United States Senate elections, 1858 and 1859

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 15 seats Seats before 42 20 Seats won 13 8 Seats after 38 25 Seat change 4 5 Seats up 17 3   Third party Fourth party   Party American Other Last election 2 seats 4 seats Seats before 4 0 Seats won 0 0 Seats after 2 0 Seat change 2 Seats up 2 0
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 (38–25)
• Minority Party: Republican (25–26)
• Other Parties: American (2)
• Total Seats: 66–68

Change in Senate composition

Before 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 Ran	D27 Ran	D28 Ran	D29 Ran	D30 Ran	D31 Ran	D32 Ran	D33 Ran
Majority →									D34 Ran
KN4 Unknown	D42 Retired	D41 Retired	D40 Retired	D39 Retired	D38 Retired	D37 Ran	D36 Ran	D35 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
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
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.	√ 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
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
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. 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
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
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
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
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!]

See also

• United States elections, 1858
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1858 and 1859
• 35th United States Congress
• 36th United States Congress
• Lincoln–Douglas debates

References

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