The 1834–35 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 1834 and 1835, 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 2.

The Anti-Jackson coalition maintained control of the Senate. However, during the 24th Congress, the Jacksonian coalition gained control of the Senate.

Results summary Senate party division, 24th Congress (1835–1837)

Majority party: Jacksonian (21–31) Minority party: Anti-Jackson (24–19) Other parties: Nullifier (2) Total seats: 48–52

Change in composition

Before the elections

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

Result of the regular elections

NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR Plurality → J J J J J J J N N V J J J J J J J J J J J J J J

Key: NR = National Republican J = Jacksonian N = Nullfier V = Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 23rd Congress In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1834 or before March 4, 1835; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Virginia(Class 2) William Rives Jacksonian 1832 Incumbent resigned February 22, 1834.Successor elected February 26, 1834.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below.National Republican gain. Missouri(Class 3) Lewis F. Linn Jacksonian 1833 Interim appointee elected November 20, 1834. Pennsylvania(Class 3) William Wilkins Jacksonian 1832 Incumbent resigned June 30, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Russia.New senator elected December 6, 1834.Jacksonian hold. Georgia(Class 3) John Forsyth Jacksonian 1818 1819 1829 1830 or 1831 Incumbent resigned June 27, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Spain.New senator elected January 12, 1835.Jacksonian hold. Maryland(Class 3) Ezekiel F. Chambers NationalRepublican 1826 1831 Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834, to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.New senator elected January 13, 1835.National Republican hold. Maine(Class 2) Peleg Sprague NationalRepublican 1829 Incumbent resigned January 1, 1835.New senator elected January 20, 1835.Successor was also elected to the next term; see below.Jacksonian gain.

Races leading to the 24th Congress In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1835; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Alabama William R. King Jacksonian 181918221828 Incumbent re-elected in 1834. Delaware John M. Clayton NationalRepublican 1827 1829 Incumbent re-elected in 1835. Georgia John Pendleton King Jacksonian 1833 Incumbent re-elected in 1834. Illinois John M. Robinson Jacksonian 1830 Incumbent re-elected December 20, 1834. Kentucky George M. Bibb Jacksonian 1829 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 9, 1835.National Republican gain. Louisiana George A. Waggaman NationalRepublican 1831 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.New senator elected in 1835, but resigned due to ill health before being seated.National Republican loss. Maine Peleg Sprague NationalRepublican 1829 Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834, to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.New senator elected January 19, 1835.Jacksonian gain.Successor was also elected to finish the term; see above. Massachusetts Nathaniel Silsbee NationalRepublican 1826 1828 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1835.National Republican hold. Mississippi George Poindexter NationalRepublican 1830 1830 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1835.Jacksonian gain. New Hampshire Samuel Bell NationalRepublican 1823 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1835.Jacksonian gain. New Jersey Theodore Frelinghuysen NationalRepublican 1829 incumbent defeatd for re-election.New senator elected in 1835.Jacksonian gain. North Carolina Bedford Brown Jacksonian 1829 Incumbent re-elected in 1835. Rhode Island Nehemiah R. Knight NationalRepublican 1821 18231829 Incumbent re-elected May 13, 1835. South Carolina John C. Calhoun Nullifier 1832 Incumbent re-elected in 1834. Tennessee Hugh Lawson White Jacksonian 1825 1829 Incumbent re-elected in 1835 as National Republican.National Republican gain. Virginia Benjamin W. Leigh NationalRepublican 1834 Incumbent re-elected in 1835.

Special elections during the 24th Congress In this special election, the winner was seated in 1835 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Illinois(Class 3) Elias Kane Jacksonian 18241830 Incumbent died December 12, 1835.New senator elected December 29, 1835 on the twelfth ballot.Jacksonian hold.

Early elections during the 24th Congress In these elections, the winners were not seated until 1837.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Michigan(Class 1) None (new state) New state.New senator was elected in November 1835 but not seated until January 6, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.Jacksonian gain. Michigan(Class 2) New state.New senator was elected in November 1835 but not seated until January 6, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.Jacksonian gain.

Alabama

Connecticut (special)

Delaware

Georgia

Georgia had two elections this cycle: a regular election for the class 2 seat and a special election for the class 3 seat.

Georgia (regular)

In the class 2 seat, incumbent Jacksonian John Pendleton King, who had served since winning an 1833 special election, was re-elected sometime in 1834.

Georgia (special)

In the class 3 seat, incumbent Jacksonian John Forsyth, who had served since winning an 1829 special election, resigned June 27, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Spain.

Jacksonian Alfred Cuthbert was elected January 12, 1835.

Illinois

There were two elections in Illinois this cycle.

Illinois (regular)

Illinois (special)

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maine had two elections this cycle, both for the class 2 seat.

Incumbent Anti-Jacksonian Peleg Sprague, who was elected in 1829, resigned January 1, 1835.

Jacksonian John Ruggles won both elections.

Maine (regular)

Jacksonian John Ruggles was elected January 19, 1835, to the next term. He was then elected to finish the current term, see below.

Maine (special)

Jacksonian John Ruggles was elected January 20, 1835, to finish the term that would end March 3, 1835.

Maryland (special)

Ezekiel F. Chambers won election over non-voters by a margin of 63.10%, or 53 votes, for the Class 3 seat.

Massachusetts

Michigan

The new state of Michigan elected its new senators in 1835, both Jacksonians: Lucius Lyon (Class 1) and John Norvell (Class 2). They were not seated until January 26, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.

Mississippi

Missouri (special)

New Hampshire

New Jersey

North Carolina

Pennsylvania (special)

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Virginia had two elections this cycle, both for the class 2 seat.

Incumbent Jacksonian William Rives, who had just won the 1832 special election, resigned February 22, 1834.

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh won both elections.

Virginia (regular)

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh was re-elected sometime in 1835 to the next term.

Virginia (special)

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh was elected February 26, 1834, to finish the term that would end March 3, 1835. He was then elected to the next term, see above.

See also 1834 United States elections 1834–35 United States House of Representatives elections 23rd United States Congress 24th United States Congress

Notes

References

Sources Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov