1836–37 United States Senate elections

The 1836–37 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 1836 and 1837, 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.

In this election cycle, the Jacksonian coalition emerged as the Democratic Party, and the Adams, or Anti-Jackson, coalition emerged as the Whig Party.

Results summary Senate party division, 25th Congress (1837–1839)

Majority party: Democratic (35) Minority party: Whig (17–16) Other parties: (0–1) Total seats: 52

Change in composition Before the special elections

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As a result of the special elections

NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR N N J J J J J Majority → J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J

Before the regular elections

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As a result of the regular elections

"Hold" means the incumbent lost and the winner was from an affiliated new party, either Anti-Jacksonian to Whig or Jacksonian to Democratic.

NR NR NR NR NR NR W W W W NR NR NR NR NR NR W N D D D D D D D D Majority → J J J J J J D D D D J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J

Beginning of the next Congress

W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W D D D D D D D D D Majority → 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 Key: NR National Republican J Jacksonian N Nullfier D Democratic W Whig V Vacant

Race summaries Bold states link to specific election articles.

Elections seated during the 24th Congress In these elections, senators were elected to finish terms already in progress either as special elections or as elections to a new state. senators were seated during 1836 or before March 4, 1837; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Louisiana(Class 2) Vacant Charles Gayarré had been elected but resigned due to ill health without having taken his seat.New senator elected January 13, 1836.Jacksonian gain.Winner served in the next Congress as a Democrat. Virginia(Class 1) John Tyler NationalRepublican 18271833 Incumbent resigned February 29, 1836.New senator elected March 4, 1836.Jacksonian gain.Winner served in the next Congress as a Democrat. Connecticut(Class 1) John M. Niles Jacksonian 1835 Interim appointee elected May 6, 1836. New Hampshire(Class 3) Isaac Hill Jacksonian 1831 Incumbent resigned May 30, 1836 to become governor of New Hampshire.New senator elected June 8, 1836.Jacksonian hold.Winner lost re-election to the next term; see below. Delaware(Class 1) Arnold Naudain NationalRepublican 1830 1832 Incumbent resigned June 16, 1836.New senator elected June 17, 1836.National Republican hold.Winner served in the next Congress as a Whig. Arkansas(Class 2) New seats New state.New senator elected September 19, 1836.Jacksonian gain.Winner served in the next Congress as a Democrat. Arkansas(Class 3) New state.New senator elected September 19, 1836.Jacksonian gain.Winner was also re-elected to the next term; see below. North Carolina(Class 3) Willie P. Mangum NationalRepublican 1830 Incumbent resigned November 26, 1836.New senator elected December 5, 1836.Jacksonian gain.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. Virginia(Class 2) Benjamin W. Leigh NationalRepublican 1834 1835 Incumbent resigned July 4, 1836.New senator elected December 12, 1836.Jacksonian gain.Winner would resign at the end of this Congress; see below. Maryland(Class 3) Robert H. Goldsborough NationalRepublican 18131819 1835 Incumbent died October 5, 1836.New senator elected December 31, 1836.National Republican hold.Winner was also re-elected to the next term; see below. Delaware(Class 2) John M. Clayton NationalRepublican 18291835 Incumbent resigned December 29, 1836.New senator elected January 9, 1837.National Republican hold.Winner served in the next Congress as a Whig. Louisiana(Class 3) Alexander Porter NationalRepublican 1833 Incumbent resigned January 5, 1837 due to ill health.New senator elected January 12, 1837.Jacksonian gain.Winner was also re-elected to the next term; see below. Maine(Class 1) Judah Dana Jacksonian 1836 Interim appointee retired when elected successor qualified.New senator elected February 22, 1837.Jacksonian hold.Winner served in the next Congress as a Democrat.

Races leading to the 25th Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1837; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Alabama Gabriel Moore Whig 1831 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1837.Democratic gain. Arkansas Ambrose Sevier Democratic 1836 Incumbent re-elected in 1837. Connecticut Gideon Tomlinson Whig 1831 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.New senator elected in 1836 or 1837.Democratic gain. Georgia Alfred Cuthbert Democratic 1835 Incumbent re-elected in 1837. Illinois William Lee D. Ewing Democratic 1835 Incumbent lost election.New senator elected in 1837.Democratic hold. Indiana William Hendricks Whig 18241830 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1836.Whig hold. Kentucky Henry Clay Whig 1806 1807 1810 1811 1831 Incumbent re-elected in 1836. Louisiana Alexandre Mouton Democratic 1837 Incumbent re-elected in 1837. Maryland John S. Spence Whig 1836 Incumbent re-elected in 1837. Missouri Lewis F. Linn Democratic 1833 1834 Incumbent re-elected in 1836. New Hampshire John Page Democratic 1836 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1837.Democratic hold. New York Silas Wright Jr. Democratic 1826 Incumbent re-elected February 7, 1837. North Carolina Willie P. Mangum Whig 1830 Incumbent resigned November 26, 1836.New senator elected in 1836.Democratic gain.Successor also elected to finish the current term, see above. Ohio Thomas Ewing Whig 1830 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in January 1837.Democratic gain. Pennsylvania James Buchanan Democratic 1834 Incumbent re-elected December 14, 1836. South Carolina William C. Preston Nullifier 1833 Incumbent re-elected in 1837 as a Whig. Vermont Samuel Prentiss Whig 1831 Incumbent re-elected in 1837.

Elections during the 25th Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated in 1837 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Virginia(Class 2) Richard E. Parker Democratic 1836 Incumbent resigned March 4, 1837 to become judge of the Supreme Court of Virginia.New senator elected March 14, 1837.Democratic hold. Alabama(Class 3) John McKinley Democratic 1833 Incumbent resigned April 22, 1837 to become associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.New senator elected June 19, 1837.Democratic hold. Georgia(Class 2) John Pendleton King Democratic 1833 Incumbent resigned November 1, 1837.New senator elected November 22, 1837.Democratic hold.

Alabama There were two elections in Alabama in this cycle, both for the same seat.

Alabama (regular)

First-term senator Anti-Jacksonian Gabriel Moore lost re-election in November 1836 to Jacksonian John McKinley.

Alabama (special)

Shortly after the new term started, Jacksonian-now-Democrat John McKinley resigned to become associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was replaced by fellow Democrat Clement C. Clay in a June 19, 1837 special election.

Clay would serve only until November 15, 1841, when he, too, resigned.

Arkansas

Arkansas became a new state and elected its two senators in a joint session of the Arkansas General Assembly on September 19, 1836.

Jacksonian former Governor of Arkansas Territory William Fulton was elected to the Class 2 seat, with the term ending March 3, 1841.

Jacksonian former delegate Ambrose Sevier was elected to the Class 3 seat, with the term ending March 3, 1837.

Sevier was also re-elected in 1837 to the next term that would end in 1843.

Connecticut There were two elections in Connecticut in this cycle.

Connecticut (regular)

Connecticut (special)

Delaware

Georgia There were two elections in Georgia in this cycle.

Georgia (regular)

Georgia (special)

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana There were two elections in Louisiana in this cycle, both for the same seat.

Anti-Jacksonian Alexander Porter resigned on January 5, 1837, due to ill health.

Louisiana (special)

Jacksonian Alexandre Mouton was elected on January 12, 1837, to finish Porter's term ending on March 3, 1837.

Louisiana (regular)

Jacksonian Alexandre Mouton was also elected as a Democrat in 1837 (possibly re-elected) to the next term, beginning on March 4, 1837.

Maine (special)

Maryland

Maryland (special)

Anti-Jacksonian Robert Henry Goldsborough died on October 5, 1836. Anti-Jacksonian John S. Spence was elected in late 1836 to finish Goldsborough's term ending on March 3, 1837.

Maryland (regular)

John S. Spence won election to a full term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.

Missouri

New Hampshire

New York

Silas Wright Jr., had been elected in 1833 to this seat after the resignation of William L. Marcy, who had been elected governor of New York. Wright's term would expire on March 3, 1837.

At the state election in November 1836, 94 Democrats and 34 Whigs were elected to the Assembly, and seven of the eight state senators elected were Democrats. The 60th New York State Legislature met from January 3 to May 16, 1837, at Albany. The party strength in the Assembly as shown by the election for speaker was 80 for Democrat Edward Livingston and 27 for Whig Luther Bradish.

Wright was re-nominated in a Democratic caucus by a large majority. Silas Wright Jr., was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

House Democratic Whig State Senate (32 members) Silas Wright Jr. 26 Ambrose L. Jordan 3 State Assembly (128 members) Silas Wright Jr. 85Ambrose L. Jordan 27

North Carolina There were two elections in North Carolina in this cycle, both for the same seat.

Anti-Jacksonian Willie P. Mangum resigned on November 26, 1836.

North Carolina (special)

Jacksonian Robert Strange was elected in late 1836 to finish Mangum's term ending March 3, 1837.

North Carolina (regular)

Jacksonian Robert Strange was also elected as a Democrat in 1836, to the next term, beginning March 4, 1837.

Ohio

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on December 14, 1836, to elect a senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1837. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

|- bgcolor ="#EEEEEE" | colspan =3 align="right" | Totals | align ="right" | 133 | align ="right" | 100.00%

South Carolina

Vermont

Virginia (special)

There were three special elections in Virginia in this cycle.

Virginia (special, class 1)

Two-term Anti-Jacksonian (and future president) John Tyler resigned on February 29, 1836, due to policial differences and conflict with the Virginia House of Delegates, which had come under control of the rival Jacksonians.

Former Jacksonian senator William C. Rives (who had served in the class 2 seat from December 10, 1832, to February 22, 1834) was elected on March 4, 1836, to finish Tyler's term that would end on March 3, 1839.

Virginia (special, class 2 1836)

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh, who had served in the seat since an 1834 special election and was re-elected in 1835, resigned on July 4, 1836, to return to his private legal practice.