1846–47 United States Senate elections

The 1846–47 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 1846 and 1847, 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.

1846–47 United States Senate elections
Various dates
19 of the 58 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections)
30 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Whig
Last election 35 seats 24 seats
Seats before 33 23
Seats won 10 7
Seats after 35 19
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 4
Seats up 8 10
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Liberty Independent Democratic
Last election New party 0
Seats before 1 0
Seats won 0 1
Seats after 0 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Seats up 1 0
Results:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Independent Democratic gain      Whig hold
     Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election


Democratic

 Elected Majority Party


Democratic

The Democratic Party gained four seats in the United States Senate.

Results

Senate party division, 30th Congress (1847–1849)

  • Majority party: Democratic (34–38)
  • Minority party: Whig (20–21)
  • Other parties: Independent Democratic (1)
  • Total seats: 58–60

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the February 1846 elections in Texas.

  D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8
D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9
D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24 D25
Ala.
Ran		 D26
Ark.
Ran		 D27
S.C.
Ran		 D28
Tex.
Ran
Majority → D29
N.H.
Ran
W19
Va.
Ran		 W20
Del.
Unknown		 W21
Ky.
Unknown		 W22
Mich.
Retired		 W23
Tenn.
Retired		 W24
La.
Died		 V1 D31
Ill.
Retired		 D30
Miss.
Unknown
W18
R.I.
Ran		 W17
N.C.
Ran		 W16
N.J.
Ran		 W15
Mass.
Ran		 W14
Maine.
Ran		 W13
Ga.
Ran		 W12 W11 W10 W9
  W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8

As a result of the regular elections
  V3
Iowa
New state		 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8
D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9
D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24 D25
Ala.
Appointee elected		 D26
Ark.
Re-elected		 D27
S.C.
Re-elected		 D28
Tex.
Re-elected
Majority → D29
Ill.
Hold
W19
R.I.
Hold		 V1
Tenn.
W Loss		 V2 ID1
N.H.
Gain		 D34
Va.
Gain		 D33
Mich.
Gain		 D32
Maine.
Hold		 D31
Miss.
Hold		 D30
La.
Hold
W18
Ky.
Hold		 W17
Del.
Hold		 W16
N.C.
Re-elected		 W15
N.J.
Re-elected		 W14
Mass.
Re-elected		 W13
Ga.
Re-elected		 W12 W11 W10 W9
  V4
Iowa
New state		 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8

As a result of the regular elections
  V2
Iowa		 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8
D18 D17 D16 D15 D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9
D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24
Va. (sp)
Hold		 D25 D26 D27 D28
Majority → D29
W19 W20
Tenn.
Gain		 W21
N.C. (sp)
Gain		 ID1 D34 D33 D32 D31 D30
W18 W17 W16 W15 W14 W13 W12 W11 W10 W9
  V3
Iowa		 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8
Key:
D# Democratic
ID# Independent Democratic
W# Whig
V# Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 29th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1846 or in 1847 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Mississippi
(Class 2)		 Joseph W. Chalmers Democratic 1845 (Appointed) Interim appointee elected January 10, 1846.
Texas
(Class 1)		 New state Texas was admitted to the Union December 29, 1845.
Winner elected February 21, 1846.
Democratic gain.
Texas
(Class 2)		 Texas was admitted to the Union December 29, 1845.
Winner elected February 21, 1846.
Democratic gain.
New Hampshire
(Class 2)		 Benning W. Jenness Democratic 1845 (Appointed) Appointee lost election to finish the term.
Winner elected June 13, 1846.
Liberty gain.
Winner was not elected to the next term, see below.
North Carolina
(Class 3)		 William H. Haywood Jr. Democratic 1843 Incumbent resigned July 25, 1846 rather than disobey instructions from the N.C. General Assembly.
Winner elected November 25, 1846.
Whig gain.
Louisiana
(Class 2)		 Alexander Barrow Whig 1840 Incumbent died December 29, 1846.
Winner elected January 21, 1847.
Democratic gain.
Winner was not elected to the next term, see below.
Virginia
(Class 1)		 Isaac S. Pennybacker Democratic 1845 (special) Incumbent died January 12, 1847.
Winner elected January 21, 1847.
Democratic hold.
Iowa
(Class 2)		 New state Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846.
Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[2]
Seat vacant until December 7, 1848.
  • [data missing]
Iowa
(Class 3)		 Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846.
Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[2]
Seat vacant until December 7, 1848.
  • [data missing]

Races leading to the 30th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1847; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral
history
Alabama Dixon Hall Lewis Democratic 1844 (Appointed) Incumbent elected to full term in 1847.
Arkansas Chester Ashley Democratic 1844 (special) Incumbent re-elected in 1846.
Delaware Thomas Clayton Whig 1837 (special)
1841		 Unknown in incumbent lost re-election or retired.
Winner elected in 1846 or 1847.
Whig hold.
Georgia John M. Berrien Whig 1825
1829 (Resigned)
1840
1845 (Resigned)
1845 (special)		 Incumbent re-elected in 1846.
Illinois James Semple Democratic 1843 (Appointed)
? (special)		 Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in 1846.
Democratic hold.
Kentucky James T. Morehead Whig 1841 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1846 or 1847.
Whig hold.
Louisiana Pierre Soulé Democratic 1847 (special) Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1847.
Democratic hold.
Maine George Evans Whig 1840 Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1846.[3]
Democratic gain.
Massachusetts John Davis Whig 1835
1841 (Resigned)
1845 (special)		 Incumbent re-elected in 1847.
Michigan William Woodbridge Whig 1841 Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in February 1847.
Democratic gain.
Mississippi Joseph W. Chalmers Democratic 1845 (Appointed)
? (special)		 Unknown if incumbent lost re-election or retired.
Winner elected in 1846 or 1847.
Democratic hold.
New Hampshire Joseph Cilley Liberty 1846 Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1846.
Independent Democratic gain.
New Jersey Jacob W. Miller Whig 1841 Incumbent re-elected in 1846.
North Carolina Willie Mangum Whig 1840 (special)
1841		 Incumbent re-elected in 1847.
Rhode Island James F. Simmons Whig 1841 Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1846 or 1847.
Whig hold.
South Carolina John C. Calhoun Democratic 1832 (special)
1834
1840
1843 (Resigned)
1845 (special)		 Incumbent re-elected in 1846.
Tennessee Spencer Jarnagin Whig 1843 (special) Incumbent retired.
Legislature failed to elect.
Whig loss.
  • [data missing]
Texas Sam Houston Democratic 1846 Incumbent re-elected in 1847
Virginia William S. Archer Whig 1846 Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1846.
Democratic gain.

Special elections during the 30th Congress

In this special election, the winner was elected in 1847 after March 4.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Tennessee
(Class 2)		 Vacant Legislature had earlier failed to elect.
Winner elected November 22, 1847.
Whig gain.

Iowa
See also: List of United States senators from Iowa

Iowa became a state in December 1846, but did not elect its senators until December 1848.

Louisiana
See also: List of United States senators from Louisiana

Alexander Barrow (W) died December 29, 1846. Pierre Soulé (D) was elected January 21, 1847 just to finish the term. Solomon W. Downs (D) was elected to the next term.

New Hampshire

Democratic appointee Benning W. Jenness lost the June 13, 1846 election to finish the term and the election the same day to the next term. Joseph Cilley (Liberty) was elected to finish the term, but lost the election to the next term. John P. Hale was (Independent Democratic) was elected to the next term and would later become a Free Soiler.

Virginia
See also: List of United States senators from Virginia

William S. Archer (W) lost re-election to Democrat Robert M. T. Hunter.

Virginia (special)
See also: List of United States senators from Virginia

Isaac S. Pennybacker (D), who was not up for election, died January 12, 1847. James Murray Mason (D) was elected January 21, 1847.

See also

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. Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa. pp. 17–46, 72–79.
  3. "Bio of James W. Bradbury". Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
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