1908_United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Rhode_Island

1908–09 United States Senate elections

1908–09 United States Senate elections

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The 1908–09 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 primarily chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1906 and 1907, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] However, some states had already begun direct elections during this time. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to adopt measures reflecting the people's will. By 1912, as many as 29 states elected senators either as nominees of their party's primary or in conjunction with a general election.

Quick Facts 31 of the 92 seats in the U.S. Senate 47 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

The 31 Class 3 seats were up for election, as well as various special elections to fill vacancies or confirm appointments. The Republicans lost two seats overall.

In Illinois and Florida, the legislature failed to elect until after the beginning of the 61st Congress on March 4.

Results summary

Senate party division, 61st Congress (1909–1911)

  • Majority party: Republican (60 seats)
  • Minority party: Democratic (32 seats)
  • Other parties: 0
  • Total seats: 92

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the January 21, 1908, special election in Rhode Island.

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6
D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7
D17 D18 D19
Ran		 D20
Ran		 D21
Ran		 D22
Ran		 D23
Ran		 D24
Ran		 D25
Ran		 D26
Ran
R57
Ran		 R58
Ran		 R59
Ran		 R60
Retired		 R61
Retired		 D31
Retired		 D30
Retired		 D29
Retired		 D28
Unknown		 D27
Ran
R56
Ran		 R55
Ran		 R54
Ran		 R53
Ran		 R52
Ran		 R51
Ran		 R50
Ran		 R49
Ran		 R48
Ran		 R47
Ran
Majority →
R37 R38 R39 R40 R41 R42 R43 R44
Ran		 R45
Ran		 R46
Ran
R36 R35 R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27
R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R25 R26
R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6

Result of the general elections

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6
D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7
D17 D18 D19
Re-elected		 D20
Re-elected		 D21
Re-elected		 D22
Re-elected		 D23
Re-elected		 D24
Re-elected		 D25
Re-elected		 D26
Re-elected
R57
Hold		 R58
Hold		 R59
Gain		 V1
R loss		 V2
D loss		 D31
Gain		 D30
Gain		 D29
Hold		 D28
Hold		 D27
Hold
R56
Hold		 R55
Hold		 R54
Hold		 R53
Re-elected		 R52
Re-elected		 R51
Re-elected		 R50
Re-elected		 R49
Re-elected		 R48
Re-elected		 R47
Re-elected
Majority due to vacancies→ R46
Re-elected
R37 R38 R39 R40 R41 R42 R43 R44
Re-elected		 R45
Re-elected
R36 R35 R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27
R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24 R25 R26
R16 R15 R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6
More information Key: ...

Race summaries

Special elections during the 60th Congress

In this election, the winner was seated in 1908 before March 4; ordered by state.

More information State, Incumbent ...

In this election, the winner was elected three years early, to be seated in the 62nd Congress starting March 4, 1911.

More information State, Incumbent ...

Races leading to the 61st Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1909; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

More information State, Incumbent ...

Elections during the 61st Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1909 after March 4; ordered by date.

More information State, Incumbent ...

Maryland

Maryland (special)

Quick Facts 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly, Candidate ...

William Pinkney Whyte was elected by an unknown margin, for the Class 3 seat.[17]

Maryland (regular)

Quick Facts 80 members of the Maryland General Assembly, Candidate ...

William Pinkney Whyte died, and John Walter Smith was elected by an unknown margin, for the Class 3 seat.[18]

New York

Main article: 1909 United States Senate election in New York
See also: List of United States senators from New York

The election was held on January 19, 1909, by the New York State Legislature. Republican Thomas C. Platt had been re-elected to this seat in 1903, and his term would expire on March 3, 1909. At the State election in November 1908, 35 Republicans and 16 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1909–1910) in the state senate; and 99 Republicans and 51 Democrats were elected for the session of 1909 to the Assembly. The 132nd New York State Legislature met from January 5 to April 30, 1909, at Albany, New York.

