The 1904–05 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate between January 19, 1904, and April 20, 1905, coinciding with President Theodore Roosevelt's landslide election to a full term and the 1904 House of Representatives elections. 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 1904 and 1905, 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 party share of seats remained roughly the same, when including vacancies and appointments, and the Republicans retained a significant majority over the Democrats.

Special elections were held in Indiana and Massachusetts, in the former due to the ascension of Charles Fairbanks to the Vice Presidency and in the latter due to the death of longtime Senator George Hoar.

In Georgia, the legislature failed to elect until shortly after the beginning of the 59th Congress on March 4. In Delaware the legislature deadlocked and did not elect a senator until June 1906.

Results summary Senate party division, 59th Congress (1905–1907)

Majority party: Republican (58) Minority party: Democratic (32) Other parties: (0) Total seats: 90

Shifts in party control post-election Despite legislative deadlocks and the long periods of vacancy in some states, the Republican Party's dominance in the Senate was further solidified in these elections. The party's strong performance in the Senate mirrored President Theodore Roosevelt's landslide victory in the 1904 presidential election. This continuity of Republican control in both the executive and legislative branches contributed to the implementation of Roosevelt's progressive policies, such as trust-busting and railroad regulation, further cementing the party's influence during the early 20th century.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections At the beginning of 1904.

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 R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → 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 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 V V V D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → 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 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 R V V D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R Majority → 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 R

Key: D Democratic R Republican V Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 58th Congress

Special elections In these elections, the winners were seated during 1904 or in 1905 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Ohio(Class 1) Mark Hanna Republican 1897 1898 1898 Incumbent died February 15, 1904.New senator elected March 2, 1904.Republican hold.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. Pennsylvania(Class 1) Matthew Quay Republican 188718931899 1899 1901 Incumbent died May 28, 1904.New senator elected January 17, 1905.Republican hold.Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. Massachusetts(Class 2) Winthrop M. Crane Republican 1904 Interim appointee elected January 18, 1905.

In this election, the winner was seated March 4, 1905.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Indiana(Class 3) Charles W. Fairbanks Republican 18971903 Incumbent resigned March 3, 1905, to become U.S. Vice President.New senator elected January 18, 1905 to begin service on the first day of the new Congress.Republican hold.

Early elections In these elections, the winners were seated March 4, 1907, in the 60th Congress; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Mississippi(Class 2) Anselm J. McLaurin Democratic 1894 1900 Incumbent re-elected early January 19, 1904. Louisiana(Class 2) Murphy J. Foster Democratic 1900 Incumbent re-elected early May 18, 1904.

Races leading to the 59th Congress In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1905; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California Thomas R. Bard Republican 1900 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 11, 1905.Republican hold. Connecticut Joseph R. Hawley Republican 188118871893 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 17, 1905.Republican hold. Delaware L. Heisler Ball Republican 1903 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Republican loss.Seat remained vacant until June 13, 1906. Florida James Taliaferro Democratic 1899 Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.Incumbent would be appointed to start the term.Appointee was later elected to finish the term; see below. Indiana Albert J. Beveridge Republican 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Maine Eugene Hale Republican 1881188718931899 Incumbent re-elected. First ballot Maryland Louis E. McComas Republican 1898 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 4, 1904.Democratic gain. Massachusetts Henry Cabot Lodge Republican 18931899 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Michigan Julius C. Burrows Republican 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Minnesota Moses E. Clapp Republican 1901 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Mississippi Hernando Money Democratic 1897 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 19, 1904. Missouri Francis Cockrell Democratic 18741881188718931899 Incumbent lost re-election.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss. Montana Paris Gibson Democratic 1901 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 16, 1905.Republican gain. Nebraska Charles H. Dietrich Republican 1901 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 17, 1905.Republican hold. Nevada William M. Stewart Republican 188718931899 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 25, 1905.Republican hold. New Jersey John Kean Republican 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 2, 1905. New York Chauncey Depew Republican 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. North Dakota Porter J. McCumber Republican 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Ohio Mark Hanna Republican 1897 1898 1898 Incumbent re-elected, but died February 15, 1904.New senator elected March 2, 1904.Republican hold.Winner was also elected to finish the term; see above. Pennsylvania Philander C. Knox Republican 1904 1905 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Rhode Island Nelson W. Aldrich Republican 1881 188618921898 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1905. Tennessee William B. Bate Democratic 1887 1893 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 11, 1905. Texas Charles A. Culberson Democratic 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 25, 1905. Utah Thomas Kearns Republican 1901 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 18, 1905.Republican hold. Vermont Redfield Proctor Republican 1891 1892 18921898 Incumbent re-elected October 18, 1904. Virginia John W. Daniel Democratic 188718931899 Incumbent re-elected January 26, 1904. Washington Addison G. Foster Republican 1899 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 27, 1905.Republican hold. West Virginia Nathan B. Scott Republican 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 25, 1905. Wisconsin Joseph V. Quarles Republican 1899 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 25, 1905.Republican hold. Wyoming Clarence D. Clark Republican 1895 1899 Incumbent re-elected January 25, 1905.

Elections during the 59th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1905 after March 4; sorted by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Missouri(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect.New senator elected March 18, 1905.Republican gain. Tennessee(Class 1) William B. Bate Democratic 1887189318991905 Incumbent died March 9, 1905, having just been re-elected.New senator elected March 21, 1905.Democratic hold. Florida(Class 1) James Taliaferro Democratic 1899 1905 Legislature had failed to elect.Incumbent was appointed to begin the term.Interim appointee elected April 20, 1905. Connecticut(Class 3) Orville H. Platt Republican 18791885189118971903 Incumbent died April 21, 1905.New senator elected May 10, 1905.Republican hold.

Maryland

Isidor Rayner defeated incumbent Louis E. McComas by a margin of 40.98%, or 50 votes, for the Class 1 seat.

New York

The 1905 election in New York was held on January 17, 1905, by the New York State Legislature. Republican Chauncey M. Depew had been elected to this seat in 1899, and his term would expire on March 3, 1905. At the state election in November 1904, large Republican majorities were elected for a two-year term (1905–1906) in the State Senate, and for the session of 1905 to the Assembly. The 128th State Legislature met on January 3, 1905, at Albany, New York.

Late in 1904, ex-Governor Frank S. Black tried to be nominated to succeed Depew. Black was supported by Governor Benjamin B. Odell Jr., but after intense fighting behind the scenes, Odell finally dropped Black and accepted Depew's re-election, which had been supported by his fellow Senator Thomas C. Platt and Speaker S. Frederick Nixon. The Republican caucus met on January 16. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Chauncey M. Depew unanimously.

The Democratic caucus met also on January 16. They nominated again Smith M. Weed who had been the candidate of the Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate election of 1887.

+1905 Democratic caucus for United States Senator result Candidate First ballot 42 D. Cady Herrick 14

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

+1905 United States Senator election result Office House Republican Democrat State Senate (50 members) 36 Smith M. Weed 13 State Assembly (150 members) 100 Smith M. Weed 44

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.

Pennsylvania

The election in Pennsylvania was held on January 17, 1905. Incumbent Philander C. Knox was elected by the Pennsylvania State Assembly to his first full term in the United States Senate.

Republican Matthew Quay was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate in the previous election in January 1901. He served until his death on May 28, 1904. In June 1904, Republican Philander C. Knox was appointed to serve out the remainder of Quay's term, ending on March 4, 1905, when he began a term in his own right.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and Senate, convened on January 17, 1905, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1905. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:

| colspan=3 align=right | Totals | align=right | 254 | align=right | 100.00%

See also 1904 United States elections 1904 United States presidential election 1904 United States House of Representatives elections 58th United States Congress 59th United States Congress

Notes

References Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov

New York

Pennsylvania: