1854–55 United States Senate elections explained

Election Name:	1854–55 United States Senate elections
Country:	United States
Flag Year:	1851
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1852–53 United States Senate elections
Next Election:	1856–57 United States Senate elections
Seats For Election:	21 of the 62 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
Majority Seats:	32
Election Date:	Various dates
1Blank:	Seats up
Party1:	Democratic Party (US)
Last Election1:	34 seats
Seats Before1:	36
Seats1:	8
Seats After1:	33
Seat Change1:	3
1Data1:	11
Party2:	Whig Party (US)
Last Election2:	20 seats
Seats Before2:	18
Seats2:	3
Seats After2:	14
Seat Change2:	4
1Data2:	7
Party3:	Republican Party (US)
Last Election3:	New party
Seats3:	3
Seats After3:	3
Seat Change3:	3
Party4:	Free Soil Party
Last Election4:	2 seats
Seats Before4:	4
Seats4:	1
Seats After4:	2
Seat Change4:	2
1Data4:	3
Party5:	Know Nothing
Last Election5:	1 seat
Seats Before5:	1
Seats5:	0
Seats After5:	1
1Data5:	0
Majority party
Before Party:	Democratic Party (US)
After Party:	Democratic Party (US)
Map Size:	390px

The 1854–55 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 1854 and 1855, 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.

These elections saw the final decline of the Whig Party and the maintained majority of the Democrats. Those Whigs in the South who were opposed to secession ran on the "Opposition Party" ticket, and were elected to a minority. Along with the Whigs, the Senate roster also included Free Soilers, Know Nothings, and a new party: the Republicans. Only five of the twenty-one senators up for election were re-elected.

Results summary

Senate party division, 34th Congress (1855–1857)

Majority party: Democratic (35)
Minority party: Opposition (20) (Whigs, Republicans, Know Nothings, Free Soilers)
Vacant: 7
Total seats: 62

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the October 14, 1854 special election in Vermont.

	D₁
width=50px	D₂	width=50px	D₃	width=50px	D₄	width=50px	D₅	width=50px	D₆	width=50px	D₇	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₁₁
	D₂₁		D₂₀		D₁₉		D₁₈		D₁₇		D₁₆		D₁₅		D₁₄		D₁₃		D₁₂
	D₂₂		D₂₃		D₂₄		D₂₅		D₂₆ Ran		D₂₇ Ran		D₂₈ Ran		D₂₉ Ran		D₃₀ Ran		D₃₁ Ran
Majority →	D₃₂ Ran
	FS₄ Retired		KN₁		V₁		V₂		V₃		D₃₆ Retired		D₃₅ Unknown		D₃₄ Unknown		D₃₃ Ran
	FS₃ Retired		FS₂ Retired		FS₁		W₁₈ Retired		W₁₇ Retired		W₁₆ Retired		W₁₅ Unknown		W₁₄ Unknown		W₁₃ Ran		W₁₂ Ran
	W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆		W₇		W₈		W₉		W₁₀		W₁₁
	W₁

As a result of the elections

	D₁
width=50px	D₂	width=50px	D₃	width=50px	D₄	width=50px	D₅	width=50px	D₆	width=50px	D₇	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₁₁
	D₂₁		D₂₀		D₁₉		D₁₈		D₁₇		D₁₆		D₁₅		D₁₄		D₁₃		D₁₂
	D₂₂		D₂₃		D₂₄		D₂₅		D₂₆ Re-elected		D₂₇ Re-elected		D₂₈ Re-elected		D₂₉ Hold		D₃₀ Gain		D₃₁ Gain
Majority →	D₃₂ Gain
	V₂		V₃		V₄		V₅ D Loss		V₆ D Loss		V₇ D Loss		V₈ D Loss		V₉ D Loss		D₃₃ Gain
	V₁ W Loss		KN₁		FS₂ Gain		FS₁		R₃ Gain		R₂ Gain		R₁ Gain		W₁₄ Hold		W₁₃ Re-elected		W₁₂ Re-elected
	W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆		W₇		W₈		W₉		W₁₀		W₁₁
	W₁

