1870–71 United States Senate elections explained

Election Name:	1870–71 United States Senate elections
Country:	United States
Flag Year:	1867
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1868–69 United States Senate elections
Next Election:	1872–73 United States Senate elections
Seats For Election:	25 of the 70 (4 vacant)/74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
Majority Seats:	36
Election Date:	Dates vary by state (And other dates for special elections)
1Blank:	Seats up
Party1:	Republican Party (US)
Leader1:	Henry B. Anthony
Image1:	Henry B. Anthony - Brady-Handy.jpg
Leader Since1:	March 4, 1863
Leaders Seat1:	Rhode Island
Last Election1:	57 seats
Seats Before1:	63
Seats1:	17
Seats After1:	58
Seat Change1:	4
1Data1:	21
Party2:	Democratic Party (US)
Last Election2:	9 seats
Seats Before2:	11
Seats2:	7
Seats After2:	14
Seat Change2:	3
1Data2:	4
Majority Party
Before Party:	Republican Party (US)
After Party:	Republican Party (US)

The 1870–71 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 1870 and 1871, 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 2.

The Republican Party lost five seats, though it still retained an overwhelming majority. In advance of these elections, the last four seceded states were readmitted to the Senate.

Mississippian Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to be elected as a U.S. Senator and become a member of Congress.^[2]

In Georgia, Foster Blodgett was elected and presented his credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.

In Virginia, Republican John F. Lewis and Democrat John W. Johnston were elected on January 26, 1870, to fill seats that had been vacant since 1864 and 1865.

Results summary

Senate party division, 42nd Congress (1871–1873)

Majority party: Republican (55)
Minority party: Democratic (14)
Other parties: Liberal Republican (1)
Vacant: (4)
Total seats: 74

Change in Senate composition

By March 30, 1870

After the readmission of Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi, and the special elections in Iowa and Maine.

	D₆		D₅		D₄		D₃		D₂		D₁		V₁
width=50px	D₇	width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₁₀ Gain Readmitted	width=50px	R₆₂ Gain Readmitted	width=50px	R₆₁ Gain Readmitted	width=50px	R₆₀ Gain Special	width=50px	R₅₉ Gain Readmitted	width=50px	R₅₈ Gain Readmitted	width=50px	R₅₇ Gain Readmitted
	R₄₇		R₄₈		R₄₉		R₅₀		R₅₁		R₅₂		R₅₃		R₅₄		R₅₅		R₅₆ Appointee elected
	R₄₆		R₄₅		R₄₄		R₄₃		R₄₂		R₄₁		R₄₀		R₃₉		R₃₈		R₃₇
Majority →	R₃₆
	R₂₇		R₂₈		R₂₉		R₃₀		R₃₁		R₃₂		R₃₃		R₃₄		R₃₅
	R₂₆		R₂₅		R₂₄		R₂₃		R₂₂		R₂₁		R₂₀		R₁₉		R₁₈		R₁₇
	R₇		R₈		R₉		R₁₀		R₁₁		R₁₂		R₁₃		R₁₄		R₁₅		R₁₆
	R₆		R₅		R₄		R₃		R₂		R₁		V₂

Before the elections

Including the February 1871 readmission of Georgia.

	D₇		D₆		D₅		D₄		D₃		D₂		D₁
width=50px	D₈ Ran	width=50px	D₉ Ran	width=50px	D₁₀ Unknown	width=50px	D₁₁ Unknown	width=50px	R₆₃ Retired	width=50px	R₆₂ Retired	width=50px	R₆₁ Retired	width=50px	R₆₀ Retired	width=50px	R₅₉ Retired	width=50px	R₅₈ Unknown
	R₄₈ Ran		R₄₉ Ran		R₅₀ Ran		R₅₁ Ran		R₅₂ Ran		R₅₃ Ran		R₅₄ Ran		R₅₅ Unknown		R₅₆ Unknown		R₅₇ Unknown
	R₄₇ Ran		R₄₆ Ran		R₄₅ Ran		R₄₄ Ran		R₄₃ Ran		R₄₂		R₄₁		R₄₀		R₃₉		R₃₈
Majority →	R₃₇
	R₂₈		R₂₉		R₃₀		R₃₁		R₃₂		R₃₃		R₃₄		R₃₅		R₃₆
	R₂₇		R₂₆		R₂₅		R₂₄		R₂₃		R₂₂		R₂₁		R₂₀		R₁₉		R₁₈
	R₈		R₉		R₁₀		R₁₁		R₁₂		R₁₃		R₁₄		R₁₅		R₁₆		R₁₇
	R₇		R₆		R₅		R₄		R₃		R₂		R₁

Result of the elections

	D₇		D₆		D₅		D₄		D₃		D₂		D₁
width=50px	D₈ Hold	width=50px	D₉ Hold	width=50px	D₁₀ Hold	width=50px	D₁₁ Gain	width=50px	D₁₂ Gain	width=50px	D₁₃ Gain	width=50px	D₁₄ Gain	width=50px	V₁ D Loss	width=50px	V₂ R Loss	width=50px	R₅₈ Hold
	R₄₈ Re-elected		R₄₉ Hold		R₅₀ Hold		R₅₁ Hold		R₅₂ Hold		R₅₃ Hold		R₅₄ Hold		R₅₅ Hold		R₅₆ Hold		R₅₇ Hold
	R₄₇ Re-elected		R₄₆ Re-elected		R₄₅ Re-elected		R₄₄ Re-elected		R₄₃ Re-elected		R₄₂		R₄₁		R₄₀		R₃₉		R₃₈
Majority →	R₃₇
	R₂₈		R₂₉		R₃₀		R₃₁		R₃₂		R₃₃		R₃₄		R₃₅		R₃₆
	R₂₇		R₂₆		R₂₅		R₂₄		R₂₃		R₂₂		R₂₁		R₂₀		R₁₉		R₁₈
	R₈		R₉		R₁₀		R₁₁		R₁₂		R₁₃		R₁₄		R₁₅		R₁₆		R₁₇
	R₇		R₆		R₅		R₄		R₃		R₂		R₁

Beginning of the next Congress

	D₇		D₆		D₅		D₄		D₃		D₂		D₁
width=50px	D₈	width=50px	D₉	width=50px	D₁₀	width=50px	D₁₁	width=50px	D₁₂	width=50px	D₁₃	width=50px	D₁₄ Gain	width=50px	V₁ D Loss	width=50px	V₂	width=50px	V₃
	R₄₈		R₄₉		R₅₀		R₅₁		R₅₂		R₅₃		R₅₄		R₅₅		LR₁ Change	width=50px	V₄ R Loss
	R₄₇		R₄₆		R₄₅		R₄₄		R₄₃		R₄₂		R₄₁		R₄₀		R₃₉		R₃₈
Majority →	R₃₇
	R₂₈		R₂₉		R₃₀		R₃₁		R₃₂		R₃₃		R₃₄		R₃₅		R₃₆
	R₂₇		R₂₆		R₂₅		R₂₄		R₂₃		R₂₂		R₂₁		R₂₀		R₁₉		R₁₈
	R₈		R₉		R₁₀		R₁₁		R₁₂		R₁₃		R₁₄		R₁₅		R₁₆		R₁₇
	R₇		R₆		R₅		R₄		R₃		R₂		R₁

Key:

align=center width=35px	D_#	Democratic
align=center width=35px	LR_#	Liberal Republican
align=center width=35px	R_#	Republican
align=center width=35px	V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 41st Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1870 or in 1871 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Iowa (Class 2)	James W. Grimes		Republican	norwap	1858 1864		Incumbent resigned December 6, 1869 due to ill health. State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected January 18, 1870.^[3] Winner did not seek election to the next term.	nowrap
Maine (Class 2)	Lot M. Morrill		Republican	nowrap	1861 1863 1869 1869	Interim appointee elected January 19, 1870 to finish the term. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.	nowrap
Virginia (Class 1)	Vacant since January 2, 1864, when Joseph Segar (U) was not seated.^[4]				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected January 26, 1870. Republican gain.	nowrap
Virginia (Class 2)	Vacant since March 4, 1865, when John Curtiss Underwood (U) was not seated.^[5]				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected January 26, 1870. Democratic gain. Winner was also elected late to the next term, see below.	nowrap
Texas (Class 2)	Vacant since July 11, 1861, when John Hemphill (D) was expelled.				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected February 22, 1870.^[6] Allowed to take office when state readmitted on March 30, 1870. Republican gain. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.	nowrap
Mississippi (Class 1)	Vacant since January 21, 1861, when Jefferson Davis (D) resigned				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected February 23, 1870. Republican gain.	nowrap
Mississippi (Class 2)	Vacant since January 12, 1861, when Albert G. Brown (D) withdrew.				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected February 23, 1870. Republican gain. Unknown if winner ran for the next term or retired, see below.	nowrap
Texas (Class 1)	Vacant since March 23, 1861, when Louis Wigfall (D) withdrew.				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected March 30, 1870. Republican gain.	nowrap
Missouri (Class 3)	Daniel T. Jewett		Republican	nowrap	1870		Interim appointee retired. New senator elected January 20, 1871 to finish the term. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Minnesota (Class 2)	William Windom		Republican	nowrap	1865		Interim appointee was not elected to finish the term. Winner elected January 22, 1871 to finish the term. Republican hold. Winner was not elected to the next term, see below. Instead, interim appointee was elected to the next term, see below.	nowrap
Georgia (Class 3)	Vacant since January 28, 1861, when Alfred Iverson Sr. (D) withdrew.				State readmitted to the Union. Winner had been elected in 1867, but not seated until readmission. Winner finally seated February 1, 1871. Republican gain.	nowrap
Georgia (Class 2)	Vacant since February 4, 1861, when Robert Toombs (D) withdrew.				State readmitted to the Union. Winner elected February 24, 1871. Democratic gain. Unknown if winner ran for the next term or retired, see below.	nowrap

Races leading to the 42nd Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1871; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	Willard Warner		Republican	1868		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Arkansas	Alexander McDonald		Republican	1868		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Republican hold.	nowrap
Delaware	Willard Saulsbury Sr.		Democratic	1858 1864		Incumbent lost re-election to his older brother. New senator elected in 1870. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Georgia	Homer V. M. Miller		Democratic	1871		Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1876 or 1877. Democratic hold. Senate later refused to seat Senator-elect Foster Blodgett.	nowrap
Illinois	Richard Yates		Republican	1864 or 1865		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Republican hold.	nowrap
Iowa	James B. Howell		Republican	1870		Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 18, 1870. Republican hold.	nowrap
Kansas	Edmund G. Ross		Republican	1866 1867		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1871. Republican hold.	nowrap
Kentucky	Thomas C. McCreery		Democratic	1868		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1871. Democratic hold.	nowrap
Louisiana	John S. Harris		Republican	1868		Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Republican hold.	nowrap
Maine	Lot M. Morrill		Republican	1861 1863 1869 1869 1870	Incumbent re-elected in 1870 or 1871.	nowrap
Massachusetts	Henry Wilson		Republican	1855 1859 1865	Incumbent re-elected in 1871.	nowrap
Michigan	Jacob M. Howard		Republican	1862 1865		Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected January 18, 1871. Republican hold.	nowrap
Minnesota	Ozora P. Stearns		Republican	1871		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in January 1871. Republican hold.	nowrap
Mississippi	Hiram Rhodes Revels		Republican	1870		Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected January 18, 1870. Republican hold.	nowrap
Nebraska	John M. Thayer		Republican	1867		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Republican hold.	nowrap
New Hampshire	Aaron H. Cragin		Republican	1864	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	nowrap
New Jersey	Alexander G. Cattell		Republican	1866		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Republican hold.	nowrap
North Carolina	Joseph Abbott		Republican	1868		Incumbent lost renomination. Legislature failed to elect. Republican loss. Seat remained vacant until January 30, 1872.
Oregon	George H. Williams		Republican	1864		Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Rhode Island	Henry B. Anthony		Republican	1858 1864	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	nowrap
South Carolina	Thomas J. Robertson		Republican	1868	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	nowrap
Tennessee	Joseph S. Fowler		Republican	1866		Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Democratic gain.	nowrap
Texas	Morgan C. Hamilton		Republican	1870	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	nowrap
Virginia	John W. Johnston		Democratic	1870		Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat remained vacant until March 15, 1871.
West Virginia	Waitman T. Willey		Republican	1863 1865		Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1871. Democratic gain.	nowrap

