1844–45 United States Senate elections

The 1844–45 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with James K. Polk's 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 1844 and 1845, 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 Democratic Party re-captured control of the Senate, gaining a net total of eleven seats from the Whigs.

Results summary Senate party division, 29th Congress (1845–1847)

Majority party: Democratic (26–31) Minority party: Whig (24) Other parties: (0–1) Vacant: (4–2) Total seats: 54–58

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D LO W Majority → W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

Result of the elections 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 → W W W W W W W V V V W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

Beginning of the next Congress

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 V Majority ↑ W W W W W W W V V V W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

Beginning of the first session of the next Congress (December 1, 1845)

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 W D D W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W Key: D Democratic LO Law and Order W Whig V Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 28th Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1844 or in 1845 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Rhode Island(Class 1) William Sprague Whig 1842 Incumbent resigned January 17, 1844.New senator elected January 25, 1844.Law and Order gain.Winner was not a candidate for the next term; see below. Louisiana(Class 3) Alexander Porter Whig 1833 1837 1843 Incumbent died January 13, 1844.New senator elected January 29, 1844 on the second ballot.Whig hold. Arkansas(Class 2) William S. Fulton Democratic 1836 1840 Incumbent died August 15, 1844.New senator elected November 8, 1844.Democratic hold. Missouri(Class 3) David Rice Atchison Democratic 1843 Interim appointee elected November 20, 1844. Alabama(Class 2) Dixon H. Lewis Democratic 1844 Interim appointee elected December 7, 1844. Illinois(Class 2) James Semple Democratic 1843 Interim appointee elected December 11, 1844. New York(Class 1) Daniel S. Dickinson Democratic 1844 Interim appointee elected January 18, 1845.Winner later elected to the next term; see below. New York(Class 3) Henry A. Foster Democratic 1844 Interim appointee retired or lost election.New senator elected January 18, 1845.Democratic hold.

Races leading to the 29th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1845; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Connecticut Jabez W. Huntington Whig 1840 Incumbent re-elected in 1844 or 1845. Delaware Richard H. Bayard Whig 1836 1838 or 18391839 1841 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1845.Whig hold. Florida None (new state) Florida was admitted March 3, 1845, but elected its first Class 1 senator late, during the next Congress.Seat remained vacant. None. Indiana Albert White Whig 1838 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1844.Democratic gain. Maine John Fairfield Democratic 1843 Incumbent re-elected in 1844 or 1845. Maryland William Merrick Whig 1838 1839 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1844 or 1845.Whig hold. Massachusetts Rufus Choate Whig 1841 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1845.Whig hold. Michigan Augustus S. Porter Whig 1840 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1844 or 1845.Democratic gain. Mississippi John Henderson Whig 1838 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost.New senator elected in 1844.Democratic gain. Missouri Thomas H. Benton Democratic 1821 182718331839 Incumbent re-elected November 20, 1844. New Jersey William L. Dayton Whig 1842 1842 Incumbent re-elected in 1845. New York Daniel S. Dickinson Democratic 1844 1845 Incumbent re-elected February 4, 1845. Ohio Benjamin Tappan Democratic 1838 Incumbent retired.New senator elected December 5, 1844.Whig gain. Pennsylvania Daniel Sturgeon Democratic 1840 Incumbent re-elected January 14, 1845. Rhode Island John B. Francis Law and Order 1844 Incumbent retired.New senator January 15, 1845 on the second ballot.Whig gain. Tennessee Ephraim H. Foster Whig 1837 1838 1839 1843 Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss. Vermont Samuel S. Phelps Whig 1839 Incumbent re-elected in 1845. Virginia William C. Rives Whig 1832 1834 1836 1839 1841 Legislature failed to elect.Whig loss.

Special elections during the 29th Congress In these special elections, the winners were elected in 1845 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Pennsylvania(Class 3) James Buchanan Democratic 1834 18361843 Incumbent resigned March 5, 1845, to become U.S. Secretary of State.New senator elected March 13, 1845.Democratic hold. Massachusetts(Class 2) Isaac C. Bates Whig 1841 1841 Incumbent died March 16, 1845.New senator elected March 24, 1845.Whig hold. Florida(Class 1) None (new state) Florida was admitted March 3, 1845.Its first senators were elected July 1, 1845.Democratic gain. Florida(Class 3) Florida was admitted March 3, 1845.Its first senators were elected July 1, 1845.Democratic gain. Tennessee(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected late October 25, 1845 on the fourteenth ballot.Democratic gain. Georgia(Class 2) John M. Berrien Whig 18251829 1840 Incumbent resigned in May 1845 to become judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia.He did not remain on the court, and was re-elected November 13, 1845.Whig hold. South Carolina(Class 2) Vacant Incumbent Daniel E. Huger (D) had resigned in the previous Congress.New senator was elected November 26, 1845.Democratic hold. Virginia(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected late December 3, 1845.Democratic gain.

Alabama (special)

Arkansas (special)

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Florida (regular)

Florida (special)

Georgia (special)

Indiana

Illinois (special)

Louisiana (special)

Maine

Maryland

Reverdy Johnson won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts (regular)

Massachusetts (special)

Michigan

Mississippi

Missouri

Missouri (regular)

Missouri (special)

New Jersey

New York

There were three elections: Two special elections were held on January 18, 1845, and one regular election was held on February 4, 1845.

The 68th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 14, 1845.

New York (special, class 1) Nathaniel P. Tallmadge had been re-elected in 1840 to the Class 1 seat (term 1839–1845), but resigned June 17, 1844, to become Governor of Wisconsin Territory. On November 30, Governor of New York William C. Bouck appointed his Democratic Lieutenant Governor Daniel S. Dickinson to fill the vacancy temporarily, and Dickinson was seated December 9, 1844.

+January 18, 1845, United States Senator special election, Class 1 House Democratic Whig AmericanRepublican State Senate (32 members) Daniel S. Dickinson 27 Millard Fillmore 3 Jonathan Thompson 1 State Assembly (128 members) Daniel S. Dickinson

New York (special, class 3) Silas Wright Jr. had been re-elected in 1843 to the Class 3 seat (term 1843–1849), but resigned November 26, 1844, when elected Governor of New York. On November 30, Governor Bouck appointed Democratic State Senator Henry A. Foster to fill the vacancy temporarily, and Foster took his seat on December 9, 1844.

+January 18, 1845, United States Senator special election, Class 3 House Democratic Whig AmericanRepublican State Senate (32 members) John Adams Dix 27 Willis Hall 3 Harman B. Cropsey 1 State Assembly (128 members) John Adams Dix

Dix took his seat on January 27, 1845, and remained in office until March 3, 1849, when his term expired.

New York (regular)

+February 4, 1845, United States Senator election, Class 1 House Democratic Whig State Senate (32 members) Daniel S. Dickinson 25 John C. Clark 4 State Assembly (128 members) Daniel S. Dickinson

Dickinson re-took his seat under the new credentials on January 27, 1845, and re-elected, remained in office until March 3, 1851, when his term expired.

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania (regular)

The regular election was held January 14, 1845. Incumbent Daniel Sturgeon was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 14, 1845, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1845. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

Pennsylvania (special)

A special election was held March 13, 1845. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. Democratic future-U.S. president James Buchanan was elected in an 1834 special election and was re-elected in 1836 and 1843.

Senator Buchanan resigned on March 5, 1845, after being appointed U.S. Secretary of State by President James K. Polk.

Following the resignation of senator Buchanan, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on March 13, 1845, to elect a new senator to fill the vacancy and serve the remainder of the term set to expire on March 4, 1849. Five ballots were recorded. The results of the fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:

Rhode Island

Rhode Island (regular)

Rhode Island (special)

South Carolina (special)

Tennessee

Tennessee (regular)

Tennessee (special)

Vermont

Virginia

Virginia (regular)

Virginia (special)

See also 1844 United States elections 1844 United States presidential election 1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections 29th United States Congress 30th United States Congress

References

Sources and external links Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov Members of the 28th United States Congress, via GPOaccess.gov Members of the 29th United States Congress, via GPOaccess.gov Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project

The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 134f for State Senators 1845; pg. 230f for Members of Assembly 1845) Political History of the State of New York, from Jan. 1, 1841, to Jan. 1, 1847; Vol. III by Jabez Delano Hammond (State election, 1844: pg. 505f; appointments, 1844: pg. 508f; Speaker election, 1845: pg. 518; U.S. Senate nominations, 1845: pg. 526ff) [gives wrong date for caucus, and election] Abridgment of the Debates in Congress, from 1789 to 1856: Dec. 4, 1843 to June 18, 1846 (page 197) Journal of the Senate (68th Session) (1845; pg. 77f and 142f)

1844–45 United States Senate elections

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