The 1872–73 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with President Ulysses S. Grant'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 1872 and 1873, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.
The Republican Party, while still retaining a commanding majority, lost two seats. By the beginning of the Congress, however, they would lose three more: two as defections to the Liberal Republican Party, and one a resignation of Henry Wilson to become U.S. Vice President. This remains the last election in which Republicans held a 2/3 majority in the Senate.
Results summary
Senate party division, 43rd Congress (1873–1875)
- Majority party: Republican (50–51)
- Minority party: Democratic (19–20)
- Other parties: Liberal Republican (3–2)
- Vacant: (2–1)
- Total seats: 74
Change in composition
Before the elections
After the January 30, 1872 special election in North Carolina.
Result of the elections
Beginning of the next Congress
Race summaries
Special elections during the 42nd Congress
In these elections, the winners were seated during 1872 or in 1873 before March 4; ordered by election date.
Races leading to the 43rd Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1873; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
Elections during the 43rd Congress
In this election, the winner was elected in 1873 after March 4.
Early election
Alabama
Arkansas
California
California (regular, class 3)
California (special)
California (early)
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Kentucky (regular)
Kentucky (special)
Louisiana
Louisiana (special)
Louisiana (regular)
Maryland
George R. Dennis was elected by a margin of 75.27%, or 70 votes, for the Class 3 seat.
Massachusetts (special)
Missouri
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
The New York election was held January 21, 1873. Republican Roscoe Conkling had been elected in January 1867 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1873.
At the State election in November 1871, 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1872–1873) in the State Senate. In 1872, a faction of the Republican Party opposed the re-election of President Ulysses S. Grant and the Radical Republicans who supported him, and under the name Liberal Republican Party nominated a joint ticket with the Democratic Party. At the State election in November 1872, 91 Republicans, 35 Democrats and 2 Independents were elected for the session of 1873 to the Assembly. The 96th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 30, 1873, at Albany, New York.
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 8, State Senator William B. Woodin, of Auburn (25th D.), presided. 18 state senators and 88 assemblymen were present. They re-nominated Conkling unanimously. The caucus of the Democratic State legislators nominated Ex-First Judge of Dutchess County Charles Wheaton.
Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.
Note: The vote for Ex-U.S. Attorney General William M. Evarts was cast by Norman M. Allen (32nd district), the vote for Ex-Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Henry R. Selden by Gabriel T. Harrower (27th district). Allen, Harrower and Abiah W. Palmer (11th district) were the three Liberal Republicans in the State Senate.
North Carolina
North Carolina (regular)
North Carolina (late)
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania State Senate, voted on January 21, 1873. Incumbent Republican Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1867, won re-election.
South Carolina
Vermont
Wisconsin
The 26th Wisconsin Legislature met in joint session on January 22, 1873, to elect a U.S. senator. The voting was almost entirely along party lines, with five Democrats absent. Of the 128 in attendance, Timothy O. Howe received the votes of all but one of the Republican legislators, winning his third term as U.S. senator.
See also
- 1872 United States elections
- 1872–73 United States House of Representatives elections
- 1872 United States presidential election
- 42nd United States Congress
- 43rd United States Congress
Notes
References
Sources
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
- Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
- Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
- Taft, George S.; Furber, George P.; Buck, George M.; Webb, Charles A.; Pierce, Herbert R. (1913). "Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1913". U.S. Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- Members of the 43rd United States Congress
- ALBANY.; Unanimous Nomination of Roscoe Conkling for U.S. Senator in NYT on January 9, 1873
- ALBANY.; Nomination of Roscoe Conkling as United States Senator in NYT on January 22, 1873
- The Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling: Orator, Statesman and Advocate by Alfred R. Conkling (page 449) [gives wrong date for governor's inauguration "January 6", the inauguration happens invariably on January 1; and adds non-existent middle initial "G."]
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project
