United States Senate elections, 1842 and 1843
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17 of the 52 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 27 seats needed for a majority |
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3The United States Senate elections of 1842 and 1843 were elections which had the Whigs lose seats but maintain control of the United States Senate. Although they lost three seats in the general elections, they gained two of them back by the start of the first session in special elections.
As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.
Contents
Results
28th Congress (1843–1845)
- Majority Party: Whig (27)
- Minority Party: Democratic (22–23)
- Other Parties: (0–1)
- Total Seats: 52–54
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
After July 1842 appointment in New Jersey.
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | ||||
| D16 Ran |
D15 Ran |
D14 Ran |
D13 Ran |
D12 Ran |
D11 Ran |
D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D17 Unknown |
D18 Unknown |
D19 Retired |
D20 Retired |
V2 | V1 | W30 Resigned |
W29 Retired |
W28 Unknown |
W27 Unknown |
| Majority → | W26 Ran |
||||||||
| W17 | W18 | W19 | W20 | W21 | W22 | W23 | W24 Ran |
W25 Ran |
|
| W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 | W9 | W8 | W7 |
| W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | ||||
Result of the elections
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | ||||
| D16 Re-elected |
D15 Re-elected |
D14 Re-elected |
D13 Re-elected |
D12 Re-elected |
D11 Re-elected |
D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D17 Re-elected |
D18 Hold |
D19 Hold |
D20 Hold |
D21 Hold |
D22 Gain |
D23 Gain |
V2 | V1 | W27 Hold |
| Majority → | W26 Hold |
||||||||
| W17 | W18 | W19 | W20 | W21 | W22 | W23 | W24 Re-elected |
W25 Re-elected |
|
| W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 | W9 | W8 | W7 |
| W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | ||||
Beginning of the next Congress
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | ||||
| D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 |
| D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | V3 D Loss |
V2 | V1 | W27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Majority → | W26 | ||||||||
| W17 | W18 | W19 | W20 | W21 | W22 | W23 | W24 | W25 | |
| W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 | W9 | W8 | W7 |
| W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | ||||
Beginning of the first session of the next Congress (December 4, 1843)
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | ||||
| D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 |
| D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 | D21 Hold |
D22 Hold |
D23 Gain |
W29 Gain |
W28 Gain |
W27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Majority → | W26 | ||||||||
| W17 | W18 | W19 | W20 | W21 | W22 | W23 | W24 | W25 | |
| W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 | W9 | W8 | W7 |
| W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | ||||
| Key: |
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Race summaries
Bold states link to specific election articles.
Special elections during the 27th Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected during 1842 or in 1843 before March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Rhode Island (Class 1) |
Nathan F. Dixon | Whig | Elected in 1838 or 1839. | Incumbent died January 29, 1842. Winner elected February 18, 1842. Whig hold. |
√ William Sprague (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| New Hampshire (Class 3) |
Leonard Wilcox | Democratic | 1842 (Appointed) | Incumbent had been appointed March 1, 1842 to continue the term of Franklin Pierce (Democratic), who had resigned February 28, 1842 to oppose a bill distributing federal funds to the states — believing that the money should go to the military instead — and to challenge the Whigs to reveal the results of their investigation of the New York Customs House. Incumbent appointee elected in June 1842. Whig hold. |
√ Leonard Wilcox (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Vermont (Class 3) |
Samuel C. Crafts | Whig | 1842 (Appointed) | Incumbent had been appointed April 23, 1842 to continue the term of Samuel Prentiss (Whig), who had resigned April 11, 1842 to become judge of the U.S. District Court of Vermont. Incumbent appointee elected October 26, 1842. |
√ Samuel C. Crafts (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| South Carolina (Class 3) |
William C. Preston | Whig | 1833 (Special) 1837 |
Incumbent resigned November 29, 1842. Winner elected December 23, 1842. Democratic gain. |
√ George McDuffie (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Races leading to the 28th Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1843; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Alabama | Arthur P. Bagby | Democratic | 1841 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1842. | √ Arthur P. Bagby (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Arkansas | Ambrose Sevier | Democratic | 1836 1837 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1843. | √ Ambrose Sevier (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Connecticut | Perry Smith | Democratic | 1837 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1842, but due to ill-health and a credentials challenge he was unable to serve until May 16, 1844; nevertheless, his term began March 4, 1843. Democratic hold. |
√ John M. Niles (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Georgia | Alfred Cuthbert | Democratic | 1835 (Special) 1837 |
Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1843. Democratic hold. |
√ Walter T. Colquitt (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Illinois | Richard M. Young | Democratic | 1837 | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1843. Democratic hold. |
√ Sidney Breese (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Indiana | Oliver H. Smith | Whig | 1836 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1842. Democratic gain. |
√ Edward A. Hannegan (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Kentucky | John J. Crittenden | Whig | 1817 1819 (Resigned) 1835 1841 (Retired) 1842 (Appointed) ? (Special) |
Incumbent re-elected in January 1843. | √ John J. Crittenden (Whig) Richard Mentor Johnson |
| Louisiana | Charles M. Conrad | Whig | 1842 (Appointed) | Incumbent appointee lost election. Winner elected in 1843, although due to ill health did not take his seat. Whig hold. |
√ Alexander Porter (Whig) Charles M. Conrad (Whig) |
| Maryland | John L. Kerr | Whig | 1841 (Special) | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1843. Whig hold. |
