1864_United_States_Senate_election_in_Rhode_Island
The 1864–65 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. They occurred during the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's re-election. 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 1864 and 1865, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.
Quick Facts 24 of the 72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 25 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...
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24 of the 72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 25 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the elections: Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold Confederacy Barred from being seated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Republican Party gained two seats. Most of the Southern states were absent because of the Civil War.
Senate party division, 39th Congress (1865–1867)
- Majority party: Republican (37)
- Minority party: Democratic (9)
- Other parties: Unconditional Unionist (1); Unionist (1)
- Vacant: (24)
- Total seats: 72
Before the elections
More information V5 Seceded, V4 Seceded ...
| V5 Seceded |
V4 Seceded |
V3 Seceded |
V2 | V1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 Seceded |
V7 Seceded |
V8 Seceded |
V9 Seceded |
V10 Seceded |
V11 Seceded |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 |
| UU5 Ran |
U1 | U2 | U3 Retired |
D10 Ran |
D9 Retired |
D8 Unknown |
D7 Retired |
D6 | D5 |
| UU4 | UU3 | UU2 | UU1 | R31 Ran |
R30 Ran |
R29 Retired |
R28 Ran |
R27 Ran |
R26 Retired |
| Majority → | R25 Unknown | ||||||||
| R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 Ran |
R24 Ran | |
| R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 |
| V16 | V15 | V14 | V13 | V12 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 |
| V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 | V21 | |||||
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As a result of the elections
More information V5 Seceded, V4 Seceded ...
| V5 Seceded |
V4 Seceded |
V3 Seceded |
V2 | V1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 Seceded |
V7 Seceded |
V8 Seceded |
V9 Seceded |
V10 Seceded |
V11 Seceded |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 |
| UU2 | UU3 | UU4 | U1 | U2 | D9 Gain |
D8 Hold |
D7 Re-elected |
D6 | D5 |
| UU1 | R33 Gain |
R32 Gain |
R31 Re-elected new party |
R30 Hold |
R29 Hold |
R28 Hold |
R27 Re-elected |
R26 Re-elected |
R25 Re-elected |
| Majority → | |||||||||
| R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 Re-elected |
R24 Re-elected |
| R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 |
| V17 | V16 | V15 | V14 | V13 | V12 U Loss |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 |
| V18 | V19 | V20 | V21 | V22 | |||||
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Beginning of the next Congress
More information R36 Changed, R37 Changed ...
| V6 | V5 | V4 | V3 | V2 | V1 | ||||
| V7 | V8 | V9 | V10 | V11 | D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 |
| R36 Changed |
R37 Changed |
UU1 | V13 UU Loss |
U1 | V12 D Loss |
D9 Gain |
D8 | D7 | D6 |
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| R35 New state |
R34 New state |
R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 |
| Majority → | R25 | ||||||||
| R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | |
| R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 |
| V18 | V17 | V16 | V15 | V14 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 |
| V19 | V20 | V21 | V22 | V23 | V24 | ||||
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Elections during the 38th Congress
In these elections — some special and some initial — the winners were seated during 1864 or in 1865 before March 4; ordered by election date.
More information State, Incumbent ...
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
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| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Maryland (Class 3) |
Thomas Holliday Hicks | Unconditional Unionist | 1862 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 11, 1864[2] to finish the term. |
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| Delaware (Class 1) |
James A. Bayard Jr. | Democratic | 1851 1857 1863 |
Incumbent resigned January 29, 1864 for unknown reason. Winner elected January 29, 1864. Democratic hold. |
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| Nevada (Class 1) |
New state | Nevada's first Senators were elected February 1, 1865. Republican gain. |
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| Nevada (Class 3) |
Nevada's first Senators were elected February 1, 1865. Republican gain. |
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| Virginia (Class 1) |
Lemuel J. Bowden | Unionist | 1863 | Incumbent died January 2, 1864. Winner elected sometime in 1865. The Senate refused to seat him as it did not want to set a precedent for allowing premature re-entry of Confederate states.[3] Unionist loss. Seat remained vacant until 1870. |
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Elections leading to the 39th Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1865; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
More information State, Incumbent ...
