United States Senate elections, 1880 and 1881

Dates vary by state
(And other dates for special elections)

25 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 39 seats needed for a majority

	Majority party	Minority party	Third party

Party	Republican	Democratic	Readjuster
Seats before	32	42	0
Seats won	15	9	1
Seats after	37	37	1^[1]
Seat change	5	5	1
Seats up	10	14	0

	Fourth party	Fifth party

Party	Independent	Anti-Monopoly
Seats before	1	1
Seats won	0	0
Seats after	1	0
Seat change		1
Seats up	0	1

Majority Party before election

Democratic

Elected Majority Party

Republican^[1]

The United States Senate elections of 1880 and 1881 were elections that conicided with the presidential election of 1880, and had the Democratic Party lose five seats in the United States Senate. The newly elected Readjuster senator caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. All of that changed September 19, 1881 when the Vice President ascended to the Presidency and the Senate became evenly-divided.

As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 47th Congress (1881–1883)

Majority Party: Republican (37)
Minority Party: Democratic (37)
Other Parties: Independent (1); Readjuster (1)
Total Seats: 76

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

D₂₉ Ran	D₃₀ Ran	D₃₁ Ran	D₃₂ Ran	D₃₃ Ran	D₃₄ Ran	D₃₅ Ran	D₃₆ Ran	D₃₇ Ran	D₃₈ Ran
D₈	D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃	D₁₄	D₁₅	D₁₆	D₁₇	D₁₈
D₂₈	D₂₇	D₂₆	D₂₅	D₂₄	D₂₃	D₂₂	D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉
Majority →									D₃₉ Unknown
R₂₉ Unknown	R₃₀ Retired	R₃₁ Retired	R₃₂ Retired	AM₁ Retired	I₁	D₄₂ Retired	D₄₁ Unknown	D₄₀ Unknown
R₂₈ Unknown	R₂₇ Ran	R₂₆ Ran	R₂₅ Ran	R₂₄ Ran	R₂₃ Ran	R₂₂	R₂₁	R₂₀	R₁₉
R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃	R₁₄	R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇	R₁₈
R₈	R₇	R₆	R₅	R₄	R₃	R₂	R₁

After the elections

R₂₉ Hold	R₃₀ Hold	R₃₁ Gain	R₃₂ Gain	R₃₃ Gain	R₃₄ Gain	R₃₅ Gain	R₃₆ Gain	R₃₇ Gain
D₈	D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃	D₁₄	D₁₅	D₁₆	D₁₇	D₁₈
D₂₈	D₂₇	D₂₆	D₂₅	D₂₄	D₂₃	D₂₂	D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉
D₂₉ Re-elected	D₃₀ Re-elected	D₃₁ Re-elected	D₃₃ Re-elected	D₃₃ Hold	D₃₄ Hold	D₃₅ Hold	D₃₆ Gain	D₃₇ Gain	I₁
Plurality ↓									RA₁ Gain
R₂₈ Hold	R₂₇ Hold	R₂₆ Re-elected	R₂₅ Re-elected	R₂₄ Re-elected	R₂₃ Re-elected	R₂₂	R₂₁	R₂₀	R₁₉
R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃	R₁₄	R₁₅	R₁₆	R₁₇	R₁₈
R₈	R₇	R₆	R₅	R₄	R₃	R₂	R₁

Key:

AM_#	Anti-Monopoly Party
D_#	Democratic
I_#	Independent
RA_#	Readjuster
R_#	Republican
V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 46th Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1880 or in 1881 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Georgia (Class 3)	John B. Gordon	Democratic	1873 1879	Incumbent resigned to promote a venture for the Georgia Pacific Railway. Winner elected May 26, 1880. Democratic hold.	√ Joseph E. Brown (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Alabama (Class 3)	Luke Pryor	Democratic	1880 (Appointed)	Unknown if interim appointee retired or lost election. Winner elected November 23, 1880. Democratic hold.	√ James L. Pugh (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Michigan (Class 1)	Henry P. Baldwin	Republican	1879 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 19, 1881.	√ Henry P. Baldwin (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Races leading to the 47th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1881; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
California	Newton Booth	Anti-Monopoly	1874	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1880. Republican gain.	√ John F. Miller (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Connecticut	William W. Eaton	Democratic	1874 or 1875	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881. Republican gain.	√ Joseph Roswell Hawley (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Delaware	Thomas F. Bayard	Democratic	1869 1875	Incumbent re-elected in 1881.	√ Thomas F. Bayard (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Florida	Charles W. Jones	Democratic	1875	Incumbent re-elected in 1881.	√ Charles W. Jones (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Indiana	Joseph E. McDonald	Democratic	1874 or 1875	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880 or 1881. Republican gain.	√ Benjamin Harrison (Republican) Joseph E. McDonald (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maine	Hannibal Hamlin	Republican	1857 1861 (Resigned) 1869 1875	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1881. Republican hold.	√ Eugene Hale (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maryland	William P. Whyte	Democratic	1868 (Appointed) 1869 (Retired) 1874	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1880. Democratic hold.	√ Arthur P. Gorman (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Massachusetts	Henry L. Dawes	Republican	1875	Incumbent re-elected in 1881.	√ Henry L. Dawes (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Michigan	Henry P. Baldwin	Republican	1881 (Special)	Incumbent retired. Winner elected January 18, 1881. Republican hold.	√ Omar D. Conger (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Minnesota	Samuel J. R. McMillan	Republican	1875	Incumbent re-elected in 1881.	√ Samuel J. R. McMillan (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi	Blanche Bruce	Republican	1874	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880. Democratic gain.	√ James Z. George (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Missouri	Francis Cockrell	Democratic	1874	Incumbent re-elected in 1881.	√ Francis Cockrell (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Nebraska	Algernon Paddock	Republican	1875	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880. Republican hold.	√ Charles Van Wyck (Republican) Algernon Paddock (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Nevada	William Sharon	Republican	1875	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected January 12, 1881. Democratic gain.	√ James Graham Fair (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Jersey	Theodore F. Randolph	Democratic	1875	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881. Republican gain.	√ William Joyce Sewell (Republican) Theodore Fitz Randolph (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New York	Francis Kernan	Democratic	1875	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected January 20, 1881. Republican gain.	√ Thomas C. Platt (Republican) Francis Kernan (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Ohio	Allen G. Thurman	Democratic	1868 1874	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880. Republican gain.	√ John Sherman (Republican) Allen G. Thurman (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Pennsylvania	William A. Wallace	Democratic	1875	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected February 23, 1881. Republican gain.	√ John I. Mitchell (Republican) 59.76% William A. Wallace (Democratic) 36.65%
Rhode Island	Ambrose Burnside	Republican	1874	Incumbent re-elected in 1880.	√ Ambrose Burnside (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Tennessee	James E. Bailey	Democratic	1877 (Special)	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880 or 1881. Democratic hold.	√ Howell E. Jackson (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Texas	Samuel B. Maxey	Democratic	1875	Incumbent re-elected in 1881.	√ Samuel B. Maxey (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Vermont	George F. Edmunds	Republican	1866 (Appointed) 1866 (Special) 1868 1874	Incumbent re-elected in 1880.	√ George F. Edmunds (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Virginia	Robert E. Withers	Democratic	1875	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1881. Readjuster gain. Winner would caucus with the Republicans.	√ William Mahone (Readjuster) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
West Virginia	Frank Hereford	Democratic	1877 (Special)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1880 or 1881. Democratic hold.	√ Johnson N. Camden (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Wisconsin	Angus Cameron	Republican	1875	Incumbent retired. Winner elected January 26, 1881. Republican hold.	√ Philetus Sawyer (Republican) 98 James G. Jenkins (Democratic) 29 C. D. Parker (Democratic) 1 C. C. Washburn (Republican) 2^[2]

Elections during the 47th Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1881 after March 4; ordered by date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Wisconsin (Class 3)	Matthew H. Carpenter	Republican	1868 or 1869 1875 (Lost) 1879	Incumbent died February 24, 1881. Winner elected March 14, 1881. Republican hold.	√ Angus Cameron (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maine (Class 2)	James G. Blaine	Republican	1876 (Appointed) 1877 (Special) 1877	Incumbent resigned March 5, 1881 to become U.S. Secretary of State. Winner elected March 18, 1881. Republican hold.	√ William P. Frye (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New York (Class 1)	Thomas C. Platt	Republican	1881	Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York. Winner elected July 27, 1881. Republican hold.	√ Warner Miller (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New York (Class 3)	Roscoe Conkling	Republican	1881	Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York. Winner elected July 29, 1881. Republican hold.	√ Elbridge G. Lapham (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Rhode Island (Class 1)	Ambrose Burnside	Republican	1874 1880	Incumbent died September 13, 1881. Winner elected October 5, 1881. Republican hold.	√ Nelson W. Aldrich (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Minnesota (Class 2)	Alonzo J. Edgerton	Republican	1881 (Appointed)	Interim appointee replaced by successor elected October 30, 1881. Republican hold.	√ William Windom (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Virginia (Class 2)	John W. Johnston	Democratic	1871 1877	Incumbent lost re-election for the term beginning March 4, 1883. Winner elected early December 21, 1881.^[3] Readjuster gain. Winner caucused with the Republicans.^[3]	√ Harrison H. Riddleberger (Readjuster) John W. Johnston (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Complete list of races

Nevada

On January 12, 1881, James Graham Fair (Republican) was elected.^[4]

New York

The New York election was held January 18, 1881, by the New York State Legislature. Democrat Francis Kernan had been elected in January 1875 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1881. At the State election in November 1879, 25 Republicans and 7 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1880-1881) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1880, 81 Republicans and 47 Democrats were elected for the session of 1881 to the Assembly. The 104th State Legislature met from January 4, 1881, on at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 13, State Senator Dennis McCarthy presided. All but one of the legislators were present, only State Senator Edward M. Madden (13th D.) was absent. The caucus nominated Ex-Congressman Thomas C. Platt for the U.S. Senate. Platt was a friend of the other U.S. Senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling, and belonged to the Stalwart faction. The opposing Half-Breeds (in the press sometimes referred to as the "anti-machine men") at first wanted to nominate Chauncey M. Depew, but he withdrew before balloting. The majority of the Half-Breeds, led by President pro tempore of the State Senate William H. Robertson, then supported Platt, a minority voted for Sherman S. Rogers, the defeated Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1876. Congressman Richard Crowley was supported by a faction led by Speaker of the State Assembly George H. Sharpe, allied with Governor Alonzo B. Cornell. U.S. Vice President William A. Wheeler, and Congressmen Elbridge G. Lapham and Levi P. Morton also received votes.

**1881 Republican caucus for United States Senator result**
Office	Candidate	First ballot
U.S. Senator	Thomas C. Platt	54
	Richard Crowley	26
	Sherman S. Rogers	10
	William A. Wheeler	10
	Elbridge G. Lapham	4
	Levi P. Morton	1

The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on January 17, State Senator Charles A. Fowler (14th D.) presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Francis Kernan by acclamation.

Thomas C. Platt was the choice of both the State Senate and the Assembly, and was declared elected.

**1881 United States Senator election result**
House	Republican	Democrat
State Senate (32 members)	Thomas C. Platt	25	Francis Kernan	6
State Assembly (128 members)	Thomas C. Platt	79	Francis Kernan	44

Notes:

The votes were cast on January 18, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 19 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
State Senator Stevens (Dem., 22nd D.) was absent and did not vote.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held on thirty separate dates from January to February 1881. On February 23, 1881, John I. Mitchell was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.^[5] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 27, 1881, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1881. Thirty-five ballots were recorded on thirty separate dates spanning from January 27 to February 23, 1881. The results of the thirty-fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:

State Legislature Results^[5]^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John I. Mitchell	150	59.76
	Democratic	William A. Wallace (Inc.)	92	36.65
	N/A	Not voting	7	2.79
	N/A	Other	2	0.80
Totals			251	100.00%

References

1 2 The Readjuster caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority.
↑ "Blue Book for the State of Wisconsin". 1883. p. 463.
1 2 Jones Salmon, Emily. "Harrison H. Riddleberger (1843–1890)". Encyclopedia Virginia/Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
↑ The Journal of the Assembly of the Tenth Session of the Legislature of the State of Nevada. Carson City, NV: State Printing Office. 1881. p. 30.
1 2 "U.S. Senate Election - 27 January 1881 - 23 February 1881" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
↑ "PA US Senate - 1881". OurCampaigns. Retrieved December 22, 2012.

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
Members of the 47th United States Congress
SENATOR THOMAS C. PLATT; SELECTED BY THE CAUCUS UPON THE FIRST BALLOT in NYT on January 14, 1881
COMPLIMENTING MR. KERNAN.; THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS RENOMINATES HIM FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR in NYT on January 18, 1881
Election result: BUSY STATE LEGISLATORS in NYT on January 19, 1881
Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project

United States Senate elections

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