1842–43 United States Senate elections explained

Election Name:	1842–43 United States Senate elections
Country:	United States
Flag Year:	1837
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1840–41 United States Senate elections
Next Election:	1844–45 United States Senate elections
Seats For Election:	17 of the 52 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
Election Date:	Various dates
Majority Seats:	27
1Blank:	Seats up
Party1:	Whig Party (US)
Last Election1:	29 seats
Seats Before1:	30
Seats1:	4
Seats After1:	27
Seat Change1:	3
1Data1:	7
Party2:	Democratic Party (US)
Last Election2:	22 seats
Seats Before2:	20
Seats2:	13
Seats After2:	23
Seat Change2:	3
1Data2:	10
Majority Party
Before Party:	Whig Party (US)
After Party:	Whig Party (US)

The 1842–43 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 chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1842 and 1843, 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 3.

The Whigs lost seats but maintained control of the Senate. Although they lost three seats in the regular elections, they gained two of them back by the start of the first session in special elections.

Results summary

Senate party division, 28th Congress (1843–1845)

Majority party: Whig (27)
Minority party: Democratic (22–23)
Other parties: (0–1)
Total seats: 52–54

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After July 1842 appointment in New Jersey.

					D₁		D₂		D₃		D₄		D₅		D₆
width=50px	D₁₆ Ran	width=50px	D₁₅ Ran	width=50px	D₁₄ Ran	width=50px	D₁₃ Ran	width=50px	D₁₂ Ran	width=50px	D₁₁ Ran	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₇
	D₁₇ Unknown		D₁₈ Unknown		D₁₉ Retired		D₂₀ Retired		V₂		V₁		W₃₀ Resigned		W₂₉ Retired		W₂₈ Unknown		W₂₇ Unknown
Majority →	W₂₆ Ran
	W₁₇		W₁₈		W₁₉		W₂₀		W₂₁		W₂₂		W₂₃		W₂₄ Ran		W₂₅ Ran
	W₁₆		W₁₅		W₁₄		W₁₃		W₁₂		W₁₁		W₁₀		W₉		W₈		W₇
					W₁		W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆

Result of the elections

					D₁		D₂		D₃		D₄		D₅		D₆
width=50px	D₁₆ Re-elected	width=50px	D₁₅ Re-elected	width=50px	D₁₄ Re-elected	width=50px	D₁₃ Re-elected	width=50px	D₁₂ Re-elected	width=50px	D₁₁ Re-elected	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₇
	D₁₇ Re-elected		D₁₈ Hold		D₁₉ Hold		D₂₀ Hold		D₂₁ Hold		D₂₂ Gain		D₂₃ Gain		V₂		V₁		W₂₇ Hold
Majority →	W₂₆ Hold
	W₁₇		W₁₈		W₁₉		W₂₀		W₂₁		W₂₂		W₂₃		W₂₄ Re-elected		W₂₅ Re-elected
	W₁₆		W₁₅		W₁₄		W₁₃		W₁₂		W₁₁		W₁₀		W₉		W₈		W₇
					W₁		W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆

Beginning of the next Congress

					D₁		D₂		D₃		D₄		D₅		D₆
width=50px	D₁₆	width=50px	D₁₅	width=50px	D₁₄	width=50px	D₁₃	width=50px	D₁₂	width=50px	D₁₁	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₇
	D₁₇		D₁₈		D₁₉		D₂₀		D₂₁		D₂₂		V₃ D Loss		V₂		V₁		W₂₇
Majority →	W₂₆
	W₁₇		W₁₈		W₁₉		W₂₀		W₂₁		W₂₂		W₂₃		W₂₄		W₂₅
	W₁₆		W₁₅		W₁₄		W₁₃		W₁₂		W₁₁		W₁₀		W₉		W₈		W₇
					W₁		W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆

Beginning of the first session of the next Congress (December 4, 1843)