Beginning of the next Congress

	D₁
width=50px	D₂	width=50px	D₃	width=50px	D₄	width=50px	D₅	width=50px	D₆	width=50px	D₇	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₁₁
	D₂₁		D₂₀		D₁₉		D₁₈		D₁₇		D₁₆		D₁₅		D₁₄		D₁₃		D₁₂
	D₂₂		D₂₃		D₂₄		D₂₅		D₂₆		D₂₇		D₂₈		D₂₉		D₃₀		D₃₁
Majority →	D₃₂
	V₂		V₃		V₄		V₅		V₆		V₇		D₃₅ Gain		D₃₄ Gain		D₃₃
	V₁		KN₂ Changed		KN₁		FS₂		FS₁		R₇ Gain		R₆ Changed		R₅ Changed		R₄ Changed		R₃
	W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆		W₇		W₈		W₉		R₁		R₂
	W₁

Beginning of the first session, December 3, 1855

	D₁
width=50px	D₂	width=50px	D₃	width=50px	D₄	width=50px	D₅	width=50px	D₆	width=50px	D₇	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₁₁
	D₂₁		D₂₀		D₁₉		D₁₈		D₁₇		D₁₆		D₁₅		D₁₄		D₁₃		D₁₂
	D₂₂		D₂₃		D₂₄		D₂₅		D₂₆		D₂₇		D₂₈		D₂₉		D₃₀		D₃₁
Majority →	D₃₂
	KN₂		V₁		V₂		V₃		V₄		D₃₆ Gain		D₃₅		D₃₄		D₃₃
	KN₁		FS₂		FS₁		R₉ Gain		R₈ Gain		R₇		R₆		R₅		R₄		R₃
	W₂		W₃		W₄		W₅		W₆		W₇		W₈		W₉		R₁		R₂
	W₁

Key:

align=center width=35px	D_#	Democratic
align=center width=35px	FS_#	Free Soil
align=center width=35px	KN_#	Know Nothing
align=center width=35px	R_#	Republican
align=center width=35px	W_#	Whig
align=center width=35px	V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 33rd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1854 or in 1855 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Mississippi (Class 2)	Vacant				Legislature had failed to elect in 1853. Successor elected January 7, 1854. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Connecticut (Class 3)	Truman Smith		Whig	1848 or 1849		Incumbent resigned May 24, 1854. Successor elected May 24, 1854. Free Soil gain. Successor did not run for the next term, see below.	nowrap
Vermont (Class 3)	Samuel S. Phelps		Whig	1853		Incumbent lost entitlement to sit on March 16, 1854.^[2] Successor elected October 14, 1854. Free Soil gain. Successor did not run for the next term, see below.	nowrap
Arkansas (Class 3)	Robert W. Johnson		Democratic	1853	Interim appointee elected November 10, 1854.^[3] Successor would also later be elected to the next term, see below.	nowrap
North Carolina (Class 2)	Vacant				Legislature had failed to elect in 1853. Successor elected December 6, 1854. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Massachusetts (Class 2)	Julius Rockwell		Whig	1854		Interim appointee lost election. Successor elected January 31, 1855. Know Nothing gain.	nowrap