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Alabama | Vacant since January 21, 1861 when Clement Claiborne Clay (D) withdrew. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
| Arkansas | Vacant since July 11, 1861 when William K. Sebastian (D) was expelled. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
| Delaware | Willard Saulsbury Sr. | Democratic | 1858 | Incumbent re-elected in 1864. |
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| Georgia | Vacant since February 4, 1861 when Robert Toombs (D) withdrew. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1871. |
None. | ||
| Illinois | William A. Richardson | Democratic | 1863 (special) | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1864 or 1865. Republican gain. |
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| Iowa | James W. Grimes | Republican | 1858 | Incumbent re-elected January 11, 1864. |
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| Kansas | James H. Lane | Republican | 1861 | Incumbent re-elected in 1865. |
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| Kentucky | Lazarus W. Powell | Democratic | 1858 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1865. Democratic hold. |
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| Louisiana | Vacant since February 4, 1861 when Judah P. Benjamin (D) withdrew. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
| Maine | Nathan A. Farwell | Republican | 1864 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. Winner elected in 1864 or 1865. Republican hold. |
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| Massachusetts | Henry Wilson | Republican | 1855 (special) 1859 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1865. |
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| Michigan | Jacob M. Howard | Republican | 1862 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1865. |
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| Minnesota | Morton S. Wilkinson | Republican | 1858 or 1859 | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1865. Republican hold. |
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| Mississippi | Vacant since January 12, 1861 when Albert G. Brown (D) withdrew. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1870. |
None. | ||
| New Hampshire | John P. Hale | Republican | 1846 1853 (Retired) 1855 (special) |
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1864. Republican hold. |
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| New Jersey | John C. Ten Eyck | Republican | 1858 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1864. Democratic gain. Election would later be disputed and seat declared vacant. |
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| North Carolina | Vacant since March 6, 1861 when Thomas Bragg (D) resigned. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
| Oregon | Benjamin F. Harding | Democratic | 1862 (special) | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1864. Republican gain. |
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| Rhode Island | Henry B. Anthony | Republican | 1858 | Incumbent re-elected in 1864. |
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| South Carolina | Vacant since November 10, 1860 when James Chesnut Jr. (D) withdrew. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1868. |
None. | ||
| Tennessee | Vacant since March 3, 1861 when Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) withdrew. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1866. |
None. | ||
| Texas | Vacant since July 11, 1861 when John Hemphill (D) was expelled. | Legislature failed to elect during Civil War and Reconstruction. Seat remained vacant until 1870. |
None. | ||
| Virginia | John S. Carlile | Unionist | 1861 | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1865. The Senate refused to seat him as it did not want to set a precedent for allowing premature re-entry of Confederate states.[3] Unionist loss. Seat remained vacant until 1870. |
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| West Virginia | Waitman T. Willey | Unconditional Unionist | 1863 | Incumbent re-elected in 1865 as a Republican. Republican gain. |
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Elections during the 39th Congress
In this election, the winner was elected in 1865 after March 4.
Quick Facts 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly, Candidate ...
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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More information State, Incumbent ...
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Maryland (Class 3) |
Thomas Holliday Hicks | Unconditional Unionist | 1862 (Appointed) 1864 (special) |
Incumbent died February 14, 1865. Winner elected March 9, 1865. Unconditional Unionist hold. |
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Maryland (1864 special)
![[icon]](./File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) |
James Pearce died, and Thomas Holliday Hicks was appointed to his seat. He then won election to finish the rest of the term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.[6]
Quick Facts 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly, Candidate ...
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Maryland (1865 special)
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) |
Thomas Holliday Hicks died, and John Creswell was appointed to his seat. He then won election to finish the rest of the term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.[7]
Incumbent Waitman T. Willey was re-elected by the legislature to his first full term as United States Senator, with Willey being elected as a Republican. Willey would serve his term until 1871.
Quick Facts Needed to win: Majority of votes cast jointly by the Legislature 69 votes cast; 35 votes needed, Candidate ...
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Needed to win: Majority of votes cast jointly by the Legislature 69 votes cast; 35 votes needed | |||||||||||||
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- "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
- Byrd & Wolff, page 120
- "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa"., page 131
- University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1865 Minnesota U.S. Senate Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
- "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Dec 00, 1862". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Feb 00, 1865". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.