1870–71 United States Senate elections

1871 United States Senate election in West Virginia
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
U.S. senator before election; Waitman T. Willey; Republican	Elected U.S. Senator ; Henry G. Davis; Democratic

1870–71 United States Senate elections
25 of the 70 (4 vacant)/74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections); 36 seats needed for a majority
	Results of the elections:; Democratic gain Democratic hold; Republican hold Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election; ; Republican	Elected Majority Party ; ; Republican

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
D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀ Gain Readmitted	R₆₂ Gain Readmitted	R₆₁ Gain Readmitted	R₆₀ Gain Special	R₅₉ Gain Readmitted	R₅₈ Gain Readmitted	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	R₃₆
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.

D₈ Ran	D₉ Ran	D₁₀ Unknown	D₁₁ Unknown	R₆₃ Retired	R₆₂ Retired	R₆₁ Retired	R₆₀ Retired	R₅₉ Retired	R₅₈ Unknown
D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
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	R₃₇
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

D₈ Hold	D₉ Hold	D₁₀ Hold	D₁₁ Gain	D₁₂ Gain	D₁₃ Gain	D₁₄ Gain	V₁ D Loss	V₂ R Loss	R₅₈ Hold
D₇	D₆	D₅	D₄	D₃	D₂	D₁
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	R₃₇
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
D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃	D₁₄ Gain	V₁ D Loss	V₂	V₃
R₄₈	R₄₉	R₅₀	R₅₁	R₅₂	R₅₃	R₅₄	R₅₅	LR₁ Change	V₄ R Loss
R₄₇	R₄₆	R₄₅	R₄₄	R₄₃	R₄₂	R₄₁	R₄₀	R₃₉	R₃₈
Majority →									R₃₇
R₂₈	R₂₉	R₃₀	R₃₁	R₃₂	R₃₃	R₃₄	R₃₅	R₃₆	R₃₇
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:

D_#	Democratic
LR_#	Liberal Republican
R_#	Republican
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	1858 1864	Incumbent resigned December 6, 1869 due to ill health. New senator elected January 18, 1870.^[3] Winner did not seek election to the next term.	▌Y James B. Howell (Republican) ▌John Thompson Stoneman (Democratic)
Maine (Class 2)	Lot M. Morrill	Republican	1861 (special) 1863 1869 (lost) 1869 (appointed)	Interim appointee elected January 19, 1870 to finish the term. Winner was also elected to the next term; see below.	▌Y Lot M. Morrill (Republican) [data missing]
Virginia (Class 1)	Vacant since January 2, 1864, when Joseph Segar (U) was not seated.^[4]			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected January 26, 1870. Republican gain.	▌Y John F. Lewis (Republican) [data missing]
Virginia (Class 2)	Vacant since March 4, 1865, when John Curtiss Underwood (U) was not seated.^[5]			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected January 26, 1870. Democratic gain. Winner was also elected late to the next term; see below.	▌Y John W. Johnston (Democratic) [data missing]
Texas (Class 2)	Vacant since July 11, 1861, when John Hemphill (D) was expelled.			State readmitted to the Union. New senator 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.	▌Y Morgan C. Hamilton (Republican) [data missing]
Mississippi (Class 1)	Vacant since January 21, 1861, when Jefferson Davis (D) resigned			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected February 23, 1870. Republican gain.	▌Y Adelbert Ames (Republican) [data missing]
Mississippi (Class 2)	Vacant since January 12, 1861, when Albert G. Brown (D) withdrew.			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected February 23, 1870. Republican gain. Unknown if winner ran for the next term or retired; see below.	▌Y Hiram R. Revels (Republican) [data missing]
Texas (Class 1)	Vacant since March 23, 1861, when Louis Wigfall (D) withdrew.			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected March 30, 1870. Republican gain.	▌Y J. W. Flanagan (Republican) [data missing]
Missouri (Class 3)	Daniel T. Jewett	Republican	1870 (appointed)	Interim appointee retired. New senator elected January 20, 1871 to finish the term. Democratic gain.	▌Y Francis Preston Blair Jr. (Democratic) 61.5% ▌John B. Henderson (Republican) 35.5% ▌John F. Benjamin (Republican) 3.0%^[7]
Minnesota (Class 2)	William Windom	Republican	1865	Interim appointee was not elected to finish the term. New senator 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.	▌Y Ozora P. Stearns (Republican) 44 (73.3%) ▌Eugene M. Wilson (Democratic) 13 (21.7%) ▌Amos Coggswell (Democratic) 2 (3.3%) ▌Ignatius L. Donnelly (Democratic) 1 (1.7%)^[8]
Georgia (Class 3)	Vacant since January 28, 1861, when Alfred Iverson Sr. (D) withdrew.			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected in 1867, but not seated until readmission on February 1, 1871. Republican gain.	▌Y Joshua Hill (Republican) [data missing]
Georgia (Class 2)	Vacant since February 4, 1861, when Robert Toombs (D) withdrew.			State readmitted to the Union. New senator elected February 24, 1871. Democratic gain. Unknown if winner ran for the next term or retired; see below.	▌Y Homer V. M. Miller (Democratic) [data missing]

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 (readmission)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Democratic gain.	▌Y George Goldthwaite (Democratic) ▌Willard Warner (Republican) [data missing]
Arkansas	Alexander McDonald	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Republican hold.	▌Y Powell Clayton (Republican) ▌Alexander McDonald (Republican) [data missing]
Delaware	Willard Saulsbury Sr.	Democratic	1858 1864	Incumbent lost re-election to his older brother. New senator elected in 1870. Democratic hold.	▌Y Eli Saulsbury (Democratic) ▌Willard Saulsbury Sr. (Democratic) [data missing]
Georgia	Homer V. M. Miller	Democratic	1871 (readmission)	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1876 or 1877. Democratic loss. Senate later refused to seat Senator-elect Foster Blodgett.	▌Y Foster Blodgett (Republican) [data missing]
Illinois	Richard Yates	Republican	1864–65	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Republican hold.	▌Y John A. Logan (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa	James B. Howell	Republican	1870 (special)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 18, 1870.^[3] Republican hold.	▌Y George G. Wright (Republican) ▌Thomas W. Claggett (Democratic)
Kansas	Edmund G. Ross	Republican	1866 (appointed) 1867 (special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1871. Republican hold.	▌Y Alexander Caldwell (Republican) ▌Edmund G. Ross (Republican) [data missing]
Kentucky	Thomas C. McCreery	Democratic	1868 (special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1871. Democratic hold.	▌Y John W. Stevenson (Democratic) ▌Thomas C. McCreery (Democratic) [data missing]
Louisiana	John S. Harris	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Republican hold.	▌Y Joseph R. West (Republican) [data missing]
Maine	Lot M. Morrill	Republican	1861 (special) 1863 1869 (lost) 1869 (appointed) 1870 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1870 or 1871.	▌Y Lot M. Morrill (Republican) [data missing]
Massachusetts	Henry Wilson	Republican	1855 (special) 1859 1865	Incumbent re-elected in 1871.	▌Y Henry Wilson (Republican) [data missing]
Michigan	Jacob M. Howard	Republican	1862 (special) 1865	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected January 18, 1871. Republican hold.	▌Y Thomas W. Ferry (Republican) [data missing]
Minnesota	Ozora P. Stearns	Republican	1871 (special)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in January 1871. Republican hold.	▌Y William Windom (Republican) 43 (71.7%) ▌Richard A. Jones (Democratic) 14 (23.3%) ▌Morton S. Wilkinson (Republican) 1 (1.7%) ▌Cornelius F. Buck (Democratic) 1 (1.7%) ▌Thomas Wilson (Republican) 1 (1.7%)^[9]
Mississippi	Hiram Rhodes Revels	Republican	1870 (readmission)	Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected January 18, 1870. Republican hold.	▌Y James L. Alcorn (Republican) [data missing]
Nebraska	John M. Thayer	Republican	1867	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Republican hold.	▌Y Phineas Hitchcock (Republican) ▌John M. Thayer (Republican) [data missing]
New Hampshire	Aaron H. Cragin	Republican	1864	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	▌Y Aaron H. Cragin (Republican) [data missing]
New Jersey	Alexander G. Cattell	Republican	1866 (special)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Republican hold.	▌Y Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (Republican) [data missing]
North Carolina	Joseph Abbott	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent lost renomination. Legislature failed to elect. Republican loss. Seat remained vacant until January 30, 1872.	[data missing]
Oregon	George H. Williams	Republican	1864	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1870. Democratic gain.	▌Y James K. Kelly (Democratic) ▌George H. Williams (Republican) [data missing]
Rhode Island	Henry B. Anthony	Republican	1858 1864	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	▌Y Henry B. Anthony (Republican) [data missing]
South Carolina	Thomas J. Robertson	Republican	1868 (readmission)	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	▌Y Thomas J. Robertson (Republican) [data missing]
Tennessee	Joseph S. Fowler	Republican	1866 (readmission)	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1870 or 1871. Democratic gain.	▌Y Henry Cooper (Democratic) [data missing]
Texas	Morgan C. Hamilton	Republican	1870 (readmission)	Incumbent re-elected in 1870.	▌Y Morgan C. Hamilton (Republican) [data missing]
Virginia	John W. Johnston	Democratic	1870 (readmission)	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat remained vacant until March 15, 1871.	[data missing]
West Virginia	Waitman T. Willey	Republican	1863 1865	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1871. Democratic gain.	▌Y Henry G. Davis (Democratic) [data missing]

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.	▌ Y John W. Johnston (Democratic) [data missing]
Georgia (Class 2)	Vacant			Foster Blodgett (R) had presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected. New senator elected November 14, 1871. Democratic gain.	▌Y Thomas M. Norwood (Democratic) [data missing]

West Virginia

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.^[10]

Democratic nomination
Candidate	First Ballot
Candidate	Votes	%
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

Floor vote^[11]
Party		Candidate	House		Senate
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Votes	%
	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

Notes

^ as Republican Conference Chair

References

^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
^ "Facts & Milestones". United States Senate.
^ ^a ^b Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa. pp. 150–151.
^ 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 "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
^ "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
^ "HAMILTON, Morgan Calvin - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved October 31, 2019."HAMILTON, Morgan Calvin - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
^ "Our Campaigns - MO US Senate - Special Election Race - Jan 20, 1871". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
^ University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1871 Minnesota U.S. Senate Special Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
^ University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1871 Minnesota U.S. Senate Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
^ "Nomination of H.G. Davis to be U.S. Senator". Wheeling Register. January 28, 1871 – via NewspaperArchive.
^ Journal of the House of Delegates of the State of West Virginia. West Virginia Legislature. January 31, 1871. pp. 78, 90.

External links

"Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate.
Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-16-063256-3.
Taft, George S. (1885). Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1885. United States Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

[1] s Republican Conference Chair

[2] "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.

[3] "Facts & Milestones". United States Senate.

[Iowa-4] Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa. pp. 150–151.

[Segar_&_Underwood-5] 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 "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.

[Virginia-6] "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.

[7] "HAMILTON, Morgan Calvin - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved October 31, 2019."HAMILTON, Morgan Calvin - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved October 31, 2019.

[8] "Our Campaigns - MO US Senate - Special Election Race - Jan 20, 1871". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.

[9] University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1871 Minnesota U.S. Senate Special Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.

[10] University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1871 Minnesota U.S. Senate Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.

[11] "Nomination of H.G. Davis to be U.S. Senator". Wheeling Register. January 28, 1871 – via NewspaperArchive.

[12] Journal of the House of Delegates of the State of West Virginia. West Virginia Legislature. January 31, 1871. pp. 78, 90.

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