Elections leading to the 34th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1855; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	Benjamin Fitzpatrick		Democratic	1848 1849 1853 1853		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until November 26, 1855, see below.
Arkansas	Robert W. Johnson		Democratic	1853 1854	Incumbent re-elected in 1855.	nowrap
California	William M. Gwin		Democratic	1850		Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1857.	William M. Gwin (Democratic)
Connecticut	Francis Gillette		Free Soil	1854		Incumbent retired. Successor elected in 1854. Republican gain.	nowrap
Florida	Jackson Morton		Whig	1848		Incumbent retired. Successor elected in 1854. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Georgia	William Crosby Dawson		Whig	1847^[4]		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Successor elected in 1854 or 1855. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Illinois	James Shields		Democratic	1849		Incumbent lost re-election. Successor elected February 8, 1855.^[5] Democratic hold.	nowrap
Indiana	John Pettit		Democratic	1853		Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant util 1857.	John Pettit (Democratic)
Iowa	Augustus C. Dodge		Democratic	1848 1849		Incumbent lost re-election. Incumbent then resigned February 22, 1855 to become U.S. Minister to Spain. Successor elected in 1855. Free Soil gain.	nowrap
Kentucky	Archibald Dixon		Whig	1851		Incumbent retired. Successor elected in 1854. Whig hold.	nowrap
Louisiana	John Slidell		Democratic	1853	Incumbent re-elected in 1854 or 1855.	nowrap
Maryland	James Pearce		Whig	1843 1849	Incumbent re-elected in 1855.	nowrap
Missouri	David Rice Atchison		Democratic	1843 1843 1849		Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1857.	nowrap
New Hampshire	John S. Wells		Democratic	1855		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until July 30, 1855, see below.
New York	William H. Seward		Whig	1849	Incumbent re-elected February 6, 1855. Successor became a Republican shortly thereafter.	nowrap
North Carolina	George Badger		Whig	1846 1849		Incumbent retired. Successor elected in 1855. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Ohio	Salmon P. Chase		Free Soil	1849		Incumbent retired. Successor elected March 4, 1854. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Pennsylvania	James Cooper		Whig	1849		Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1856.	nowrap
South Carolina	Andrew Butler		Democratic	1852 ? 1848	Incumbent re-elected in 1854.	nowrap
Vermont	Lawrence Brainerd		Free Soil	1854		Incumbent retired. Successor elected in 1855. Republican gain.	nowrap
Wisconsin	Isaac P. Walker		Democratic	1848 1849		Incumbent retired. Successor elected in 1854. Republican gain.	nowrap

Elections during the 34th Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1855 after March 4.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
New Hampshire (Class 2)	Vacant				Democrat Charles G. Atherton had died November 15, 1853. Democrat Jared W. Williams was appointed to continue Atherton's term. Williams's appointment expired July 15, 1854 when the legislature then failed to elect a successor. Winner was elected July 30, 1855. Republican gain.	nowrap
New Hampshire (Class 3)	Vacant				Democrat John S. Wells's term had expired March 3, 1855. Legislature had failed to elect. Winner was elected late July 30, 1855. Republican gain.	nowrap
Alabama (Class 3)	Vacant				Democrat Benjamin Fitzpatrick's term had expired March 3, 1855. Legislature had failed to elect. Incumbent was then elected late November 26, 1855. Democratic gain.	nowrap

Kentucky

On January 10, 1854, the Kentucky legislature elected Whig U.S. Attorney General (and former-senator and former-Governor of Kentucky) John J. Crittenden to succeed Dixon, beating the then-incumbent Governor of Kentucky, Lazarus W. Powell.

Maryland

Election Name:	1855 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
Next Year:	1861
Next Election:	1861 United States Senate election in Maryland
Previous Year:	1849
Previous Election:	1849 United States Senate election in Maryland
Votes For Election:	80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Vote Type:	Legislative
Election Date:	January 1855
Type:	presidential

James Pearce won re-election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.^[6]

New York

See main article: 1855 United States Senate election in New York. The election was held on February 6, 1855. William H. Seward had been elected in 1849 to this seat and his term would expire on March 3, 1855. At the time the Democratic Party was split into two opposing factions: the "Hards" and the "Softs". After most of the "Barnburners" had left the party, joining the Whigs, the majority of "Hunkers" split over the question of reconciliation with the minority of Barnburners who had remained Democrats. The Hard faction (led by Daniel S. Dickinson) was against it, in true Hunker fashion claiming all patronage for themselves; the Soft faction (led by William L. Marcy, which included the former Barnburners, advocated party unity as a necessity to defeat the Whigs.

