The 1896–97 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 1896 and 1897, 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 3.

Quick Facts 30 of the 90 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections) 46 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1896–97 United States Senate elections

← 1894 & 1895 Dates vary by state 1898 & 1899 →
30 of the 90 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections) 46 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader John Sherman[lower-alpha 1] (retired) Arthur Pue Gorman[lower-alpha 2] (Lost re-election) Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1891 March 4, 1889 Leader's seat Ohio Maryland Seats before 44 39 Seats won 15 7 Seats after 46 32 Seat change 2 7 Seats up 13 14   Third party Fourth party   Party Populist Silver Republican Seats before 4 0 Seats won 3 2 Seats after 5 2 Seat change 1 2 Seats up 2 0   Fifth party   Party Silver Seats before 2 Seats won 1 Seats after 2 Seat change Seats up 1
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Silver hold      Populist gain      Populist hold      Silver Republican gain      Silver Republican hold      Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election Republican Elected Majority Party Republican

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The Democratic Party lost seven seats, mostly to smaller third parties.

Senate party division, 55th Congress (1897–1899)

• Majority party: Republican (43)
• Minority party: Democratic (33)
• Other parties: Populist (5); Silver (5); Silver Republican (2)
• Total seats: 90
• Vacant: 2, later filled by 1 Republican and 1 Democrat.

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George L. Wellington was elected by an unknown margin, for the Class 3 seat.^[29]

The election in New York was held on January 19, 1897, by the New York State Legislature. Democrat David B. Hill had been elected to this seat in 1891, and his term would expire on March 3, 1897. At the State election in November 1895, 36 Republicans and 14 Democrats were elected for a three-year term (1896–1898) in the state senate. At the State election in November 1896, 114 Republicans and 36 Democrats were elected for the session of 1897 to the Assembly. The 120th New York State Legislature met from January 6 to April 24, 1897, at Albany, New York.

The Republican caucus met on January 14. 149 State legislators attended, and State Senator Cornelius R. Parsons (43rd D.), Ex-Mayor of Rochester, presided. The caucus nominated the Republican boss Thomas C. Platt, who had been briefly a U.S. Senator in 1881, on the first ballot.

More information Candidate, First ballot ...

1897 Republican caucus for United States Senator result

Candidate	First ballot
Y Thomas C. Platt	142
Joseph H. Choate	7

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The Democratic caucus met on January 18. 46 State legislators attended, but 5 walked out before the roll was called, after making speeches against Hill. The incumbent U.S. Senator David B. Hill was re-nominated.

More information Candidate, First ballot ...

1897 Democratic caucus for United States Senator result

Candidate	First ballot
Y David B. Hill	36
Wilbur F. Porter[lower-alpha 3]	3
Robert C. Titus	2

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Thomas C. Platt was the choice of both the Assembly and the state senate, and was declared elected. Four anti-Hill Democrats voted for Labor leader Henry George, who later the same year ran for Mayor of New York as a "Jefferson Democrat" but died a few days before the election.

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1897 United States Senator election result

House	Republican		Democrat
State Senate (50 members)	Y Thomas C. Platt	35	David B. Hill	11	Henry George	2
State Assembly (150 members)	Thomas C. Platt	112	David B. Hill	31	Henry George	2

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Note: The votes were cast on January 19, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 20 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

The election in Pennsylvania was held January 19, 1897. Boies Penrose was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.^[30] Incumbent Republican J. Donald Cameron, who was elected in an 1877 special election and subsequently re-elected in 1879, 1885, and 1891, was not a candidate for re-election. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 19, 1897, to elect a new senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1897. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

The election in South Carolina was a unanimous election of the Democratic nominee on January 26, 1897. The Democratic primary election was held on August 26, 1896, and September 9. The Democratic Party of South Carolina organized primary elections for the U.S. Senate beginning in 1896 and the General Assembly would confirm the choice of the Democratic voters. Conservative Democratic Joseph H. Earle won the Democratic primary and was elected by the General Assembly for a six-year term.

In 1896, Governor of South Carolina John Gary Evans entered the first ever election in the state of South Carolina for the U.S. Senate. He had the backing of Senator Ben Tillman and much of the farming interests in the state. However, the farmers' movement had largely run its course and the Tillmanite reform movement had angered a considerable number of voters in the state. Conservative Joseph H. Earle and Newberry native John T. Duncan announced their candidacy's in opposition to Governor Evans. In the primary on August 26 Evans emerged as the frontrunner, but did not garner over 50% of the vote and was forced to face Earle in a runoff election. Those who had voted for Duncan threw their support to Earle and it provided him with the margin he needed for victory over Evans.

• 1896 United States elections
  • 1896 United States House of Representatives elections
  • 1896 United States presidential election
• 54th United States Congress
• 55th United States Congress