√ James Pearce (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Missouri | Lewis F. Linn | Democratic | 1833 (Appointed) ? (Special) 1836 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1842. | √ Lewis F. Linn (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| New Hampshire | Leonard Wilcox | Democratic | 1842 (Appointed) 1842 (Special) |
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1843. Democratic hold. |
√ Charles G. Atherton (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| New York | Silas Wright, Jr. | Democratic | 1833 (Special) 1837 |
Incumbent re-elected February 7, 1843. | √ Silas Wright, Jr. (Democratic) Millard Fillmore (Whig) John A. Collier (Whig) Willis Hall (Whig) George W. Patterson (Whig) George A. Simmons (Whig) Luther Bradish (Whig) Gulian C. Verplanck (Whig) |
| North Carolina | William A. Graham | Whig | 1840 (Special) | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1843. Democratic gain. |
√ William H. Haywood, Jr. (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Ohio | William Allen | Democratic | 1836 | Incumbent re-elected in 1842. | √ William Allen (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Pennsylvania | James Buchanan | Democratic | 1834 (Special) 1836 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1843. | √ James Buchanan (Democratic) 56.06% John Banks (Whig) 40.91% Richard Brodhead (Democratic) 0.76% John Gibons 0.76% |
| South Carolina | George McDuffie | Democratic | 1842 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1842 or 1843. | √ George McDuffie (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Vermont | Samuel C. Crafts | Whig | 1842 (Special) | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1843. Whig hold. |
√ William Upham (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Elections during the 28th Congress
In these special elections, the winners were elected in 1843 after March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| South Carolina (Class 2) |
John C. Calhoun | Democratic | 1832 (Special) 1834 1840 |
Incumbent resigned March 3, 1843. Winner elected March 4, 1843. Democratic hold. |
√ Daniel Elliott Huger (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Tennessee (Class 1) |
Alfred O. P. Nicholson | Democratic | 1840 (Appointed) | Incumbent resigned February 7, 1842. Winner was elected October 17, 1843. Whig gain. |
√ Ephraim H. Foster (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Tennessee (Class 2) |
Vacant since 1841 | Legislature had failed to elect since the 27th Congress. Winner was elected October 17, 1843. Whig gain. |
√ Spencer Jarnagin (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
||
| Maine (Class 3) |
Reuel Williams | Democratic | 1837 (Special) | Incumbent resigned February 15, 1843. Winner was elected December 4, 1843. Democratic hold. |
√ John Fairfield (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
| Missouri (Class 3) |
David Rice Atchison | Democratic | 1843 (Appointed) | Incumbent had been appointed October 14, 1843 when Lewis F. Linn (D) had died October 3, 1843. Incumbent was subsequently elected sometime in 1843 after October 14. Democratic hold. |
√ David Rice Atchison (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Complete list of races
New York
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The election was held February 7, 1843, by the New York State Legislature. Silas Wright, Jr., had been elected in 1833 to this seat after the resignation of William L. Marcy, and had been re-elected in 1837. Wright's term would expire on March 3, 1843. At the State election in November 1842, Democrat William C. Bouck was elected Governor, 92 Democrats and 36 Whigs were elected to the Assembly, and 8 Democrats and 1 Whig were elected to the State Senate. The 66th New York State Legislature met from January 3 to April 18, 1843, at Albany, New York. The incumbent U.S. Senator Silas Wright, Jr. was re-nominated unanimously by a Democratic caucus on the eve of the election. Congressman Millard Fillmore was the candidate of the Whig Party. Silas Wright, Jr., was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.
| Candidate | Party | Senate (32 members) |
Assembly (128 members) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silas Wright, Jr. | Democrat | 17 | 77 |
| Millard Fillmore | Whig | 6 | 16 |
| John A. Collier | Whig | 1 | 6 |
| Willis Hall | Whig | 4 | |
| George W. Patterson | Whig | 3 | |
| George A. Simmons | Whig | 2 | |
| Luther Bradish | Whig | 1 | |
| Gulian C. Verplanck | Whig | 1 |
Wright continued in the U.S. Senate, and remained in office until November 1844 when he resigned after his election as Governor of New York. Henry A. Foster was appointed to fill the vacancy temporarily, but the State Legislature elected John A. Dix for the remainder of Wright's term.
Pennsylvania
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The election was held January 10, 1843. Future President of the United States James Buchanan was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.[1] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 10, 1843, to elect a new Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1843. Incumbent Democrat James Buchanan, who was elected in 1834 and re-elected in 1836, was a successful candidate for re-election to another term. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
| State Legislature Results[1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | James Buchanan (Inc.) | 74 | 56.06 | |
| Whig | John Banks | 54 | 40.91 | |
| Democratic | Richard Brodhead | 1 | 0.76 | |
| Unknown | John Gibons | 1 | 0.76 | |
| N/A | Not voting | 2 | 1.52 | |
| Totals | 132 | 100.00% | ||
Tennessee
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In 1841, Spencer Jarnagin was nominated for U.S. Senator by the Whig caucus in the Tennessee General Assembly. However, some of the Democrats in the legislature decided that no Senator would be preferable to a Whig. Known as the "Immortal Thirteen" by Tennessee Democrats, they refused to allow a quorum on the issue. By the time Jarnagin was eventually elected to the seat and sworn in, over two and half years, almost half of the term, had elapsed. Jarnagin finally assumed office on October 17, 1843.
See also
References
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 134 for State Senators 1843; pg. 227f for Members of Assembly 1843)
- Members of the 28th United States Congress
- Political History of the State of New York, from Jan. 1, 1841, to Jan. 1, 1847; Vol. III by Jabez Delano Hammond (State election, 1842: pg. 311f; U.S. Senate election, 1843: pg. 349)
- Journal of the Assembly (66th Session) (1843; pg. 255f)
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project