In 1854, the Republican Party was founded as a national party, but in New York the Whigs and the Anti-Nebraska Party ran concurrently at the State election. The unification of these occurred in New York only during the nomination convention for the State election in November 1855. Also running in the 1854 election were the American Party and nominees of the Temperance movement. In a general way, party lines were blurred until the re-alignment during the late 1850s after the disbanding of the American Party.

At the State election in November 1853, 23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected for a two-year term (1854–1855) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1854, Whig State Senator Myron H. Clark was elected Governor of New York, and 82 Whigs, 26 Softs, 16 Hards and 3 Temperance men were elected for the session of 1855 to the New York State Assembly. "Know Nothings are sprinkled miscellaneously among Whigs, Hards and Softs; and exactly how many there are of these gentry in the Assembly Nobody Knows."^[7] The 78th New York State Legislature met from January 2 to April 14, 1855, at Albany, New York.

In the Assembly, Seward received 69 votes, given by 65 Whigs; 1 Democrat; 1 Temperance man; 1 Republican and 1 Whig-Republican. Dickinson received 14 votes, given by 13 Democrats and 1 American. Horatio Seymour received the votes of 12 Democrats. Dix received 7 votes, given by 5 Democrats; 1 Independent Democrat and 1 Temperance man. Fillmore received 4 votes, given by 2 Whigs; 1 Democrat and 1 Temperance-American. Horatio Seymour Jr., received the votes of 2 Americans. King, Butler, Lester, Wait and Bronson received 1 Democratic vote each. Campbell received 1 Temperance-American vote. Howell received 1 American vote. Hoffman and Haven received 1 Whig vote each.

In the State Senate, Seward received 18 Whig votes, Dickinson 5 Hard votes, and Allen 2 Whig votes. Preston and Church received 1 Soft vote each. Hoffman, Babcock, Ullmann and Fillmore received 1 American vote each.

Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

Candidate	Party	Senate (32 members)	Assembly (128 members)
√ William H. Seward	Whig	align=center	√ 18	align=center	√ 69
Daniel S. Dickinson	Dem./Hard	align=center	5	align=center	14
Horatio Seymour	Dem./Soft	align=center		align=center	12
Washington Hunt	Whig	align=center		align=center	9
John Adams Dix	Dem./Soft	align=center		align=center	7
Millard Fillmore	Whig	align=center	1	align=center	4
William F. Allen	Democratic	align=center	2	align=center
Horatio Seymour Jr.		align=center		align=center	2
Preston King		align=center	1	align=center	1
Ogden Hoffman	Whig	align=center	1	align=center	1
Daniel Ullmann	American	align=center	1	align=center
Sanford E. Church	Democratic	align=center	1	align=center
George R. Babcock	Whig	align=center	1	align=center
William W. Campbell	American	align=center		align=center	1
Benjamin F. Butler	Democratic	align=center		align=center	1
Albert Lester	Democratic	align=center		align=center	1
Greene C. Bronson	Democratic	align=center		align=center	1
Solomon G. Haven	Opposition	align=center		align=center	1
John D. Howell		align=center		align=center	1
L. or J. Wait		align=center		align=center	1

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. 137 for State Senators 1855; pg. 248ff for Members of Assembly 1855)
Members of the 34th United States Congress
STATE AFFAIRS; Election of a U.S. Senator for Six Years in NYT on February 7, 1855
Book: Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900. William Alexander . Taylor . Aubrey Clarence . Taylor . 1899 . State of Ohio . .
Result Senate: Journal of the Senate (78th Session) (1855; pg. 198)

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.
[Samuel S. Phelps]
Book: The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 . volume 4 Bicentennial . Robert C. . Byrd . Robert Byrd . Wendy . Wolff . . October 1, 1993 . 9780160632563 ., page 80
Web site: Stryker's American Register and Magazine. 1849.
Book: Journal of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, 1855. . Lanphier & Walker, Printers . Springfield, IL . 1855 .
Web site: Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 00, 1855. 2022-11-05. www.ourcampaigns.com.
Result and comment in The Whig Almanac 1855 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune