from January 5 to May 19, 1875, at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Democratic State legislators met on January 15, State Senator Albert P. Laning, of Buffalo, presided. All but one of the legislators were present, only Assemblyman John M. Roscoe, of Schoharie County, was sick. The caucus nominated Francis Kernan for the U.S. Senate. Kernan had been the Democratic/Liberal Republican candidate for Governor in November 1872 but had been defeated by John Adams Dix. Now Kernan was the choice of Tammany boss John Kelly who had succeeded the corrupt William M. Tweed. Kelly was opposed by John C. Jacobs, who proposed Ex-State Senator Henry C. Murphy, Jacobs's predecessor from the 3rd District, and the Democratic candidate who had lost the U.S. Senate elections in 1867 and 1869 when the Democrats were the minority. Kelly stood firm in his intention to dominate the Democratic Party, and had the caucus nomination made by viva voce vote instead of the more traditional secret ballot. Jacobs and Murphy had expected to get votes from many legislators who would not dare to cross Kelly openly, but had to abandon their hopes when the secret ballot was voted down 74 to 13.

+Democratic caucus Candidate First ballot Francis Kernan 77 Henry C. Murphy 9 John T. Hoffman 1

The caucus of the Republican State legislators nominated Ex-U.S. Senator from New York Edwin D. Morgan.

On January 19, the Democratic majority of the Assembly nominated Francis Kernan, and the Republican majority of the State Senate nominated Ex-U.S. Senator Edwin D. Morgan. On January 20, both Houses met in joint session to compare nominations, and finding that they disagreed, proceeded to a joint ballot. Francis Kernan was elected, the first Democratic U.S. Senator from New York since 1851 when Daniel S. Dickinson left office.

House Democratic Republican Democratic State Senate (32 members) Francis Kernan 13 Edwin D. Morgan 16 State Assembly (128 members) Francis Kernan 74 Edwin D. Morgan 52 John T. Hoffman 1 Joint Ballot (160 members) Francis Kernan 87 Edwin D. Morgan 68 John T. Hoffman 1

Note: The vote for Ex-Governor of New York Hoffman was cast by Reuben E. Fenton's brother-in-law Samuel Scudder, a Democratic Assemblyman from Cattaraugus County.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held on January 19, 1875. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, elected William A. Wallace.

|-bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="3" align="right" | Totals | align="right" | 251 | align="right" | 100.00%

West Virginia On January 26, 1875, each house of the West Virginia Legislature held votes to elect a Senator, with no person receiving the majority of votes in either chamber. Pursuant to the 1866 Act regulating the election of senators (S.414), the legislature convened into a joint assembly the following day and held further voting. After 23 ballots held jointly, Allen T. Caperton received the majority of votes on February 17, 1875, and was declared duly elected as senator. Votes for senator across the 23 rounds were mostly scattered, with Caperton, the eventual winner, only starting out with 6 votes in the first joint ballot, and receiving only 30 (13 votes short) on the round before his victory.

Prior to the election, Johnson Camden and Henry S. Walker were seen as the foremost contenders for the Democratic nomination, which, because of Democrats' large majorities in both houses, was tantamount to election under normal circumstances. However, after repeated failures of any candidate to win a majority either in internal caucus votes or on the floor, legislative Democrats turned to finding a compromise candidate, settling on former Confederate senator Allen T. Caperton. Republican votes were similarly split on most ballots, though on the final one, they supported former Appeals Court chief justice and state senator Ralph Berkshire nearly unanimously.