Elections during the 42nd Congress

In this election, the winner was elected in 1871 after March 4.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Virginia (Class 2)	Vacant				Legislature had failed to elect. Previous incumbent re-elected March 15, 1871. Democratic gain.	nowrap	John W. Johnston (Democratic)
Georgia (Class 2)	Vacant				Foster Blodgett had presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected. Winner elected November 14, 1871. Democratic gain.	nowrap	Thomas M. Norwood (Democratic)

West Virginia

Election Date:	January 31, 1871
Election Name:	1871 United States Senate election in West Virginia
Country:	West Virginia
Type:	presidential
Next Year:	1877
Candidate1:	Henry G. Davis
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Image1:	File:HenryGDavis.png
Candidate2:	James H. Brown
1Blank:	House vote
Votes For Election:	Needed to win: Majority of votes cast in each House of the Legislature 54 votes cast in the House; 28 votes needed 21 votes cast in the Senate; 11 votes needed
After Election:	Henry G. Davis
U.S. senator
Next Election:	1876–77 United States Senate elections#West Virginia
Previous Election:	1864–65 United States Senate elections#West Virginia
Previous Year:	1865
Vote Type:	Members'
Image2 Size:	115px
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Before Election:	Waitman T. Willey
2Blank:	Senate vote
1Data1:	39 votes 72.2%
2Data1:	14 votes 66.7%
1Data2:	15 votes 27.8%
2Data2:	7 votes 33.3%
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Posttitle:	Elected U.S. Senator

Henry G. Davis, a Democratic state legislator, was elected to replace outgoing Republican incumbent Waitman T. Willey. Davis won the Democratic caucus vote over former legislators Daniel Lamb and Benjamin H. Smith. Davis' victory was attributed to widespread support throughout the state, as well as among party leaders. Nearly all of Lamb's votes, meanwhile, were localized to the Northern Panhandle.^[7]

Candidate! colspan="2"
Votes	%
First Ballot
Henry G. Davis		27	52.9
Daniel Lamb	12	23.5
Benjamin H. Smith	12	23.5
Total	51	100
Needed to win	26	>50

Party! rowspan="2" class="unsortable"
Votes	%	Votes	%
Candidate	House		Senate
	Democratic	Henry G. Davis		39		72.2	14	66.7
	Republican	James H. Brown	15	27.8	7	33.3
Total			54	100	21	100
Needed to win			28	>50	11	>50

External links

Web site: Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present . United States Senate .
Book: Byrd, Robert C. . The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 . volume 4 Bicentennial . Robert Byrd . Wendy . Wolff . . . October 1, 1993 . 978-0-16-063256-3 .
Book: Taft, George S. . Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1885 . . 1885 . . Washington, DC .

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: Facts & Milestones . United States Senate.
Web site: Dan Elbert . Clark . History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa . 150–151 . Iowa . 1913.
Segar was not seated on the premise that the Union-friendly legislature was illegitimate despite having seated his predecessor based credentials from the same legislature. In reality, the Senate refused because it did not want to set a precedent for easing reentry of Confederate states. See Web site: Musical Chairs (1861–1869) . United States Senate . March 20, 2009.
Web site: Musical Chairs (1861–1869) . United States Senate . March 20, 2009.
Web site: HAMILTON, Morgan Calvin - Biographical Information . bioguide.congress.gov . October 31, 2019. Web site: HAMILTON, Morgan Calvin - Biographical Information . bioguide.congress.gov . October 31, 2019.
News: January 28, 1871 . Nomination of H.G. Davis to be U.S. Senator . . NewspaperArchive.