1882–83 United States Senate elections
26 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
39 seats needed for a majority
Majority party | Minority party | ||
---|---|---|---|
Leader | Henry B. Anthony [b] (retired) |
George H. Pendleton [c] | |
Party | Republican | Democratic | |
Leader since | March 4, 1863 | March 4, 1881 | |
Leader's seat | Rhode Island | Ohio | |
Seats before | 37 | 37 | |
Seats won | 11 | 13 | |
Seats after | 37 | 36 | |
Seat change | Steady | Decrease 1 | |
Seats up | 11 | 14 | |
Third party | Fourth party | ||
Leader | William Mahone [d] | ||
Party | Readjuster | Independent | |
Leader since | March 4, 1881 | ||
Leader's seat | Virginia | ||
Seats before | 1 | 1 | |
Seats won | 1 | 0 | |
Seats after | 2 | 0 | |
Seat change | Increase 1 | Decrease 1 | |
Seats up | 0 | 1 |
Democratic gain Democratic hold
Republican gain Republican hold
Readjuster gain Legislature failed to elect
The 1882–83 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 1882 and 1883, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[2] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.
The Republicans retained a narrow majority — 39 (and later 40) out of 76 seats — with the Readjusters in their caucus.
Results summary
[edit ]Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.
Parties | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Independent | Readjuster | Republican | |||
Before these elections | 37 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 76 | |
Not up | 23 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 50 | |
Class 1 (1880/81 → 1886/87) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 25 | |
Class 3 (1878/79 → 1884/85) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 25 | |
Up | 15 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 29 | |
Regular: Class 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 26 | |
Special: Class 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Special: Class 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
Special: Class 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Regular election | ||||||
Incumbent retired | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | |
Held by same party | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 4 | |
Replaced by other party | Decrease1 Independent replaced by Increase1 Republican Decrease1 Republican replaced by Increase1 Democrat Decrease1 Democrat replaced by Increase1 Republican |
IncreaseDecrease3 | ||||
Result | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | |
Incumbent ran | 11 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 19 | |
Won re-election | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | |
Lost re-election and gained by other party | Decrease1 Democrat replaced by Increase1 Readjuster | IncreaseDecrease1 | ||||
Lost re-election without an elected successor | Decrease1 Republican lost and legislature failed to elect | Decrease1 | ||||
Lost renomination but held by same party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
Result | 10 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 18 | |
Total elected | 13 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 25 | |
Net change | Decrease1 | Decrease1 | Increase1 | Steady | IncreaseDecrease3 | |
Result | 36 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 75 |
Change in Senate composition
[edit ]Before the elections
[edit ]After the November 15, 1882 special election in Georgia.
Ran D27
Ran D26
Ran D25
Ran D24
Ran D23 D22 D21 D20 D19
Ran D30
Ran D31
Ran D32
Ran D33
Ran D34
Ran D35
Retired D36
Retired D37
Retired I1
Retired
Ran R30
Ran R31
Ran R32
Ran R33
Ran R34
Ran R35
Retired R36
Retired R37
Retired
Ran R27
Ran R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19
After the elections
[edit ]Re-elected D27
Re-elected D26
Re-elected D25
Re-elected D24
Re-elected D23 D22 D21 D20 D19
Re-elected D30
Re-elected D31
Re-elected D32
Re-elected D33
Re-elected D34
Hold D35
Hold D36
Gain V1
R Loss RA2
Gain
Re-elected R30
Re-elected R31
Hold R32
Hold R33
Hold R34
Hold R35
Hold R36
Gain R37
Gain
Re-elected R27
Re-elected R26 R25 R24 R23 R22 R21 R20 R19
Key: |
D#
Democratic
I#
Independent
RA#
Readjuster
R#
Republican
V#
Vacant
|
---|
Race summaries
[edit ]Special elections during the 47th Congress
[edit ]In these elections, the winners were seated during 1882 or in 1883 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Iowa (Class 2) |
James W. McDill | Republican | 1881 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 25, 1882. Winner did not run for re-election; see below. |
|
Georgia (Class 2) |
Benjamin H. Hill | Democratic | 1877 | Incumbent died August 16, 1882. New senator elected November 15, 1882. Democratic hold. Winner did not run for re-election; see below. |
|
Colorado (Class 2) |
George M. Chilcott | Republican | 1882 (appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected January 27, 1883. Republican hold. Winner did not run for re-election; see below. |
|
Races leading to the 48th Congress
[edit ]In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1883; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Alabama | John T. Morgan | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected in 1882. |
|
Arkansas | Augustus Garland | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Colorado | Horace Tabor | Republican | 1883 (special) | Incumbent retired. Republican hold. |
|
