1890–91 United States Senate elections

The 1890–91 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 1890 and 1891, 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 lost four seats, though still retaining a slim majority. That majority was increased, however, upon the admission of two more states with Republican senators.

Results summary Senate party division, 52nd Congress (1891–1893)

Majority party: Republican (47) Minority party: Democratic (39) Other parties: Populist (2) Total seats: 88

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the admission of Montana's new senators in January 1890. D1 D2 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D32Ran D31Ran D30Ran D29Ran D28Ran D27Ran D26Ran D25 D24 D23 D33Ran D34Ran D35Ran D36Retired D37Retired R47Retired R46Ran R45Ran R44Ran R43Ran Majority → R33Ran R34Ran R35Ran R36Ran R37Ran R38Ran R39Ran R40Ran R41Ran R42Ran R32Ran R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R1 R2

After the class 3 elections

D1 D2 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D32Re-elected D31Re-elected D30Re-elected D29Re-elected D28Re-elected D27Re-elected D26Re-elected D25 D24 D23 D33Hold D34Hold D35Hold D36Hold D37Gain D38Gain D39Gain V1D Loss I1Gain P1Gain Majority → R43New seat R33Re-elected R34Re-elected R35Re-elected R36Re-elected R37Re-elected R38Re-elected R39Re-elected R40Re-elected R41Hold R42Hold R32Re-elected R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R1 R2

Beginning of the next Congress

D1 D2 D3 D4 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5 D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24 D34 D33 D32 D31 D30 D29 D28 D27 D26 D25 D35 D36 V1D seated late V2D elected late V3D diedLater D I1Later P P1 V3D diedLater R R46New seat R45New seat Majority → R35 R36 R37 R38 R39 R40 R41 R42 R43 R44New seat R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26 R25 R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5 R1 R2 R3 R4 Key: D# Democratic I# Independent P# Populist R# Republican V# Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 51st Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1890 or in 1891 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Montana(Class 1) None (new state) Montana admitted to the Union November 8, 1889.First senator elected January 1, 1890.Sanders's election was challenged based on the legitimacy of the nascent state legislature.The Senate resolved the dispute in his favor April 16, 1890, and he was seated that day.Republican gain. Montana(Class 2) Montana admitted to the Union November 8, 1889.Second senator elected January 2, 1890.Power's election was challenged based on the legitimacy of the nascent state legislature.The Senate resolved the dispute in his favor April 16, 1890, and he was seated that day.Republican gain. Kentucky(Class 2) James B. Beck Democratic 187618811888 Incumbent died May 3, 1890.New senator elected May 17, 1890.Democratic hold. Wyoming(Class 2) None (new state) Wyoming admitted to the Union July 10, 1890.First senators elected November 15, 1890.Republican gain. Wyoming(Class 1) Wyoming admitted to the Union July 10, 1890.First senators elected November 18, 1890.Republican gain. Idaho(Class 2) None (new state) Idaho admitted to the Union July 3, 1890.First senators elected December 18, 1890.Republican gain. George L. Shoup (Republican) Idaho(Class 3) Idaho admitted to the Union July 3, 1890.First senators elected December 18, 1890.Republican gain. William J. McConnell (Republican)

