The 1886–87 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 1886 and 1887, 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 Republican Party lost two seats. At the beginning of the 50th Congress, therefore, Republicans had the slimmest possible majority due to a vacant Democratic seat: 38 out of 75 seats. Once that vacancy was filled, Republicans maintained control as the single Readjuster senator caucused with them.

Results summary

Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row. Parties Total Democratic Readjuster Republican Before these elections 34 2 40 78 Not up 25 1 25 51 Class 2 (1886/87 → 1892/93) 13 1 12 26 Class 3 (1884/85 → 1890/91) 11 — 13 24 Up 11 1 16 28 Regular: Class 1 9 1 15 25 Special: Class 1 1 — — 1 Special: Class 2 1 — — 1 Special: Class 3 — — 1 1 Regular election only Incumbent retired 1 — 2 3 Held by same party — — 1 1 Gained by other party 1 — 1 1 No elected successor 1 — — 1 Result 1 — 1 2 Incumbent ran 6 1 12 19 Won re-election 4 — 7 11 Held by same party 1 — 3 4 Gained by other party 1 — 1 4 2 — 2 1 1 — No elected successor — — — — Result 8 — 11 19 Incumbent's action unknown 2 — 1 3 Held by same party 2 — 1 3 No elected successor — — — — Gained by other party — — — — Result 2 — 1 3 Total elected 11 — 13 24 Net change 2 1 2 1 Result 36 1 38 75

Change in composition

Before the elections After August 4, 1886, special election in California.

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 D D D D D D D D D 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

After the 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 D D D D D D D D D D D V Majority due to vacancy→ 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

At the beginning of the first session, December 7, 1887 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 D D D D D D D D D D D D Majority with Readjuster in caucus → 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 Readjuster R Republican V Vacant

Race summaries

Elections during the 49th Congress In these elections, the winners were seated during 1886 or in 1887 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history Mississippi(Class 2) Edward C. Walthall Democratic 1885 Interim appointee elected January 20, 1886.Byrd, p. 130. California(Class 1) George Hearst Democratic 1886 Interim appointee retired or lost election to finish the term.New senator elected August 4, 1886.Republican gain.Winner did not run for election to the next term; see below. Illinois(Class 3) John A. Logan Republican 1870–711877 18791885 Incumbent died December 26, 1886.New senator elected January 19, 1887.Republican hold.

Races leading to the 50th Congress In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1887; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history California Abram Williams Republican 1886 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1887.Democratic gain. Connecticut Joseph R. Hawley Republican 1881 Incumbent re-elected in 1887. Delaware George Gray Democratic 1885 Incumbent re-elected in 1887. Florida Charles W. Jones Democratic 1881 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss. Indiana Benjamin Harrison Republican 1881 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1887.Democratic gain. Maine Eugene Hale Republican 1881 Incumbent re-elected. First ballot Maryland Arthur P. Gorman Democratic 1880 Incumbent re-elected in 1886. Massachusetts Henry L. Dawes Republican 18571881 Incumbent re-elected in 1887. Michigan Omar D. Conger Republican 1881 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected in 1887.Republican hold. Minnesota Samuel J. R. McMillan Republican 1881 Incumbent retired.New senator elected in 1886.Republican hold. Mississippi James Z. George Democratic 1880 Incumbent re-elected in 1886. Missouri Francis Cockrell Democratic 18741881 Incumbent re-elected in 1887. Nebraska Charles Van Wyck Republican 1880 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1886.Republican hold. Nevada James G. Fair Democratic 1881 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1887.Republican gain. New Jersey William J. Sewell Republican 1881 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1886.Democratic gain. New York Warner Miller Republican 1881 Incumbent lost renomination.New senator elected January 20, 1887.Republican hold. Ohio John Sherman Republican 1861 186618721877 1881 Incumbent re-elected in 1886. Pennsylvania John I. Mitchell Republican 1881 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected January 18, 1887.Republican hold. Rhode Island Nelson W. Aldrich Republican 1881 Incumbent re-elected in 1886. Tennessee Washington C. Whitthorne Democratic 1886 Interim appointee retired or lost re-election.New senator elected in 1887.Democratic hold. Texas Samuel B. Maxey Democratic 18751881 Incumbent lost re-electionNew senator elected January 25–February 1 1887.Democratic hold. Vermont George F. Edmunds Republican 1866 1866 186818741880 Incumbent re-elected in 1886. Virginia William Mahone 1881 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected in 1887.Democratic gain. West Virginia Johnson N. Camden Democratic 1880–81 Incumbent lost renomination.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic loss.A new senator was elected late; see below. Johnson N. Camden (Democratic) Wisconsin Philetus Sawyer Republican 1881 Incumbent re-elected January 26, 1887.