Delaware | Eli Saulsbury | Democratic | 1870 1876 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Georgia | Middleton P. Barrow | Democratic | 1882 (special) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1883. Democratic hold. |
|
Illinois | David Davis | Independent | 1876–77 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1882. Republican gain. |
|
Iowa | James W. McDill | Republican | 1881 (appointed) 1882 (special) |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 25, 1882. Republican hold. |
|
Kansas | Preston B. Plumb | Republican | 1877 | Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1883.[4] |
|
Kentucky | James B. Beck | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected in 1882. |
|
Louisiana | Joseph R. West | Republican | 1876 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1882. Democratic gain. |
|
Maine | William P. Frye | Republican | 1881 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Massachusetts | George Frisbie Hoar | Republican | 1877 | Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Michigan | Thomas W. Ferry | Republican | 1871 1877 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1882 or 1883. Republican hold. |
|
Minnesota | William Windom | Republican | 1870 (appointed) 1871 1877 1881 (special) |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1883. Republican hold. |
|
Mississippi | Lucius Q. C. Lamar | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Nebraska | Alvin Saunders | Republican | 1877 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1883. Republican hold. |
|
New Hampshire | Edward H. Rollins | Republican | 1876 | Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Republican loss. |
None. |
New Jersey | John R. McPherson | Democratic | 1877 | Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
North Carolina | Matt W. Ransom | Democratic | 1872 (special) 1876 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Oregon | La Fayette Grover | Democratic | 1882–83 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1882. Republican gain. |
|
Rhode Island | Henry B. Anthony | Republican | 1858 1864 1870 1876 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1882. |
|
South Carolina | Matthew Butler | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected in 1882. |
|
Tennessee | Isham G. Harris | Democratic | 1877 | Incumbent re-elected in 1883. |
|
Texas | Richard Coke | Democratic | 1876 | Incumbent re-elected in 1882. |
|
Virginia | John W. Johnston | Democratic | 1871 1877 |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected early December 21, 1881.[5] Readjuster gain. Winner caucused with the Republicans.[5] |
|
West Virginia | Henry G. Davis | Democratic | 1871 1877 |
Incumbent retired. Democratic hold. |
|
Elections during the 48th Congress
[edit ]In this election, the winner was elected in 1883 after March 4.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
New Hampshire | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected August 2, 1883.[6] Republican gain. |
|
Iowa
[edit ]On January 25, 1882, the Iowa General Assembly elected James W. McDill (Republican) to finish the term over Moses M. Ham and Daniel Campbell.[3] James F. Wilson (Republican) was elected to the full six-year term on January 25, 1882, over La Vega G. Kinne and Daniel P. Stubbs.[3]
West Virginia
[edit ]Needed to win: Majority of votes cast in each House of the Legislature
62 votes cast in the House, 32 needed
26 votes cast in the Senate, 14 needed
Candidate | John E. Kenna | George Loomis |
---|---|---|
Party | Democratic | Republican |
House vote | 37 votes 59.7% |
22 votes 35.5% |
Senate vote | 17 votes 65.4% |
7 votes 26.9% |
On January 23, 1883, each House of the West Virginia Legislature chose a senator to replace retiring incumbent, Henry G. Davis. In both chambers, the ballot was a three-way race between John E. Kenna, a Democratic congressman, George Loomis, a state judge and former state senator, and Berkeley County resident John Tabb Janney.[7] In the House, the final count was 37 votes for Kenna, 22 votes for Loomis, and 3 votes for Janney. In the Senate, the final count was 17 votes for Kenna, 7 votes for Loomis, and 2 votes for Janney.[8] Kenna, having received the majority of votes in both chambers, was declared duly elected as senator.
See also
[edit ]Notes
[edit ]- ^ And other dates for special elections
- ^ as Republican Conference Chair
- ^ as Democratic Caucus Chair
- ^ as the leader of Readjuster Party
References
[edit ]- ^ a b The Readjusters caucused with the Republicans.
- ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Clark, p. 199
- ^ a b Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. ... Kansas: Standard Publishing Company. p. 757. ISBN 9780722249055.
- ^ a b Jones Salmon, Emily. "Harrison H. Riddleberger (1843–1890)". Encyclopedia Virginia/Dictionary of Virginia Biography . Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ "A Long Dead-Lock Broken: Austin F. Pike Elected Senator from New-Hampshire". New York Times. August 3, 1883. p. 1. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ Atkinson, George Wesley (1890). Prominent Men of West Virginia. W.L. Callin. p. 381.
- ^ Journal of the House of Delegates of the State of West Virginia. West Virginia Legislature. January 24, 1883. p. 100.
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- Clark, Dan Elbert (1912). History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa.