The 1880–81 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the presidential election of 1880. 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 1880 and 1881, 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.

The Democratic Party lost five seats. The newly elected Readjuster senator William Mahone caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. This changed when Vice President Chester Arthur ascended to the Presidency on September 19, 1881: with the Vice Presidency vacant during the remainder of Arthur's term, the Senate became evenly divided for the first of four times in history.

Results summary Senate party division, 47th Congress (1881–1883)

Majority party: Republican (37) Minority party: Democratic (37) Other parties: Independent (1); Readjuster (1) Total seats: 76

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19 D29Ran D30Ran D31Ran D32Ran D33Ran D34Ran D35Ran D36Ran D37Ran D38Ran Majority → D39Unknown R29Unknown R30Retired R31Retired R32Retired AM1Retired I1 D42Retired D41Unknown D40Unknown R28Unknown R27Ran R26Ran R25Ran R24Ran R23Ran R22 R21 R20 R19 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1

After the elections

D8 D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D28 D27 D26 D25 D24 D23 D22 D21 D20 D19 D29Re-elected D30Re-elected D31Re-elected D33Re-elected D33Hold D34Hold D35Hold D36Gain D37Gain I1 Plurality ↓ RA1Gain R29Hold R30Hold R31Gain R32Gain R33Gain R34Gain R35Gain R36Gain R37Gain R28Hold R27Hold R26Re-elected R25Re-elected R24Re-elected R23Re-elected R22 R21 R20 R19 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R8 R7 R6 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1 Key: AM# Anti-Monopoly Party D# Democratic I# Independent RA# Readjuster R# Republican V# Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 46th Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1880 or in 1881 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Georgia(Class 3) John B. Gordon Democratic 18731879 Incumbent resigned to promote a venture for the Georgia Pacific Railway.New senator elected May 26, 1880.Democratic hold. Alabama(Class 3) Luke Pryor Democratic 1880 Interim appointee retired or lost election.New senator elected November 23, 1880.Democratic hold. Michigan(Class 1) Henry P. Baldwin Republican 1879 Interim appointee elected January 19, 1881.

Races leading to the 47th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1881; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California Newton Booth Anti-Monopoly 1874 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1880.Republican gain. Connecticut William W. Eaton Democratic 1874 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Republican gain. Delaware Thomas F. Bayard Democratic 18691875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Florida Charles W. Jones Democratic 1875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Indiana Joseph E. McDonald Democratic 1874–75 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Republican gain. Maine Hannibal Hamlin Sr. Republican 1848 18511857 18571861 18691875 Incumbent retired.New senator elected.Republican hold. First ballot Maryland William P. Whyte Democratic 1868 1869 1874 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1880.Democratic hold. Massachusetts Henry L. Dawes Republican 1875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Michigan Henry P. Baldwin Republican 1881 Incumbent retired.Winner elected January 18, 1881.Republican hold. Minnesota Samuel J. R. McMillan Republican 1875 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Mississippi Blanche Bruce Republican 1874 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880.Democratic gain. Missouri Francis Cockrell Democratic 1874 Incumbent re-elected in 1881. Nebraska Algernon Paddock Republican 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880.Republican hold. Nevada William Sharon Republican 1875 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected January 12, 1881.Democratic gain. New Jersey Theodore F. Randolph Democratic 1875 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Republican gain. New York Francis Kernan Democratic 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected January 20, 1881.Republican gain. Ohio Allen G. Thurman Democratic 18681874 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880.Republican gain. Pennsylvania William A. Wallace Democratic 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 23, 1881.Republican gain. Rhode Island Ambrose Burnside Republican 1874 Incumbent re-elected in 1880. Tennessee James E. Bailey Democratic 1877 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880 or 1881.Democratic hold. Texas Samuel B. Maxey Democratic 1875 Incumbent re-elected January 26, 1881. Vermont George F. Edmunds Republican 1866 1866 18681874 Incumbent re-elected in 1880. Virginia Robert E. Withers Democratic 1875 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1881.Readjuster gain.Winner caucused with the Republicans. West Virginia Frank Hereford Democratic 1877 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1880 or 1881.Democratic hold. Wisconsin Angus Cameron Republican 1875 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 26, 1881.Republican hold.

