United States Senate elections, 1846 and 1847
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The United States Senate elections of 1846 and 1847 were elections which had the Democratic Party gain four seats in the United States Senate.
As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.
Results
Senate Party Division, 30th Congress (1847–1849)
- Majority Party: Democratic (34–38)
- Minority Party: Whig (20–21)
- Other Parties: Independent Democratic (1)
- Total Seats: 58–60
Change in Senate composition
Before the elections
After the February 1846 elections in Texas.
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | ||
D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 |
D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 Ran |
D27 Ran |
D28 Ran |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Majority → | D29 Ran | ||||||||
W19 Ran |
W20 Unknown |
W21 Unknown |
W22 Unknown |
W23 Retired |
D33 Retired |
D32 Unknown |
D31 Unknown |
D30 Ran | |
W18 Ran |
W17 Ran |
W16 Ran |
W15 Ran |
W14 Ran |
W13 Ran |
W12 | W11 | W10 | W9 |
W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 |
As a result of the elections
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | |
D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 |
D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 Re-elected |
D27 Re-elected |
D28 Re-elected |
D29 Re-elected |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Majority → | D30 Hold | ||||||||
V1 W Loss |
V2 New state |
V3 New state |
ID1 Gain |
D35 Gain |
D34 Gain |
D33 Gain |
D32 Hold |
D31 Hold | |
W19 Hold |
W18 Hold |
W17 Hold |
W16 Re-elected |
W15 Re-elected |
W14 Re-elected |
W13 Re-elected |
W12 | W11 | W10 |
W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 |
At the beginning of the next Congress
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | |
D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 |
D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 |
Majority → | D30 | ||||||||
W20 Gain |
V1 | V2 | V3 | ID1 | D34 | D33 | D32 | D31 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W19 | W18 | W17 | W16 | W15 | W14 | W13 | W12 | W11 | W10 |
W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 |
Key: |
|
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Race summaries
Special elections during the 29th Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1846 or in 1847 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Mississippi (Class 2) |
Joseph W. Chalmers | Democratic | 1845 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 10, 1846. | √ Joseph W. Chalmers (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Texas (Class 1) |
New State | Texas was admitted to the Union December 29, 1845. Winner elected February 21, 1846. Democratic gain. |
√ Thomas Rusk (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Texas (Class 2) |
New State | Texas was admitted to the Union December 29, 1845. Winner elected February 21, 1846. Democratic gain. |
√ Sam Houston (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
New Hampshire (Class 2) |
Benning W. Jenness | Democratic | 1845 (Appointed) | Appointee lost election to finish the term. Winner elected June 13, 1846. Liberty gain. Winner was not elected to the next term, see below. |
√ Joseph Cilley (Liberty) Benning W. Jenness (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
North Carolina (Class 3) |
William H. Haywood, Jr. | Democratic | 1843 | Incumbent resigned July 25, 1846 rather than disobey instructions from the N.C. General Assembly. Winner elected November 25, 1846. Whig gain. |
√ James M. Mason (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Louisiana (Class 2) |
Alexander Barrow | Whig | 1840 | Incumbent died December 29, 1846. Winner elected January 21, 1847. Democratic gain. Winner was not elected to the next term, see below. |
√ Pierre Soulé (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Virginia (Class 1) |
Isaac S. Pennybacker | Democratic | 1845 (Special) | Incumbent died January 12, 1847. Winner elected January 21, 1847. Democratic hold. |
√ James M. Mason (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Iowa (Class 2) |
New State | Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846. Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1] Seat vacant until December 7, 1848. |
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | ||
Iowa (Class 3) |
New State | Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846. Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1] Seat vacant until December 7, 1848. |
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Races leading to the 30th Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1847; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Alabama | Dixon Hall Lewis | Democratic | 1844 (Appointed) | Incumbent elected to full term in 1847. | √ Dixon Hall Lewis (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Arkansas | Chester Ashley | Democratic | 1844 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1846. | √ Chester Ashley (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Delaware | Thomas Clayton | Whig | 1837 (Special) 1841 |
Unknown in incumbent lost re-election or retired. Winner elected in 1846 or 1847. Whig hold. |
√ Thomas Clayton (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Georgia | John M. Berrien | Whig | 1825 1829 (Resigned) 1840 1845 (Resigned) 1845 (Special) |
Incumbent re-elected in 1846. | √ John M. Berrien (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Illinois | James Semple | Democratic | 1843 (Appointed) ? (Special) |
Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1846. Democratic hold. |
√ Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Kentucky | James T. Morehead | Whig | 1841 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1846 or 1847. Whig hold. |
√ Joseph R. Underwood (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Louisiana | Pierre Soulé | Democratic | 1847 (Special) | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1847. Democratic hold. |
√ Solomon W. Downs (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Maine | George Evans | Whig | 1840 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1846.[2] Democratic gain. |
√ James W. Bradbury (Democratic) George Evans (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Massachusetts | John Davis | Whig | 1835 1841 (Resigned) 1845 (Special) |
Incumbent re-elected in 1847. | √ John Davis (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Michigan | William Woodbridge | Whig | 1841 | Incumbent retired. Winner elected in February 1847. Democratic gain. |
√ Alpheus Felch (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Mississippi | Joseph W. Chalmers | Democratic | 1845 (Appointed) ? (Special) |
Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired. Winner elected in 1846 or 1847. Democratic hold. |
√ Henry S. Foote (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
New Hampshire | Joseph Cilley | Liberty | 1846 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1846. Independent Democratic gain. |
√ John P. Hale (Independent Democratic) Joseph Cilley (Liberty) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
New Jersey | Jacob W. Miller | Whig | 1840 | Incumbent re-elected in 1846. | √ Jacob W. Miller (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
North Carolina | Willie Mangum | Whig | 1840 (Special) 1841 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1847. | √ Willie Mangum (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Rhode Island | James F. Simmons | Whig | 1841 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1846 or 1847. Whig hold. |
√ John Hopkins Clarke (Whig) James F. Simmons (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
South Carolina | John C. Calhoun | Democratic | 1832 (Special) 1834 1840 1843 (Resigned) 1845 (Special) |
Incumbent re-elected in 1846. | √ John C. Calhoun (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Tennessee | Spencer Jarnagin | Whig | 1843 (Special) | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Whig loss. |
Spencer Jarnagin (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Texas | Sam Houston | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected in 1847 | √ Sam Houston (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Virginia | William S. Archer | Whig | 1846 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1846. Democratic gain. |
√ Robert M. T. Hunter (Democratic) William S. Archer (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Special elections during the 30th Congress
In this special election, the winner was elected in 1847 after March 4.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Tennessee (Class 2) |
Vacant | Legislature had earlier failed to elect. Winner elected November 22, 1847. Whig gain. |
√ John Bell (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
Complete list of races
New Hampshire
John P. Hale was elected June 1846 as an Independent Democrat. He would later become a Free Soiler.
See also
References
- 1 2 Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa. pp. 17–46, 72–79.
- ↑ http://www.onlinebiographies.info/me/rmm/bradbury-jw.htm
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov