1834–35 United States Senate elections

The 1834–35 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 1834 and 1835, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.

1834–35 United States Senate elections

Dates vary by state

16 of the 48 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections)
25 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Party Anti-Jacksonian Jacksonian Nullifier
Last election 23 seats 21 seats 2 seats
Seats before 26 20 2
Seats won 6 8 1
Seats after 24 22 2
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 2 Steady
Seats up 8 7 1

Results:
     Jacksonian Hold      Jacksonian Gain
     Anti-Jacksonian Hold      Anti-Jacksonian Gain
     Nullifier Hold      Legislature Failed To Elect

Majority Party before election


Anti-Jacksonian

Elected Majority Party


Anti-Jacksonian

The Anti-Jackson coalition maintained control of the Senate. However, during the 24th Congress, the Jacksonian coalition gained control of the Senate.

Results summary

Senate party division, 24th Congress (1835–1837)

  • Majority party: Jacksonian (21–31)
  • Minority party: Anti-Jackson (24–19)
  • Other parties: Nullifier (2)
  • Total seats: 48–52

Change in composition

Before the elections

AJ1 AJ2 AJ3 AJ4
AJ14 AJ13 AJ12 AJ11 AJ10 AJ9 AJ8 AJ7 AJ6 AJ5
AJ15 AJ16 AJ17 AJ18 AJ19
Del.
Ran
AJ20
Miss.
Ran
AJ21
R.I.
Ran
AJ22
Va.
Ran
AJ23
La.
Unknown
AJ24
N.J.
Unknown
Majority → AJ25
Mass.
Retired
J15
Ga.
Ran
J16
Ill.
Ran
J17
N.C.
Ran
J18
Tenn.
Ran
J19
Ky.
Unknown
N1 N2
S.C.
Ran
AJ27
Maine
Resigned
AJ26
N.H.
Retired
J14
Ala.
Ran
J13 J12 J11 J10 J9 J8 J7 J6 J5
J1 J2 J3 J4

Result of the regular elections

AJ1 AJ2 AJ3 AJ4
AJ14 AJ13 AJ12 AJ11 AJ10 AJ9 AJ8 AJ7 AJ6 AJ5
AJ15 AJ16 AJ17 AJ18 AJ19
Del.
Re-elected
AJ20
R.I.
Re-elected
AJ21
Va.
Re-elected
AJ22
Mass.
Hold
AJ23
Ky.
Gain
AJ24
Tenn.
Re-elected to different party
Plurality →
J15
Ga.
Re-elected
J16
Ill.
Re-elected
J17
N.C.
Re-elected
J18
Maine
Gain
J19
Miss.
Gain
J20
N.H.
Gain
J21
N.J.
Gain
N1 N2
S.C.
Re-elected
V1
La.
AJ Loss[lower-alpha 1]
J14
Ala.
Re-elected
J13 J12 J11 J10 J9 J8 J7 J6 J5
J1 J2 J3 J4
Key:
AJ# = Anti-Jacksonian
J# = Jacksonian
N# = Nullfier
V# = Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 23rd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1834 or before March 4, 1835; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Virginia
(Class 2)
William Rives Jacksonian 1832 (special) Incumbent resigned February 22, 1834.
Successor elected February 26, 1834.
Successor was also elected to the next term, see below.
National Republican gain.
Pennsylvania
(Class 3)
William Wilkins Jacksonian 1832 Incumbent resigned June 30, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Russia.
New senator elected December 6, 1834.
Jacksonian hold.
Georgia
(Class 3)
John Forsyth Jacksonian 1818 (special)
1819 (Resigned)
1829 (special)
1830 or 1831
Incumbent resigned June 27, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Spain.
New senator elected January 12, 1835.
Jacksonian hold.
Maryland
(Class 3)
Ezekiel F. Chambers National Republican 1826 (special)
1831
Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834, to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
New senator elected January 13, 1835.
National Republican hold.
Maine
(Class 2)
Peleg Sprague National Republican 1829 Incumbent resigned January 1, 1835.
New senator elected January 20, 1835.
Successor was also elected to the next term, see below.
Jacksonian gain.

Races leading to the 24th Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1835; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral
history
Alabama William R. King Jacksonian 1819
1822
1828
Incumbent re-elected in 1834.
Delaware John M. Clayton National Republican 1827 (special)
1829
Incumbent re-elected in 1835.
Georgia John Pendleton King Jacksonian 1833 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1834.
Illinois John M. Robinson Jacksonian 1830 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835.
Kentucky George M. Bibb Jacksonian 1829 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
New senator elected in 1835.
National Republican gain.
Louisiana George A. Waggaman National Republican 1831 (special) Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
New senator elected in 1835, but due to ill-health, resigned without having been seated.
National Republican loss.
Maine Peleg Sprague National Republican 1829 Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834, to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
New senator elected January 19, 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
Successor was also elected the same day to finish the term, see above.
Massachusetts Nathaniel Silsbee National Republican 1826 (special)
1828
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1835.
National Republican hold.
  • Green tickY John Davis (National Republican)
  • [data missing]
Mississippi George Poindexter National Republican 1830 (Appointed)
1830 (special)
Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
New Hampshire Samuel Bell National Republican 1823 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected in 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
New Jersey Theodore Frelinghuysen National Republican 1829 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
New senator elected in 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
North Carolina Bedford Brown Jacksonian 1829 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835.
Rhode Island Nehemiah R. Knight National Republican 1821 (special)
1823
1829
Incumbent re-elected May 13, 1835.
South Carolina John C. Calhoun Nullifier 1832 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1834.
Tennessee Hugh Lawson White Jacksonian 1825 (special)
1829
Incumbent re-elected in 1835 as National Republican.
National Republican gain.
Virginia Benjamin W. Leigh National Republican 1834 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835.

Special election during the 24th Congress

In this special election, the winner was seated in 1835 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Connecticut
(Class 1)
Nathan Smith National Republican 1832 Incumbent died December 6, 1835.
New senator elected December 21, 1835.
Jacksonian gain.

Early elections during the 24th Congress

In these elections, the winners were not seated until 1837.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Michigan
(Class 1)
New state New state.
New senator was elected in November 1835 but not seated until January 6, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.
Jacksonian gain.
Michigan
(Class 2)
New state.
New senator was elected in November 1835 but not seated until January 6, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.
Jacksonian gain.

Alabama

Connecticut (special)

Delaware

Georgia

Georgia had two elections this cycle: a regular election for the class 2 seat and a special election for the class 3 seat.

Georgia (regular)

In the class 2 seat, incumbent Jacksonian John Pendleton King, who had served since winning an 1833 special election, was re-elected sometime in 1834.

Georgia (special)

In the class 3 seat, incumbent Jacksonian John Forsyth, who had served since winning an 1829 special election, resigned June 27, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Spain.

Jacksonian Alfred Cuthbert was elected January 12, 1835.

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maine had two elections this cycle, both for the class 2 seat.

Incumbent Anti-Jacksonian Peleg Sprague, who was elected in 1829, resigned January 1, 1835.

Jacksonian John Ruggles won both elections.

Maine (regular)

Jacksonian John Ruggles was elected January 19, 1835, to the next term. He was then elected to finish the current term, see below.

Maine (special)

Jacksonian John Ruggles was elected January 20, 1835, to finish the term that would end March 3, 1835.

Maryland (special)

1835 United States Senate special election in Maryland
January 7, 1835

80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
Candidate Robert H. Goldsborough No votes
Party Whig
Legislative vote 53 15
Percentage 80.95% 17.86%

Ezekiel F. Chambers won election over non-voters by a margin of 63.10%, or 53 votes, for the Class 3 seat.[5]

Massachusetts

Michigan

The new state of Michigan elected its new senators in 1835, both Jacksonians: Lucius Lyon (Class 1) and John Norvell (Class 2). They were not seated until January 26, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.

Mississippi

New Hampshire

New Jersey

North Carolina

Pennsylvania (special)

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Virginia had two elections this cycle, both for the class 2 seat.

Incumbent Jacksonian William Rives, who had just won the 1832 special election, resigned February 22, 1834.

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh won both elections.

Virginia (regular)

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh was re-elected sometime in 1835 to the next term.

Virginia (special)

Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh was elected February 26, 1834, to finish the term that would end March 3, 1835. He was then elected to the next term, see above.

See also

Notes

  1. Winner was elected but resigned without having been seated.

References

  1. "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
  2. "U.S. Senate Election - 6 December 1834" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  3. "Our Campaigns - ME US Senate Race - Jan 19, 1835". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  4. J. Fred Parker, Secretary of State (1914). Manual, with Rules and Orders, for the use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, 1914. State of Rhode Island manual. Providence, RI: E. L. Freeman Company, State Printers. p. 149.
  5. "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Jan 07, 1835". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.

Sources

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