1846 Iowa Senate election

In the 1846 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the first Iowa General Assembly. Elections were held for all 19 members of the State Senate. In the newly created Senate, members were to serve four-year terms. Members of the first General Assembly were classified into two groups. Nine of the newly elected senators would serve full four-year terms, while 10 drew short terms of two years and were up for re-election in 1848. This classification process began the rotation system whereby half the members of the Senate are elected biennially for full four-year terms.

This was the first general election following Iowa's admission to the Union. Prior to statehood, the Iowa Territory had a Legislative Assembly consisting of an upper chamber (i.e., the Territory Council) and a lower chamber (i.e., the Territory House). Therefore, the Territory Council was the predecessor of the Iowa Senate, which became the upper chamber in the new Iowa General Assembly.

In the previous election in 1845, the members of the eighth and final Territory Council were chosen. Democrats held a majority of seats with 11 to Whigs' two seats in the final Territory Council. The newly created Iowa Senate was expanded to nineteen members and districts were redrawn in advance of the election.

To claim a majority of seats, the Whigs needed to net eight seats.

The general election took place in 1846.

Democrats maintained a majority of seats. Following the 1846 general election, Democrats held 11 seats in the Iowa Senate while Whigs held eight seats (a net gain of 6 seats for Whigs). Democratic Councilor Stephen Hempstead was the President of the eighth & final Territory Council. Democratic Senator Thomas Baker was chosen as the first President of the Iowa Senate. During the first General Assembly, Democratic Senator Thomas Hughes succeeded Senator Baker as the second President of the Iowa Senate.

Summary of Results Iowa Territory Council DistrictCounties in Council DistrictIncumbent Councilor PartyIowa Senate DistrictCounties in Senate DistrictElected Senator PartyOutcome1stLee James Brierly Dem1stLee Jacob Huner Dem Dem Hold John Thompson Dem James Sprott WhigWhig Gain2ndVan Buren, Davis, Appanoose Paul Brattain Dem2ndVan Buren John Fletcher Sanford WhigWhig Gain Henry M. Shelby Dem John McCormick Whitaker Dem Dem Hold 3rd Des Moines Shepherd Leffler Dem 3rd Davis, Appanoose John Jackson Selman Dem Dem Hold 4th Henry John Stephenson Whig 4th Monroe, Wapello James Davis Whig Whig Hold 5th Monroe, Wapello, Jefferson William Greyer Coop Dem 5th Marion, Jasper, Polk, Dallas Thomas Baker Dem Dem Hold6thLouisa, Washington, Keokuk, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek Enoch Ross Whig6thDes Moines Milton D. Browning Whig Whig HoldNewly created subdistrict Samuel Fullenwider WhigWhig Gain 7th Iowa, Johnson, Muscatine Serranus Clinton Hastings Dem 7th Henry Evan Jay WhigWhig Gain8thCedar, Jones, Linn, Benton, TamaWilliam AbbeDem8thJefferson Robert Brown Dem Dem Hold John Howell Dem Dem Hold 9th Scott, Clinton, Linn Laurel Summers Dem 9th Louisa, Washington Francis Springer WhigWhig Gain10thJackson, Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Clayton, Fayette Philip Burr Bradley Dem10thKeokuk, MahaskaRichard Randolph HarbourDemDem Hold Stephen Hempstead DemNewly created district 11th Iowa, Johnson, Muscatine Thomas Hughes DemDem GainNewly created district 12th Scott, Clinton Loring Wheeler WhigWhig GainNewly created district 13th Cedar, Linn, Benton Samuel Augustus Bissell DemDem GainNewly created district 14th Jackson, Jones Philip Burr Bradley DemDem GainNewly created district15thDubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Clayton, Fayette Thomas Hart Benton DemDem Gain Theophilus Crawford DemDem Gain

Source:

Detailed Results NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not contain detailed vote totals for Iowa State Senate elections in 1846.

1846 Iowa Senate election

Bron en licentie