United States Senate elections, 1858 and 1859

Various dates

22 of the 66 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 34 seats needed for a majority

	Majority party	Minority party

Party	Democratic	Republican
Last election	34 seats (61.8%)	15 seats (27.3%)
Seats before	42 (63.6%)	20 (30.3%)
Seats won	38 (58.5%)	25 (38.5%)
Seat change	4	5
Seats up	17	3

	Third party	Fourth party

Party	Know Nothing	Other
Last election	2 seats (3.6%)	4 seats (7.3%)
Seats before	4 (6.1%)
Seats won	2 (3.1%)
Seat change	2
Seats up	2

Majority Party before election

Democratic Party

Elected Majority Party

Democratic Party

U.S. Postage, 1958 issue, commemorating the Lincoln and Douglas debates.

The United States Senate elections of 1858 and 1859 were elections which had the Republican Party gain five additional seats in the United States Senate, but the Democrats retained their majority. That majority would erode in 1860 with the secession of the southern states leading up to the Civil War. In Illinois, incumbent Stephen A. Douglas (D) and challenger Abraham Lincoln held a series of seven debates, known as the "Lincoln–Douglas debates."

As this election was prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Results

36th Congress, 1859-1861

Majority Party: Democratic (38)
Minority Party: Republican (25)
Other Parties: American (2)
Total Seats: 66

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

KN₄ Unknown	D₄₂ Retired	D₄₁ Retired	D₄₀ Retired	D₃₉ Retired	D₃₈ Retired	D₃₇ Ran	D₃₆ Ran	D₃₅ Ran
D₃	D₂	D₁
D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃
D₂₃	D₂₂	D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄
D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆ Ran	D₂₇ Ran	D₂₈ Ran	D₂₉ Ran	D₃₀ Ran	D₃₁ Ran	D₃₂ Ran	D₃₃ Ran
Majority →									D₃₄ Ran
KN₃ Unknown	KN₂	KN₁	R₂₀ Ran	R₁₉ Ran	R₁₈ Ran	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄
R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈	R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃
R₃	R₂	R₁

As a result of the elections

D₃	D₂	D₁
D₄	D₅	D₆	D₇	D₈	D₉	D₁₀	D₁₁	D₁₂	D₁₃
D₂₃	D₂₂	D₂₁	D₂₀	D₁₉	D₁₈	D₁₇	D₁₆	D₁₅	D₁₄
D₂₄	D₂₅	D₂₆ Re-elected	D₂₇ Re-elected	D₂₈ Re-elected	D₂₉ Re-elected	D₃₀ Re-elected	D₃₁ Re-elected	D₃₂ Re-elected	D₃₃ Hold
Majority →									D₃₄ Hold
R₂₄ Gain	R₂₅ Gain	KN₁	KN₂	V₁ D Loss	D₃₈ Gain	D₃₇ Gain	D₃₆ Hold	D₃₅ Hold
R₂₃ Gain	R₂₂ Gain	R₂₁ Gain	R₂₀ Re-elected	R₁₉ Re-elected	R₁₈ Re-elected	R₁₇	R₁₆	R₁₅	R₁₄
R₄	R₅	R₆	R₇	R₈	R₉	R₁₀	R₁₁	R₁₂	R₁₃
R₃	R₂	R₁

Key:

D_#	Democratic
KN_#	Know Nothing
R_#	Republican
V_#	Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 35th Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1858 or in 1859 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Minnesota (Class 1)	New state			Minnesota's first Senators were elected May 11, 1858. Democratic gain.	√ Henry M. Rice (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Minnesota (Class 2)	New state			Minnesota's first Senators were elected May 11, 1858. Democratic gain.	√ James Shields (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
North Carolina (Class 3)	Thomas Clingman	Democratic	1858 (Appointed)	Interim appointee elected November 23, 1858 to finish the term.^[1]	√ Thomas Clingman (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
South Carolina (Class 2)	Arthur P. Hayne	Democratic	1858 (Apointed)	Interim appointee retired when successor elected. Winner elected December 3, 1858. Democratic hold. Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.	√ James Chesnut, Jr. (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Oregon (Class 2)	New state			Oregon's first Senators were elected February 14, 1859. Democratic gain.	√ Delazon Smith (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Oregon (Class 3)	New state			Oregon's first Senators were elected February 14, 1859. Democratic gain.	√ Joseph Lane (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Races leading to the 36th Congress

In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1859; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Alabama	Clement Claiborne Clay	Democratic	1853 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1858.	√ Clement Claiborne Clay (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Arkansas	William K. Sebastian	Democratic	1848 (Appointed) 1848 (Special) 1853	Incumbent re-elected in 1859.	√ William K. Sebastian (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Delaware	Martin W. Bates	Democratic	1857 (Special)	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1858. Democratic hold.	√ Willard Saulsbury, Sr. (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Georgia	Robert Toombs	Democratic	1852	Incumbent re-elected in 1858.	√ Robert Toombs (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Illinois	Stephen A. Douglas	Democratic	1846 1852	Incumbent re-elected in 1858.	√ Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) Abraham Lincoln (Republican)
Iowa	George W. Jones	Democratic	1848 1852	Incumbent lost renomination. Winner elected January 26, 1858.^[2] Republican gain.	√ James W. Grimes (Republican) Benjamin M. Samuels (Democratic)
Louisiana	Judah P. Benjamin	Democratic	1852	Incumbent re-elected in 1859.	√ Judah P. Benjamin (Whig) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Kentucky	John B. Thompson	Know Nothing	1852 or 1853	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in January 1858. Democratic gain.	√ Lazarus W. Powell (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Maine	William P. Fessenden	Republican	1854 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1859.	√ William P. Fessenden (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Massachusetts	Henry Wilson	Republican	1855 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1859.	√ Henry Wilson (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Michigan	Charles E. Stuart	Democratic	1853	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1858. Republican gain.	√ Kinsley S. Bingham (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Minnesota	James Shields	Democratic	1848 or 1849 (Illinois) 1849 (Illinois: Election voided) 1849 (Illinois: Special) 1855 (Illinois: Lost) 1858 (Minnesota)	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1858 or 1859. Republican gain.	√ Morton S. Wilkinson (Republican) James Shields (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mississippi	Albert G. Brown	Democratic	1854 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1859.	√ Albert G. Brown (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Hampshire	John P. Hale	Republican	1846 1853 (Retired) 1855	Incumbent re-elected in 1859.	√ John P. Hale (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
New Jersey	William Wright	Democratic	1852 or 1853	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1858. Republican gain.	√ John C. Ten Eyck (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
North Carolina	David Reid	Democratic	1854	Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected in 1858 or 1859. Democratic hold.	√ Thomas Bragg (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Oregon	Delazon Smith	Democratic	1859	Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1860.	Delazon Smith (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Rhode Island	Philip Allen	Democratic	1853	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1858. Republican gain.	√ Henry B. Anthony (Republican) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
South Carolina	Arthur P. Hayne	Democratic	1858 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired. Winner elected December 3, 1858. Democratic hold. Winner was also elected to finish the current term, see above.	√ James Chesnut, Jr. (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Tennessee	John Bell	Know Nothing	1847 1853	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Winner elected in 1858. Democratic gain.	√ Alfred O. P. Nicholson (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Texas	Sam Houston	Democratic	1846 1847 1853	Incumbent retired. Winner elected in 1859. Democratic hold.	√ John Hemphill (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Virginia	Robert M. T. Hunter	Democratic	1846 1852	Incumbent re-elected in 1858.	√ Robert M. T. Hunter (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Race leading to the 37th Congress

In this general election, the winner was elected for the term beginning March 4, 1861.

This election involved a Class 3 seat.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Kentucky (Class 3)	John J. Crittenden	Know Nothing	1817 1819 (Resigned) 1835 1841 (Retired) 1842 (Appointed) 1842 or 1843 (Special) 1843 1848 (Resigned) 1853	Incumbent retired. Winner elected December 12, 1859, far in advance of the term. Winner wasn't seated until term began March 4, 1861. Democratic gain.	√ John C. Breckinridge (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Elections during the 36th Congress

In this election, the winner was elected in 1859 on or after March 4; ordered by date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
State	Senator	Party	Electoral history	Results	Candidates
Texas (Class 1)	Matthias Ward	Democratic	1858 (Appointed)	Interim appointee lost nomination to finish the term. Winner was elected December 5, 1859. Democratic hold.	√ Louis Wigfall (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

References

↑ Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). "The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992" (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. , page 150
↑ Clark, Dan Elbert. History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa: A Study in American Politics. p. 119.

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

United States Senate elections

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