The Republican caucus met on January 18. State Senator J. Mayhew Wainwright presided. The caucus nominated U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root unanimously. Root was the choice of President Theodore Roosevelt. President pro tempore of the State Senate John Raines lauded warmly Root's nomination, eulogized the retiring U.S. Senator Platt, and declared war on Governor Charles Evans Hughes's reforms.[19] The Democratic caucus met also on January 18. They nominated Ex-Lieutenant Governor Lewis S. Chanler unanimously. Chanler had been elected lieutenant governor in 1906 on the Democratic/Independence League ticket, and had served under Republican governor Hughes. Chanler had just been defeated when running against Hughes for governor in November 1908.[19]

Elihu Root was the choice of both the Assembly and the state senate, and was declared elected.[20]

More information House, Republican ...

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.

Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States senators from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania (regular)

Main article: 1909 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

The regularly-scheduled general election in Pennsylvania was held January 19, 1909. Boies Penrose was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. This was the last Class III U.S. Senate election to be decided by the Pennsylvania General Assembly before the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which mandated direct election of U.S. Senators.[21]

The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 19, 1909, to elect a senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1909. Incumbent Republican Boies Penrose, who was elected in 1897 and re-elected in 1903, was a successful candidate for re-election to another term. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

More information Party, Candidate ...

Pennsylvania (special)

Main article: 1909 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania

A special election was held March 16, 1909. George T. Oliver was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[22]

Republican Philander C. Knox was appointed to the Senate in June 1904 after the death of Matthew Quay. Knox was subsequently elected to a full term in the Senate by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in January 1905. Knox served in the U.S. Senate until his resignation on March 4, 1909, to become United States Secretary of State in the William Howard Taft administration, leaving the seat vacant until a successor was elected.[23]

Following Knox's resignation, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on March 16, 1909, to elect a new senator to fill the vacancy. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

More information Party, Candidate ...

See also

Notes

  1. as Republican Conference Chairman
  2. as Democratic Conference Chairman
  3. "James H. Hemenway" in source, probably "James A. Hemenway."[5]
  1. [1]
    "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
  2. [2]
    Tribune Almanac (1909), p. 315.
  3. [3]
    Byrd, p. 121.
  4. [4]
    Tribune Almanac (1908), p. 258.
  5. [5]
    Tribune Almanac (1910), p. 271.
  6. [6]
    "ELECTIONS IN OTHER STATES". The New York Times. January 20, 1909. p. 3.
  7. [7]
    "NAME CHAMBERLAIN AS OREGON SENATOR". The New York Times. January 20, 1909. p. 3.
  8. [8]
    "Perkins of California Re-elected". The New York Times. January 13, 1903. p. 5.
  9. [9]
    "HOPKINS FAILS IN ILLINOIS". The New York Times. January 20, 1909. p. 3.
  10. [10]
    "Senator McEnery Succeeds Himself". The New York Times. May 20, 1900. p. 2.
  11. [11]
    "Our Campaigns - NV US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1908". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  12. [12]
    Tribune Almanac (1910), pp. 271–272.
  13. [13]
    Tribune Almanac (1910), p. 272.
  14. [14]
    "ROOT IS CHOSEN SENATOR". The New York Times. January 20, 1909. p. 3.
  15. [15]
    Walters, Everett (1948). Joseph Benson Foraker: An Uncompromising Republican. Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio History Press. pp. 283–284.
  16. [16]
    "Our Campaigns - OR US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1908". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  17. [17]
    "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jun 08, 1906". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  18. [18]
    "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1908". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  19. [19]
    "ROOT IS CHOSEN FOR U.S. SENATOR; ...Democrats Choose Chanler" (PDF). The New York Times. January 19, 1909.
  20. [20]
    "ROOT IS CHOSEN SENATOR" (PDF). The New York Times. January 20, 1909.
  21. [21]
    "U.S. Senate Election - 19 January 1909" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  22. [22]
    "U.S. Senate Election - 17 March 1909" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  23. [23]
    "KNOX, Philander Chase, (1853 - 1921)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  24. [24]
    "PA US Senate - Special Election". OurCampaigns. Retrieved December 24, 2012.

References
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