Races leading to the 52nd Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1891; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Alabama James L. Pugh Democratic 1880 1884 Incumbent re-elected in 1890. James L. Pugh (Democratic) Arkansas James K. Jones Democratic 1885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. James K. Jones (Democratic) California Leland Stanford Republican 1885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. Leland Stanford (Republican) Colorado Henry M. Teller Republican 1885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. Henry M. Teller (Republican) Connecticut Orville H. Platt Republican 18791885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. Orville H. Platt (Republican) Florida Wilkinson Call Democratic 18791885 Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss. None. Georgia Joseph E. Brown Democratic 1880 1885 Incumbent retired due to illness.Democratic hold. John B. Gordon (Democratic) Idaho William J. McConnell Republican 1890 (special) McConnell was elected only to finish the term (see above) and thereafter retired.New senator elected December 18, 1890.Republican hold. Fred Dubois (Republican) Illinois Charles B. Farwell Republican 1887 Incumbent lost renomination."Richard J. Oglesby the Nominee" Chicago Daily Tribune (1872–1922); Chicago, Ill., 16 Jan 1891: 4.New senator elected on March 11, 1891, after 154 ballots.Democratic gain. Indiana Daniel W. Voorhees Democratic 1877 1879 1885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. Daniel W. Voorhees (Democratic) Iowa William B. Allison Republican 187218781884 Incumbent re-elected March 5, 1890. Kansas John J. Ingalls Republican 187318791885 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1891.Populist gain. Kentucky J. C. S. Blackburn Democratic 1884 Incumbent re-elected January 7, 1890. Louisiana James B. Eustis Democratic 1890–91 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1891.Democratic hold. Edward Douglass White (Democratic) Maryland Ephraim Wilson Democratic 1884 Incumbent re-elected in 1890, but died February 24, 1891, before the beginning of the next term.Seat remained vacant until November 19, 1891.Democratic loss. Ephraim Wilson (Democratic) Missouri George G. Vest Democratic 18791885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. George G. Vest (Democratic) Nevada John P. Jones Republican 18791885 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. John P. Jones (Republican) New Hampshire Henry W. Blair Republican 18791885 1885 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected in 1891.Republican hold. Jacob H. Gallinger (Republican) New York William M. Evarts Republican 1885 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 21, 1891.Democratic gain. North Carolina Zebulon Vance Democratic 18791884 Incumbent re-elected in 1890. Zebulon Vance (Democratic) North Dakota Gilbert A. Pierce Republican 1889 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1891.Republican hold. Ohio Henry B. Payne Democratic 1884 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 15, 1890Democratic hold. Calvin S. Brice (Democratic) Oregon John H. Mitchell Republican 1885 Incumbent re-elected in 1890. John H. Mitchell (Republican) Pennsylvania J. Donald Cameron Republican 1877 18791885 Incumbent re-elected January 20, 1891. South Carolina Wade Hampton III Democratic 1884 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1890.Democratic hold. South Dakota Gideon C. Moody Republican 1889 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 16, 1891.Independent gain.Winner later became a Populist. Vermont Justin S. Morrill Republican 1866187218781884 Incumbent re-elected in 1890. Justin S. Morrill (Republican) Washington Watson C. Squire Republican 1889 Incumbent re-elected in 1891. Watson C. Squire (Republican) Wisconsin John C. Spooner Republican 1885 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 28, 1891.Democratic gain.

Election during the 52nd Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1891 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory California(Class 1) George Hearst Democratic 1887 Incumbent died February 28, 1891.New senator elected March 19, 1891.Republican gain. Florida(Class 3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect; see above.Predecessor re-elected May 26, 1891.Democratic hold. Virginia(Class 1) John W. Daniel Democratic 1887 Incumbent re-elected early December 16, 1891 for the term beginning March 4, 1893.

Idaho

In July 1890, Idaho became a state. In November, Fred Dubois helped engineer a plan for the Idaho Legislature to effectively elect three people to the U.S. Senate: Governor George Shoup to the class 2 seat up for election in 1894, state constitutional convention member William J. McConnell to serve for the remainder of the Fifty-first United States Congress, ending in March 1891, and Dubois himself to succeed McConnell and serve a full six-year term in the class 3 seat beginning in March 1891.

Maryland

Ephraim King Wilson II was re-elected by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.

New York

The New York election was held January 20 and 21, 1891, by the New York State Legislature.

Republican William M. Evarts had been elected to this seat in 1885, and his term would expire on March 3, 1891.

At the State election in November 1889, 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1890–1891) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1890, 68 Democrats and 60 Republicans were elected for the session of 1891 to the Assembly. The 114th New York State Legislature met from January 6 to April 30, 1891, at Albany, New York.

The Democratic caucus met on January 19, 74 State legislators attended, and State Senator John C. Jacobs presided. Governor David B. Hill was nominated by acclamation.

The Republican caucus met immediately after the Democratic caucus ended, Assemblyman James W. Husted presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator William M. Evarts unanimously.

On January 20, both Houses of the State legislature took ballots separately. The incumbent U.S. Senator Evarts was the choice of the State Senate, Governor Hill the choice of the Assembly. On January 21, both Houses met in joint session, and comparing nominations, found that they disagreed and proceeded to a joint ballot. Governor Hill was elected by a majority of 2, every member of the Legislature being present.

House Democratic Republican State Senate (32 members) David B. Hill 13 William M. Evarts 19 State Assembly (128 members) David B. Hill 65 William M. Evarts 58 Joint ballot (160 members) David B. Hill 81 William M. Evarts 79

The seat became vacant on March 4, 1891. David B. Hill remained in office as Governor of New York until December 31, 1891, and took his seat only on January 7, 1892, missing actually only one month of session. There were no special sessions during the 52nd United States Congress and the regular session began only on December 7, 1891. Hill served a single term, and remained in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1897. In January 1897, Hill was defeated for re-election by Republican Thomas C. Platt who had been a U.S. Senator briefly in 1881.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held on January 20, 1891. J. Donald Cameron 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 20, 1891. Incumbent Republican J. Donald Cameron, who was elected in an 1877 special election and re-elected in 1879 and 1885, was a successful candidate for re-election to another term. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

|-bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="3" align="right" | Totals | align="right" | 254 | align="right" | 100%

See also 1890 United States elections 1890 United States House of Representatives elections 51st United States Congress