The 1911 United States Senate election in New York was held from January 17 to March 31, 1911, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The initial Democratic choice for Senator, former Lieutenant Governor William F. Sheehan, was defeated. Although Sheehan had the support of Tammany Hall, insurgent Democratic legislators led by State Senator Franklin Delano Roosevelt revolted against the machine and deadlocked balloting until March. The Roosevelt faction forced a second Democratic caucus in late March to nominate Judge James A. O'Gorman, who was elected on March 31.
Background Republican Chauncey M. Depew had been re-elected to this seat in 1905, and his term would expire on March 3, 1911.
In the 1910 state election, 29 Democrats, 21 Republicans and 1 Independence Senators were elected for a two-year term (1911–1912), along with 86 Democrats, 63 Republicans and 1 Independence LeaguerThe Independence League members usually caucused with the Democrats. were elected for the session of 1911 to the Assembly. The 134th New York State Legislature met from January 4 to October 6, 1911, at Albany, New York.
Candidates First Democratic caucus
Ex-Lieutenant Governor William F. Sheehan announced his candidature formally in a letter to Mayor of Buffalo Louis P. Fuhrmann which was published on December 30, 1910. Before the State election, when a Democratic victory seemed to be improbable, Sheehan had made an agreement with Tammany Hall leader Charles Francis Murphy that the Tammany men would support Sheehan for the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic caucus met on January 16. 91 State legislators attended, but 25 were absent. Speaker Daniel D. Frisbie presided. The caucus nominated Sheehan. Edward M. Shepard, the defeated Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York in the election of 1901; and Ex-Supreme Court Justice D. Cady Herrick, the defeated Democratic candidate for Governor of New York in the election of 1904, also received votes at this caucus.
At the same time, an anti-Sheehan faction (in the press referred to as "the Insurgents") of 19 State legislators met at the Hampton Hotel, led by State Senator Franklin D. Roosevelt and issued a statement repudiating to take part in a caucus which follows orders from non-member political bosses.
+1911 First Democratic caucus for United States Senator result Candidate First ballot √ William F. Sheehan √ 62 Edward M. Shepard 22 D. Cady Herrick 7
Republican caucus The Republican caucus met on January 16. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Chauncey M. Depew unanimously.
Election proceedings Deadlock On January 17, both houses of the state legislature took ballots separately, but no choice was made in either. Sheehan received the votes of the 91 caucus attendees, only 1 short for a nomination in the state senate, and 8 short in the Assembly. On January 18, the state legislature met in joint session, compared the votes of the previous day, found that no choice was made, and proceeded to a joint ballot. On the joint ballot, Assemblyman Lewis S. Chanler, who had been lieutenant governor from 1907 to 1908, and the defeated Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in the election of 1909, deserted Sheehan, who received 90 votes, 9 short of election. As no choice was made, joint ballots continued to be taken every day, Monday through Saturday,On Saturdays, and mostly on Mondays and Fridays, a large part of the State legislators preferred to be paired, and spent the week-end at home. at noon. Governor of New York John Alden Dix refused to interfere in the contest, but continued to talk privately to Mayor of New York William J. Gaynor, Boss Murphy and a few prospective compromise candidates.
On February 7, after the 18th ballot, the majority leaders, Robert F. Wagner of the state senate and Al Smith of the Assembly, called a conference for the next morning at which both factions would discuss the further proceedings. Both factions met on February 8, maintained their positions, and nothing came of it. About this time, Edward M. Shepard was taken seriously ill, and he would die a few months later.
On February 20, after the 28th ballot, Congressman Martin W. Littleton announced formally his candidature for the senatorship. Littleton had received a few scattering votes throughout the balloting, but nothing came of it.
On February 23, after the 31st ballot, a letter was received from Congressman William Sulzer stating that, if a compromise candidate was sought, he would take the senatorship. Sulzer had received a few scattering votes since the 11th ballot, but nothing came of it either.
On February 25, after the 34th ballot, Edward M. Shepard withdrew from the contest and advised the election of a compromise candidate. Most of the Insurgents then voted for two ballots for John D. Kernan, and then for Littleton.
On February 28, after the 36th ballot, Sheehan sent an open letter to the State legislators in which he declared himself for a new caucus, and his acceptance of any candidate the caucus would choose. The Insurgents answered that a new caucus was useless.
On March 3, after the 39th ballot, Governor Dix advised to abandon Sheehan, and instead to elect immediately someone "whose choice will unite the Democratic Party." Sheehan however refused to withdraw from the contest unless a new caucus chose another candidate, and none of the legislators followed Dix's advice.
On the same day, the term of the incumbent Chauncey M. Depew ended, and the seat became vacant on March 4.
Late election President William H. Taft called a special session of the U.S. Senate to convene on April 4, and all parties expressed their hope that a U.S. Senator be elected by then.
On March 7, after the 42nd ballot, Mayor Gaynor seconded Gov. Dix, and advised to abandon Sheehan. Boss Murphy however re-affirmed his support for Sheehan, and the deadlock continued as before.
Intense negotiations followed to make the way clear for a new caucus. On March 18, Boss Murphy consented to a new caucus if the Insurgents accepted the candidate chosen, whoever it be. State Senator Roosevelt refused to be led into this trap, and on March 20 told Gov. Dix that the Insurgents would not be bound by the new caucus choice, expecting the Tammany majority to nominate somebody as objectionable as Sheehan, like Daniel F. Cohalan, De Lancey Nicoll or John B. Stanchfield. On March 22, after the 55th ballot, a conference of all Democratic legislators met and agreed unanimously to call a new caucus for March 27, to reconsider the nomination made on January 16.
Results, up to 58th ballot +1911 United States Senator (Class 1) election result Candidate Party SenateJan 17 AssemblyJan 17 JointballotJan 18 2ndjointballotJan 19 3rdjointballotJan 20 4thjointballotJan 21 5thjointballotJan 23 6thjointballotJan 24 7thjointballotJan 25 8thjointballotJan 26 9thjointballotJan 27 William F. Sheehan Democratic 25 66 90 88 60 18 86 85 85 82 20 Chauncey M. Depew Republican 20 59 80 81 52 10 81 80 79 77 12 Edward M. Shepard Democratic 2 12 13 13 11 11 13 11 11 10 9 Alton B. Parker Democratic — 6 7 7 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 James W. Gerard Democratic 1 1 3 2 2 — 2 2 2 2 2 D. Cady Herrick Democratic 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 1 — Martin W. Littleton Democratic 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 John D. KernanJohn Devereux Kernan (1844-1922), lawyer, son of Francis Kernan, State Railroad Commissioner 1882-87, Obit in NYT on December 30, 1922 Democratic — — — 2 4 4 4 4 4 5 7 Morgan J. O'BrienMorgan Joseph O'Brien (1852-1937), NY Supreme Court justice 1887-1905, Obit in NYT on June 17, 1937 (subscription required) Democratic — — — 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 Martin H. Glynn Democratic — — — — 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 Simon W. Rosendale Democratic — — — — 1 — — — — — — John Alden Dix Democratic — — — — — — 1 1 1 1 1 Curtis N. Douglas Democratic — — — — — — — 3 3 1 — Seymour Van SantvoordSeymour Van Santvoord (1858-1938), lawyer, author, banker, of Troy, Counsel to Gov. John Alden Dix 1912, Chairman of the Public Service Commission 1914-18, Obit in NYT on November 16, 1938 (subscription required) Democratic — — — — — — — — — 1 2 John C. R. TaylorJohn C. R. Taylor (ca. 1866-1937), lawyer, of Middletown, state senator 1907-08, Obit in NYT on April 27, 1937 (subscription required) Democratic — — — — — — — — — 1 1
+1911 United States Senator (Class 1) election result Candidate Party 10thjointballotJan 28 11thjointballotJan 30 12thjointballotJan 31 13thjointballotFeb 1 14thjointballotFeb 2 15thjointballotFeb 3 16thjointballotFeb 4 17thjointballotFeb 6 18thjointballotFeb 7 19thjointballotFeb 8 20thjointballotFeb 9 21stjointballotFeb 10 William F. Sheehan Democratic 9 67 82 82 69 14 7 66 85 86 75 8 Chauncey M. Depew Republican 4 61 74 77 64 11 5 59 81 80 72 4 Edward M. Shepard Democratic 5 10 10 10 10 7 2 9 10 10 10 4 John D. Kernan Democratic 4 7 9 9 9 8 2 9 9 9 8 2 Martin W. Littleton Democratic 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 3 3 3 3 2 Morgan J. O'Brien Democratic 2 2 2 2 2 2 — 2 2 2 2 1 Seymour Van Santvoord Democratic 2 2 — — — — — — — — — — Martin H. Glynn Democratic 1 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 1 Alton B. Parker Democratic 1 1 1 1 1 — — 1 1 1 1 1 James W. Gerard Democratic 1 — — — — — — — — — — — John C. R. Taylor Democratic — 1 1 1 1 1 — 1 1 1 1 — William Sulzer Democratic — 1 1 1 1 — — 1 1 1 2 2 George L. Rives Democratic — — — — — — — — — — — 1 J. Hampden DoughertyJohn Hampden Dougherty (1849-1918), lawyer, of Brooklyn, father of Walter Hampden, author of "The Electoral System of the United States" Democratic — — — — — — — — — — — 1
+1911 United States Senator (Class 1) election result Candidate Party 22ndjointballotFeb 11 23rdjointballotFeb 13 24thjointballotFeb 14 25thjointballotFeb 15 26thjointballotFeb 16 27thjointballotFeb 17 28thjointballotFeb 18 29thjointballotFeb 20 30thjointballotFeb 21 31stjointballotFeb 22 32ndjointballotFeb 23 33rdjointballotFeb 24 William F. Sheehan Democratic 5 7 81 81 76 15 5 47 78 79 66 11 Chauncey M. Depew Republican 2 2 71 72 66 7 4 44 76 73 60 4 Edward M. Shepard Democratic 2 4 9 3 4 — 1 3 4 12 15 10 William Sulzer Democratic 1 2 3 3 3 2 — 3 3 3 3 2 Martin W. Littleton Democratic 1 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 2 Martin H. Glynn Democratic 1 1 3 3 2 1 — 1 1 1 1 1 J. Hampden Dougherty Democratic 1 1 1 1 1 1 — — 1 — — — George L. Rives Democratic 1 — — — — — — — — — — — John D. Kernan Democratic — 2 6 15 14 10 5 13 13 4 1 1 George F. Peabody Democratic — 1 1 — — — — — — — — — Morgan J. O'Brien Democratic — — 1 1 1 1 — 1 2 2 1 1 Alton B. Parker Democratic — — 1 1 1 — — 1 1 1 1 — John C. R. Taylor Democratic — — 1 — — — — — — — — — Herman N. HansenHerman N. Hansen (1870-1913), lawyer, of Brooklyn, Obit in NYT on December 1, 1913; [the Assembly journal states the name as "J. Hausen"] Ind. League — — — — 1 1 1 — — — — — John J. HopperJohn J. Hopper (d. 1923), civil engineer, of New York City, ran for Governor in 1910, State Chairman of the Independence League, Register of New York County 1915-18, Obit in NYT on May 17, 1923 (subscription required) Ind. League — — — — — — — 2 2 2 2 1 John N. CarlisleJohn Nelson Carlisle (1866-1931), lawyer, of Watertown Democratic — — — — — — — — — 1 1 —