Elections during the 47th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1881 after March 4; ordered by date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Wisconsin(Class 3) Matthew H. Carpenter Republican 18691875 1879 Incumbent died February 24, 1881.New senator elected March 10, 1881.Republican hold. Maine(Class 2) James G. Blaine Republican 1876 1877 1877 Incumbent resigned March 5, 1881 to become U.S. Secretary of State.New senator elected March 18, 1881.Republican hold. New York(Class 1) Thomas C. Platt Republican 1881 Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York.New senator elected July 27, 1881.Republican hold. New York(Class 3) Roscoe Conkling Republican 186718731879 Incumbent resigned May 16, 1881 to protest federal appointments in New York.New senator elected July 29, 1881.Republican hold. Rhode Island(Class 1) Ambrose Burnside Republican 18741880 Incumbent died September 13, 1881.New senator elected October 5, 1881.Republican hold. Minnesota(Class 2) Alonzo J. Edgerton Republican 1881 Interim appointee replaced by successor elected October 30, 1881.Republican hold. Virginia(Class 2) John W. Johnston Democratic 18711877 Incumbent lost re-election for the term beginning March 4, 1883.Winner elected early December 21, 1881.Readjuster gain.Winner caucused with the Republicans.

Maryland

Arthur Pue Gorman won election William Pinkney Whyte for an unknown margin of votes for the Class 1 seat.

Nevada

On January 12, 1881, James Graham Fair (Republican) was elected.

New York

The New York election was held January 18, 1881, by the New York State Legislature. Democrat Francis Kernan had been elected in January 1875 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1881. At the State election in November 1879, 25 Republicans and 7 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1880–1881) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1880, 81 Republicans and 47 Democrats were elected for the session of 1881 to the Assembly. The 104th State Legislature met from January 4, 1881, on at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 13, State Senator Dennis McCarthy presided. All but one of the legislators were present, only State Senator Edward M. Madden (13th D.) was absent. The caucus nominated Ex-Congressman Thomas C. Platt for the U.S. Senate. Platt was a friend of the other U.S. Senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling, and belonged to the Stalwart faction. The opposing Half-Breeds (in the press sometimes referred to as the "anti-machine men") at first wanted to nominate Chauncey M. Depew, but he withdrew before balloting. The majority of the Half-Breeds, led by President pro tempore of the State Senate William H. Robertson, then supported Platt, a minority voted for Sherman S. Rogers, the defeated Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1876. Congressman Richard Crowley was supported by a faction led by Speaker of the State Assembly George H. Sharpe, allied with Governor Alonzo B. Cornell. U.S. Vice President William A. Wheeler, and Congressmen Elbridge G. Lapham and Levi P. Morton also received votes.

+1881 Republican caucus for United States Senator result Office Candidate First ballotU.S. SenatorThomas C. Platt 54Richard Crowley 26Sherman S. Rogers 10William A. Wheeler 10Elbridge G. Lapham 4Levi P. Morton 1

The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on January 17, State Senator Charles A. Fowler (14th D.) presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Francis Kernan by acclamation.

Thomas C. Platt was the choice of both the State Senate and the Assembly, and was declared elected.

+1881 United States Senator election result House Republican DemocratState Senate (32 members) Thomas C. Platt 25Francis Kernan 6State Assembly (128 members) Thomas C. Platt 79Francis Kernan 44

Notes: The votes were cast on January 18, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 19 to compare nominations, and declare the result. State Senator Stevens (Dem., 22nd D.) was absent and did not vote.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held on thirty separate dates from January to February 1881. On February 23, 1881, John I. Mitchell was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 27, 1881, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1881. Thirty-five ballots were recorded on thirty separate dates spanning from January 27 to February 23, 1881. The results of the thirty-fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:

See also 1880 United States elections 1880 United States presidential election 1880 United States House of Representatives elections 46th United States Congress 47th United States Congress

Notes

References

Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov Members of the 47th United States Congress SENATOR THOMAS C. PLATT; SELECTED BY THE CAUCUS UPON THE FIRST BALLOT in NYT on January 14, 1881 COMPLIMENTING MR. KERNAN.; THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS RENOMINATES HIM FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR in NYT on January 18, 1881 Election result: BUSY STATE LEGISLATORS in NYT on January 19, 1881 Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006 from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project