Elections during the 50th Congress In these elections, the winners were elected in 1887 after March 4; ordered by date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoral history West Virginia(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect; see above.New senator elected late May 5, 1887.Democratic gain. Florida(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect; see above.New senator elected late May 19, 1887.Democratic gain. New Hampshire(Class 2) Person C. Cheney Republican 1886 Interim appointee retired when successor elected.New senator elected June 14, 1887.Republican hold. Virginia(Class 2) Harrison H. Riddleberger 1881 Incumbent retired.New senator elected early December 20, 1887 for the term beginning in 1889.Democratic gain.

Maryland

Arthur Pue Gorman won re-election for an unknown margin of votes for the Class 1 seat.

New York

The election in New York was held from January 18 to 20, 1887. Republican Warner Miller had been elected to this seat in a special election in 1881 to succeed Thomas C. Platt who had resigned. Miller's term would expire on March 3, 1887. At the State election in November 1885, 20 Republicans and 12 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1886–1887) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1886, 74 Republicans and 54 Democrats were elected for the session of 1887 to the Assembly. The 110th New York State Legislature met from January 4 to May 26, 1887, at Albany, New York.

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 17, President pro tempore of the State Senate Edmund L. Pitts presided. 20 State senators and 71 assemblymen attended. Ex-Speaker of the Assembly George Z. Erwin (a Morton man) moved that a majority of all Republican legislators should be necessary to nominate, not only a majority of those present, meaning that 48 votes were required instead of 46, which was carried by a vote of 52 to 39. The incumbent U.S. senator Warner Miller (Half-Breed faction) failed to be nominated by only four votes. Levi P. Morton (Stalwart faction) was rejected by the caucus, like in 1885. A small faction voted for Congressman Frank Hiscock. After the second ballot, Erwin moved to adjourn, which was carried by 48 to 43. The caucus met again on the next day, no choice was made in another two ballots. The caucus met again on January 19 after the joint ballot of the State Legislature, and after twelve more ballots, Erwin withdrew Morton's name and urged the Morton men to vote for Hiscock. On the next ballot Hiscock received one vote more than Miller (47 to 46), but was one short of the previously established majority of 48. On the 18th and last ballot, Hiscock received 50 votes and was nominated. On the next day, Hiscock was elected on the second joint ballot of the State Legislature. Thus, by blocking Miller's re-election, the Republican boss Thomas C. Platt took his revenge for his defeat at the special election in 1881.

+1887 Republican caucus for United States senator Ballot Date Warner Miller Levi P. Morton √ Frank Hiscock 1st January 17 44 35 12 2nd January 17 44 36 11 3rd January 18 4th January 18 5th January 19 46 36 11 6th January 19 46 36 11 7th January 19 46 36 11 8th January 19 46 36 11 9th January 19 46 36 11 10th January 19 46 36 11 11th January 19 46 36 11 12th January 19 46 36 11 13th January 19 46 36 11 14th January 19 46 36 11 15th January 19 46 36 11 16th January 19 46 36 11 17th January 19 46 Withdrew 47 18th January 19 43 50

The Democratic caucus nominated Smith Mead Weed (1834–1920), a lawyer and businessman of Plattsburgh, New York. Weed had been a member of the New York State Assembly from Clinton County, New York in 1865, 1866, 1867, 1871, 1873 and 1874; and a delegate to the 1876 and 1884 Democratic National Conventions.

+1887 regular election for United States senator House Democratic Republican Republican Republican State Senate (32 members) January 18 Smith M. Weed 11 Warner Miller 10 Levi P. Morton 9 Frank Hiscock 1 State Assembly (128 members) January 18 Smith M. Weed 41 Warner Miller 32 Levi P. Morton 26 Frank Hiscock 10 Joint ballot (160 members) January 19 Smith M. Weed 61 Warner Miller 43 Levi P. Morton 33 Frank Hiscock 11 Second joint ballot (160 members) January 20 Smith M. Weed 62 √ Frank Hiscock 91

Pennsylvania

The election in Pennsylvania was held January 18, 1887. Matthew Quay was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. The General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and Senate voted as follows:

|-bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="3" align="right" | Totals | align="right" | 251 | align="right" | 100.00%

See also 1886 United States elections 1886 United States House of Representatives elections 49th United States Congress 50th United States Congress

Notes

References

Further reading