					D₁		D₂		D₃		D₄		D₅		D₆
width=50px	D₁₆	width=50px	D₁₅	width=50px	D₁₄	width=50px	D₁₃	width=50px	D₁₂	width=50px	D₁₁	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₇
	D₁₇		D₁₈		D₁₉		D₂₀		D₂₁ Hold		D₂₂ Hold		D₂₃ Gain		W₂₉ Gain		W₂₈ Gain		W₂₇
Majority →	W₂₆
	W₁₇		W₁₈		W₁₉		W₂₀		W₂₁		W₂₂		W₂₃		W₂₄		W₂₅
	W₁₆		W₁₅		W₁₄		W₁₃		W₁₂		W₁₁		W₁₀		W₉		W₈		W₇
					W₁		W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆

Key:

align=center width=35px	D_#	Democratic
align=center width=35px	W_#	Whig
align=center width=35px	V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Bold states link to specific election articles.

Special elections during the 27th Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected during 1842 or in 1843 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Rhode Island (Class 1)	Nathan F. Dixon		Whig	Elected in 1838 or 1839.		Incumbent died January 29, 1842. New senator elected February 18, 1842. Whig hold.	nowrap
New Hampshire (Class 3)	Leonard Wilcox		Democratic	1842	Incumbent had been appointed March 1, 1842, to continue the term of Franklin Pierce (Democratic), who had resigned February 28, 1842, to oppose a bill distributing federal funds to the states — believing that the money should go to the military instead — and to challenge the Whigs to reveal the results of their investigation of the New York Customs House. Incumbent appointee elected in June 1842. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Vermont (Class 3)			Whig	1842	Incumbent had been appointed April 23, 1842, to continue the term of Samuel Prentiss (Whig), who had resigned April 11, 1842, to become judge of the U.S. District Court of Vermont. Incumbent appointee elected October 26, 1842. Whig hold.	nowrap
South Carolina (Class 3)			Whig	1833 1837		Incumbent resigned November 29, 1842. New senator elected December 23, 1842. Democratic gain.	nowrap

Races leading to the 28th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1843; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	Arthur P. Bagby		Democratic	1841	Incumbent re-elected in 1842.	nowrap
Arkansas	Ambrose Sevier		Democratic	1836 1837	Incumbent re-elected in 1843.	nowrap
Connecticut	Perry Smith		Democratic	1837		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1842, but due to ill-health and a credentials challenge he was unable to serve until May 16, 1844; nevertheless, his term began March 4, 1843. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Georgia	Alfred Cuthbert		Democratic	1835 1837		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1843. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Illinois	Richard M. Young		Democratic	1837		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1843. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Indiana	Oliver H. Smith		Whig	1836		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1842. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Kentucky	John J. Crittenden		Whig	1816 1819 1835 1841 1842 ? (special)	Incumbent re-elected January 7, 1843.	nowrap
Louisiana	Charles M. Conrad		Whig	1842		Incumbent appointee lost election. New senator elected in 1843, although due to ill health did not take his seat. Whig hold.	nowrap
Maryland	John L. Kerr		Whig	1841		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1843. Whig hold.	nowrap
Missouri	Lewis F. Linn		Democratic	1833 ? (special) 1836	Incumbent re-elected in 1842.	nowrap
New Hampshire	Leonard Wilcox		Democratic	1842 1842		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1843. Democratic hold.	nowrap
New York	Silas Wright Jr.		Democratic	1833 1837	Incumbent re-elected February 7, 1843.	nowrap
North Carolina	William A. Graham		Whig	1840		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1843. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Ohio	William Allen		Democratic	1836	Incumbent re-elected in 1842.	nowrap
Pennsylvania	James Buchanan		Democratic	1834 1836	Incumbent re-elected in 1843.	nowrap
South Carolina	George McDuffie		Democratic	1842	Incumbent re-elected in 1842 or 1843.	nowrap
Vermont	Samuel C. Crafts		Whig	1842		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1843. Whig hold.	nowrap

