The 1814–15 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 1814 and 1815, 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-Republican Party lost a seat but still retained their overwhelming Senate majority. Unlike in recent elections, the minority Federalist Party had gone into the elections with a chance of regaining their long-lost majority had they swept almost all the seats. However, only one seat switched parties. Two seats held by Democratic-Republicans were left unfilled until long after the next Congress began.

Change in composition Before the elections Composition after June 1814 special election in New Hampshire.

DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F DR DR DR DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F

Result of the regular elections DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR DR Majority → DR F F F V V DR DR DR DR F F F F F F F F

Key DR Democratic-Republican F Federalist V Vacant

Race summaries Except when noted, number following candidates is whole number votes.

Special elections during the preceding Congress In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1814 or before March 4, 1815; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Pennsylvania(Class 3) Michael Leib Democratic-Republican 18091808 Incumbent resigned to become Postmaster of Philadelphia.New senator elected February 24, 1814.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner was never seated due to a failure to qualify. New Hampshire(Class 2) Nicholas Gilman Democratic-Republican 18041810 Incumbent died May 4, 1814.New senator elected June 24, 1814.Federalist gain. Ohio(Class 1) Thomas Worthington Democratic-Republican 180318071810 Incumbent resigned to become Governor of Ohio.New senator elected December 10, 1814 on the fourth ballot.Democratic-Republican hold. Kentucky(Class 2) George Walker Democratic-Republican 1814 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected December 16, 1814.Democratic-Republican hold. North Carolina(Class 3) David Stone Democratic-Republican 180018071812 Incumbent resigned December 24, 1814.New senator elected December 30, 1814 on the eleventh ballot., citing Norfolk Gazette and Publick Ledger (Norfolk, VA). January 4, 1815.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner was never seated due to a failure to qualify. Virginia(Class 1) Richard Brent Democratic-Republican 1809 Incumbent died December 30, 1814, having lost re-election, see below.New senator elected January 2, 1815, having already won election to the next term.Democratic-Republican hold. Kentucky(Class 3) Jesse Bledsoe Democratic-Republican 1813 Incumbent resigned.New senator elected January 3, 1815 on the second ballot.Democratic-Republican hold.

Races leading to the next Congress In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1815; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Connecticut Samuel Dana Federalist 1810 Incumbent re-elected in 1814. Delaware Outerbridge Horsey Federalist 1810 Incumbent re-elected January 13, 1815. Maryland Samuel Smith Democratic-Republican 18021808 Legislature failed to elect.A successor would not be elected until 1816.Democratic-Republican loss. Massachusetts Christopher Gore Federalist 1813 Interim appointee elected in 1815. New Jersey John Lambert Democratic-Republican 1808 Incumbent lost re-election.New senator elected February 1, 1815 on the third ballot.Democratic-Republican hold. New York Obadiah German Democratic-Republican 1809 Incumbent retired or lost re-election.New senator elected February 7, 1815., citing Ontario Messenger (Canandaigua, NY). February 21, 1815.Democratic-Republican hold. Ohio Joseph Kerr Democratic-Republican 1814 Incumbent retired.New senator elected January 7, 1815 on the third ballot.Democratic-Republican hold. Pennsylvania Jonathan Roberts Democratic-Republican 1814 Incumbent re-elected December 10, 1814. Rhode Island William Hunter Federalist 1811 Incumbent re-elected November 4, 1814. Tennessee Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican 179717991799180318091809 Incumbent retired.Legislature failed to elect.Democratic-Republican loss.A new senator would later be elected; see below. None. Vermont Jonathan Robinson Democratic-Republican 18071808 Incumbent retired.New senator elected October 25, 1814.Federalist gain. Virginia Richard Brent Democratic-Republican 1808 Incumbent lost re-election, and then died after the election.New senator elected November 14, 1814.Democratic-Republican hold.

Special elections during the next Congress In this special election, the winner was elected in 1815 after March 4; ordered by election date. State Incumbent Results Candidates Senator Party Electoralhistory Tennessee(Class 1) Vacant Legislature had failed to elect, see above.New senator elected October 10, 1815.Democratic-Republican gain. Tennessee(Class 2) Jesse Wharton Democratic-Republican 1814 Interim appointee retired.New senator elected October 10, 1815.Democratic-Republican hold. North Carolina(Class 3) Francis Locke Jr. Democratic-Republican 18001812 Incumbent resigned, having failed to qualify.New senator elected December 5, 1815 on the fifth ballot., citing The Star (Raleigh, NC). December 8, 1815.Democratic-Republican hold. Virginia(Class 2) William B. Giles Democratic-Republican 1804180418041811 Incumbent resigned March 3, 1815.New senator elected December 7, 1815.Democratic-Republican hold.Winner subsequently declined to serve.A new senator was later elected in 1816.

Connecticut

Delaware

Kentucky (special)

There were two special elections in Kentucky: one in 1814 and the other in 1815.

Maryland

Massachusetts

Massachusetts (regular)

Massachusetts (special)

New Hampshire (special)

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina (special)

Ohio

Ohio (regular)

Ohio (special)

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania (special)

Pennsylvania (regular)

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Tennessee (regular)

Tennessee (special, class 1)

Tennessee (special, class 2)

Vermont

Virginia

Virginia (regular)

Virginia (special)

Virginia

See also 1814 United States elections 1814–15 United States House of Representatives elections 13th United States Congress 14th United States Congress

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

References