1820–21 United States Senate elections explained

Election Name:1820–21 United States Senate elections
Country:United States
Flag Year:1820
Type:legislative
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1818–19 United States Senate elections
Next Election:1822–23 United States Senate elections
Seats For Election:15 of the 46 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections)
Majority Seats:24
Election Date:Dates vary by state
1Blank:Seats up
Party1:Democratic-Republican Party
Last Election1:30 seats
Seats Before1:37
Seats1:11
Seats After1:38
Seat Change1: 1
1Data1:10
Party2:Federalist Party
Last Election2:9 seats
Seats Before2:9
Seats2:1
Seats After2:5
Seat Change2: 4
1Data2:5
Majority Party
Before Party:Democratic-Republican Party
After Party:Democratic-Republican Party

The 1820–21 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, corresponding with James Monroe's landslide 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 1820 and 1821, 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 1.

The Democratic-Republican Party gain one-to-five seats (in the general and special elections), assuming almost complete control of the Senate.

Results summary

Senate party division, 17th Congress (1821–1823)

Change in composition

Before the elections

Composition after the June 13 and 14, 1820 elections in Maine.

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Majority →DR
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Result of the general elections

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Majority →DR
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Result of the special elections in the next Congress

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Majority →DR
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Key:
align=center width=30px DRDemocratic-Republican
align=center width=30px FFederalist
align=center width=30px VVacant

Race summaries

Bold states link to specific election articles.

Special elections during the preceding Congress

In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1820 or before March 4, 1821; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral
history
New York
(Class 3)
VacantLegislature had failed to elect in 1818/1819.
Previous incumbent was elected January 8, 1820.
Federalist gain.
nowrap
Massachusetts
(Class 1)
Prentiss MellenFederalist1820 Incumbent resigned to become Chief Justice of Maine.
New senator elected June 12, 1820.
Winner was also elected to the next term.
Federalist hold.
nowrap
Maine
(Class 1)
New stateNew senator elected June 13, 1820 on the second ballot.
Winner was also elected to the next term.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap


Maine
(Class 2)
New senator elected June 14, 1820.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
Mississippi
(Class 1)
Walter LeakeDemocratic-
Republican
1817Incumbent resigned May 15, 1820.
New senator elected August 30, 1820.
Winner was also elected to the next term.
Democratic-Republican hold.
nowrap
Kentucky
(Class 3)
William LoganDemocratic-
Republican
1818Incumbent resigned May 28, 1820, to run for Governor of Kentucky.
New senator elected October 19, 1820.
Democratic-Republican hold.
nowrap
Rhode Island
(Class 2)
James Burrill Jr.Federalist1816Incumbent died December 25, 1820.
New senator elected January 9, 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap

Races leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1821; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral
history
ConnecticutSamuel DanaFederalist1810
1814
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected March 4, 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
DelawareOuterbridge HorseyFederalist1810
1815
Incumbent retired.
Legislature failed to elect.
Federalist loss.
A Democratic-Republican was later elected in 1822.
nowrap
IndianaJames NobleDemocratic-
Republican
1816Incumbent re-elected in 1821.nowrap
MaineJohn HolmesDemocratic-
Republican
1820Incumbent re-elected January 31, 1821.nowrap
MarylandWilliam PinkneyDemocratic-
Republican
1819 Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821.nowrap
MassachusettsElijah H. MillsFederalist1820 Incumbent re-elected in 1820.[2] nowrap
MississippiDavid HolmesDemocratic-
Republican
1820 Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821.nowrap
New JerseyJames J. WilsonDemocratic-
Republican
1815Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected November 11, 1820.[3]
Democratic-Republican hold.
Incumbent then resigned January 8, 1821, and winner was appointed to finish the term.
nowrap
New YorkNathan SanfordDemocratic-
Republican
1809Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected February 6, 1821.
Democratic-Republican hold.
nowrap
OhioBenjamin RugglesDemocratic-
Republican
1815Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821.nowrap
PennsylvaniaJonathan RobertsDemocratic-
Republican
1814
1814
Legislature failed to elect.
Democratic-Republican loss.
New senator would later be elected in 1821.
nowrap
Rhode IslandWilliam HunterFederalist1811
1814
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1820 or 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
TennesseeJohn H. EatonDemocratic-
Republican
1818
1819
Legislature failed to elect
Democratic-Republican loss.
New senator would later be elected September 27, 1821, see below.[4]
nowrap
VermontIsaac TichenorFederalist1796
1796
1797
1814
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
VirginiaJames BarbourDemocratic-
Republican
1814
1814
Incumbent re-elected in 1821.nowrap

Special elections during the next Congress

In this special election, the winner was elected in 1821 after March 4; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral
history
Missouri
(Class 1)
New stateNew senator elected August 10, 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
Missouri
(Class 3)
New senator elected August 10, 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
Tennessee
(Class 1)
VacantLegislature had failed to elect.
New senator re-elected late September 27, 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap
Georgia
(Class 2)
Freeman WalkerDemocratic-
Republican
1819 Incumbent resigned August 6, 1821.
New senator elected November 10, 1821.
Democratic-Republican hold.
nowrap
Pennsylvania
(Class 1)
VacantLegislature had failed to elect.
New senator elected December 10, 1821.
Democratic-Republican gain.
nowrap

Connecticut

See also: List of United States senators from Connecticut.

Delaware

See also: List of United States senators from Delaware.

Georgia (special)

See also: List of United States senators from Georgia.

Indiana

See also: List of United States senators from Indiana.

Kentucky (special)

See also: List of United States senators from Kentucky.

Maine

See also: List of United States senators from Maine. John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) was elected as one of the new states first pair of senators whose terms began with June 13, 1820, statehood. He was elected to the class 1 seat's short term, which ended March 3, 1821, and was re-elected January 31, 1821, to the term starting March 4, 1821.

John Chandler (Democratic-Republican) as elected to the class 2 seat's long term, and his term would end March 3, 1823.

Maryland

See also: List of United States senators from Maryland.

Election Name:1821 United States Senate election in Maryland
Popular Vote1:-
Colour1:AACC99
Percentage1:-%
Party1:Democratic-Republican
Candidate1:William Pinkney
Image1:William Pinkney (NYPL Hades-256737-EM15101) (cropped).jpg
Next Year:1822
Next Election:1822 United States Senate special election in Maryland
Previous Year:1819
Previous Election:1819 United States Senate special election in Maryland
Votes For Election:80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Vote Type:Legislative
Election Date:December 7, 1821
Type:presidential

William Pinkney won election by an unknown number of votes, for the Class 1 seat.[5]

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States senators from Massachusetts.

Massachusetts (special)

Mississippi

See also: List of United States senators from Mississippi.

Mississippi (special)

Missouri

See also: List of United States senators from Missouri.

New Jersey

See also: List of United States senators from New Jersey.

New York

See also: List of United States senators from New York.

New York (regular)

See main article: 1821 United States Senate election in New York.

New York (special)

Ohio

See also: List of United States senators from Ohio.

Pennsylvania

See main article: 1820–1821 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.

See also: List of United States senators from Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

See also: List of United States senators from Rhode Island.

Rhode Island (special)

Tennessee

See also: List of United States senators from Tennessee.

Tennessee (special)

Vermont

See also: List of United States senators from Vermont.

Virginia

See also: List of United States senators from Virginia.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913). National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
  2. Web site: Massachusetts 1820 U.S. Senate . June 5, 2019 . November 11, 1820 . A New Nation Votes . Tufts University Digital Collections and Archives.
  3. Web site: New Jersey 1820 U.S. Senate . June 9, 2015 . November 11, 1820 . A New Nation Votes . Tufts University Digital Collections and Archives.
  4. Web site: EATON, John Henry, (1790 - 1856) . . June 9, 2015.
  5. Web site: Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Dec 07, 1821. 2022-11-05. www.ourcampaigns.com.