The 1898–99 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 1898 and 1899, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1. Events of the election The Republican Party gained eight seats at the expense of the Democrats and several minor third parties. The Democrats saw strong gains in the concurrent 1898 House of Representatives elections. However, this group of Senators were last up for election in 1892, since which a major political realignment had occurred. Many state legislatures in the Northern United States that had been controlled by Democrats during the third party system had flipped in the Republican wave years of 1894 and 1896, resulting in the huge number of seats the party gained in 1898.

The Democrats flipped a Silver Republican held seat in Montana while Republicans flipped a Populist held seat in Nebraska. In North Dakota, Wisconsin, Indiana, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey, Republicans flipped Democratic held seats.

A large number of state legislatures failed to fill their Senators during this election cycle: in Utah, a Silver Republican failed to secure re-election; in Delaware and California, a Democrat did so; in Pennsylvania, a Republican seat was lost.

In Nebraska and Florida, senators were elected shortly after the beginning of the 56th Congress on March 4.

In Oregon, a special election was held to fill a vacant seat.These elections reflected the continuing national realignment sparked by the Panic of 1893, which shifted political power in many state legislatures toward the Republicans.

The results also underscored the influence of emerging third parties, as Populist and Silver factions affected legislative outcomes in several western states.

Results summary Senate party division, 56th Congress (1899–1901)

Majority party: Republican (52) Minority party: Democratic (25) Other parties: Populist (4); Silver Republican (2); Silver (2) Vacant: 5 Total seats: 90

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the October 7, 1898 special election in Oregon.

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D P D D D D D D D D D P P P P S S SR SR SR SR Plurality ↓ SR R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Result of the general elections

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R SR SR SR S S P P P P R R R R R R R V V V Majority → R V V V R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Beginning of the next Congress

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D SR SR SR S S P P P P D R R R R R R R V V V Majority → R V V R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R Key: D Democratic P Populist R Republican S Silver SR Silver Republican V Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 55th Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1898 or in 1899 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Ohio(Class 1) Mark Hanna Republican 1897 Interim appointee elected January 12, 1898.Winner also elected to the next term; see below. Oregon(Class 3) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected October 7, 1898.Republican gain.

Races leading to the 56th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1899; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California Stephen M. White Democratic 1893 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat remained vacant until February 7, 1900. Connecticut Joseph R. Hawley Republican 188118871893 Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1899. Delaware George Gray Democratic 1885 18871893 Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Seat remained vacant until 1903. George Gray (Democratic) Florida Samuel Pasco Democratic 18871893 (failure to elect)1893 1893 Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Incumbent appointed to begin the term.Incumbent lost election to finish the term; see below. Indiana David Turpie Democratic 1863 1863 18871893 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 17, 1899.Republican gain. Maine Eugene Hale Republican 188118871893 Incumbent re-elected. First ballot Maryland Arthur P. Gorman Democratic 188018861892 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 25, 1898.Republican gain. Massachusetts Henry Cabot Lodge Republican 1893 Incumbent re-elected in 1899. Michigan Julius C. Burrows Republican 1895 Incumbent re-elected in 1899. Minnesota Cushman Davis Republican 18861892 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1899. Mississippi Hernando Money Democratic 1897 Interim appointee elected in 1899. Missouri Francis Cockrell Democratic 1874188118871893 Incumbent re-elected January 19, 1899. Montana Lee Mantle SilverRepublican 1895 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected in 1899.Democratic gain. Nebraska William V. Allen Populist 1893 Legislature failed to elect.Populist loss.The seat was filled in March 1899; see below. William V. Allen (Populist) Nevada William M. Stewart SilverRepublican 18871893 Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1899. New Jersey James Smith Jr. Democratic 1893 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 24, 1899.Republican gain. New York Edward Murphy Jr. Democratic 1893 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 17, 1899.Republican gain. North Dakota William N. Roach Democratic 1893 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 20, 1899.Republican gain. Ohio Mark Hanna Republican 1897 Interim appointee elected January 12, 1898.Winner also elected to finish the term; see above. Pennsylvania Matthew S. Quay Republican 18871893 Legislature failed to elect.Republican loss.Incumbent appointed to start the term, but Senate rejected credentials.Seat remained vacant until 1901. Matthew S. Quay (Republican) Rhode Island Nelson W. Aldrich Republican 1881 18861892 Incumbent re-elected in 1898. Tennessee William B. Bate Democratic 1887 1893 Incumbent re-elected in 1899. Texas Roger Q. Mills Democratic 1892 1893 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 24, 1899.Democratic hold. Utah Frank J. Cannon SilverRepublican 1896 Legislature failed to elect.Silver Republican loss.Seat remained vacant until 1901. Vermont Redfield Proctor Republican 1891 1892 1892 Incumbent re-elected October 19, 1898. Virginia John W. Daniel Democratic 18871893 Incumbent re-elected in 1899. Washington John L. Wilson Republican 1895 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected February 1, 1899.Republican hold. West Virginia Charles J. Faulkner Democratic 18871893 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 25, 1899.Republican gain. Wisconsin John L. Mitchell Democratic 1893 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 31, 1899.Republican gain. Wyoming Clarence D. Clark Republican 1895 Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1899.

Elections during the 56th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1899 after March 4, and seated in the 56th Congress.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Nebraska(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect; see above.New senator elected late March 8, 1899.Republican gain. Florida(Class 1) Samuel Pasco Democratic 18871893 (failure to elect)1893 1893 1899 (failure to elect)1899 Interim appointee lost election to finish the term.New senator elected April 19, 1899.Democratic hold.

In this election, the winner was seated in the 57th Congress, starting March 4, 1901.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Virginia(Class 2) Thomas S. Martin Democratic 1893 Incumbent re-elected early December 19, 1899 for the term beginning March 4, 1901.

Maryland

Louis E. McComas won election by an unknown margin of votes for the Class 1 seat.

Minnesota

New York

The election in New York was held January 17, 1899.

Democrat Edward Murphy Jr. had been elected to this seat in 1893, and his term would expire on March 3, 1899. At the State election in November 1898, 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1899–1900) in the State Senate; and 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats were elected for the session of 1899 to the Assembly. The 122nd New York State Legislature met from January 4 to April 28, 1899, at Albany, New York.

The Republican caucus met on January 12. State Senator Hobart Krum presided. They nominated Chauncey M. Depew unanimously. Depew had been Secretary of State of New York from 1864 to 1865, and was the frontrunning candidate to succeed Thomas C. Platt at the U.S. Senate special election in 1881 when he withdrew after the 41st ballot. Parallel to his political career, he moved up the ladder in the Vanderbilt Railroad System, being President of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad from 1885 to 1898, and holding positions in dozens of other railroad companies.

The Democratic caucus met also on January 12. State Senator George W. Plunkitt presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Edward Murphy Jr. unanimously.

Chauncey M. Depew was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.

+1899 United States Senator election result House Republican Democratic State Senate (50 members) 27 Edward Murphy Jr. 23 State Assembly (150 members) 84 Edward Murphy Jr. 60

Note: The votes were cast on January 17, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 18 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

Ohio

Oregon

Oregon (special)

Rhode Island

South Carolina (special)

Utah

In mid-August 1898, Alfred W. McCune decided to seek office as a Democrat for the United States Senate. State legislators had already indicated they would not support the incumbent, Frank J. Cannon for reelection. Cannon, a Republican, had voted against the Dingley Act, which would have raised tariffs on sugar and helped the Utah sugar industry. The Dingley bill was strongly supported by the LDS Church hierarchy, who now opposed his reelection. Other factors were his support for Free Silver; rumors about immoral acts he may have committed while living in Washington, D.C.; and that the Utah legislature was controlled by Democrats. The McCunes were close friends with Heber J. Grant, seventh LDS Church president and an ordained LDS apostle. Although the LDS church had (just weeks before) made a decision to stay out of state politics, McCune asked Grant for the church's assistance in winning office. Grant consulted with Joseph F. Smith (Apostle and sixth LDS president) and John Henry Smith (a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of the LDS Church), both of whom supported McCune's senatorial bid. But McCune was not alone in seeking the office. Former Representative William H. King was also running (and backed by two Apostles), as was James Moyle (a prominent attorney and founder of the Utah Democratic Party who was backed by state legislators) and George Q. Cannon (an Apostle and member of the First Presidency).