Elections during the 28th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were elected in 1843 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
South Carolina (Class 2)	John C. Calhoun		Democratic	1832 1834 1840		Incumbent resigned March 3, 1843. New senator elected March 4, 1843. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Tennessee (Class 1)	Alfred O. P. Nicholson		Democratic	1840		Incumbent resigned February 7, 1842. Winner was elected October 17, 1843. Whig gain.	nowrap
Tennessee (Class 2)	Vacant since 1841				Legislature had failed to elect since the 27th Congress. Winner was elected October 17, 1843. Whig gain.	nowrap
Maine (Class 1)	Reuel Williams		Democratic	1837		Incumbent resigned February 15, 1843. Winner was elected December 4, 1843. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Missouri (Class 3)	David Rice Atchison		Democratic	1843		Incumbent had been appointed October 14, 1843, when Lewis F. Linn (D) had died October 3, 1843. Incumbent was subsequently elected sometime in 1843 after October 14. Democratic hold.	nowrap

Complete list of races

Maryland

Election Name:	1843 United States Senate election in Maryland
Popular Vote1:	-
Colour1:	F0C862
Percentage1:	-%
Party1:	Whig Party (United States)
Candidate1:	James Pearce
Image1:	James Alfred Pearce, standing.jpg
Percentage2:	%
Next Year:	1849
Next Election:	1849 United States Senate election in Maryland
Previous Year:	1841
Previous Election:	1841 United States Senate special election in Maryland
Votes For Election:	80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Vote Type:	Legislative
Election Date:	December 1841
Type:	presidential

James Pearce won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.^[2]

New York

See main article: 1843 United States Senate election in New York. The election was held February 7, 1843, by the New York State Legislature. Silas Wright Jr. had been elected in 1833 to this seat after the resignation of William L. Marcy, and had been re-elected in 1837. Wright's term would expire on March 3, 1843. At the State election in November 1842, Democrat William C. Bouck was elected Governor, 92 Democrats and 36 Whigs were elected to the Assembly, and 8 Democrats and 1 Whig were elected to the State Senate. The 66th New York State Legislature met from January 3 to April 18, 1843, at Albany, New York. The incumbent U.S. Senator Silas Wright Jr. was re-nominated unanimously by a Democratic caucus on the eve of the election. Congressman Millard Fillmore was the candidate of the Whig Party. Silas Wright Jr. was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

Candidate	Party	Senate (32 members)	Assembly (128 members)
Silas Wright Jr.	Democrat	17	77
Millard Fillmore	Whig	6	16
John A. Collier	Whig	1	6
Willis Hall	Whig		4
George W. Patterson	Whig		3
George A. Simmons	Whig		2
Luther Bradish	Whig	1
Gulian C. Verplanck	Whig		1

Wright continued in the U.S. Senate, and remained in office until November 1844 when he resigned after his election as Governor of New York. Henry A. Foster was appointed to fill the vacancy temporarily, but the State Legislature elected John A. Dix for the remainder of Wright's term.

Pennsylvania

See main article: 1843 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania. The election was held January 10, 1843. Future President of the United States James Buchanan was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.^[3] The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 10, 1843, to elect a new Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1843. Incumbent Democrat James Buchanan, who was elected in 1834 and re-elected in 1836, was a successful candidate for re-election to another term. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

Tennessee

See main article: 1843 United States Senate special elections in Tennessee. In 1841, Spencer Jarnagin was nominated for U.S. Senator by the Whig caucus in the Tennessee General Assembly. However, some of the Democrats in the legislature decided that no Senator would be preferable to a Whig. Known as the "Immortal Thirteen" by Tennessee Democrats, they refused to allow a quorum on the issue. By the time Jarnagin was eventually elected to the seat and sworn in, over two and half years, almost half of the term, had elapsed. Jarnagin finally assumed office on October 17, 1843.

References

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 134 for State Senators 1843; pg. 227f for Members of Assembly 1843)
Members of the 28th United States Congress
Political History of the State of New York, from Jan. 1, 1841, to Jan. 1, 1847; Vol. III by Jabez Delano Hammond (State election, 1842: pg. 311f; U.S. Senate election, 1843: pg. 349)
Journal of the Assembly (66th Session) (1843; pg. 255f)
Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project

Notes and References

Web site: 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913). National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
Web site: Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1843. 2022-11-05. www.ourcampaigns.com.
Web site: U.S. Senate Election - 10 January 1843. Wilkes University. 22 December 2013.