The
1844?45 United States Senate elections
were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with
James K. Polk
's
election
. 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 1844 and 1845, 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 1
.
The
Democratic Party
re-captured control of the Senate, gaining a net total of eleven seats from the
Whigs
.
Results summary
[
edit
]
Senate party division,
29th Congress
(1845?1847)
- Majority party: Democratic (26?31)
- Minority party: Whig (24)
- Other parties: (0?1)
- Vacant: (4?2)
- Total seats: 54?58
Change in Senate composition
[
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]
Before the elections
[
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]
|
D
1
|
D
2
|
D
3
|
D
4
|
D
5
|
D
6
|
D
16
|
D
15
|
D
14
|
D
13
|
D
12
|
D
11
|
D
10
|
D
9
|
D
8
|
D
7
|
D
17
|
D
18
|
D
19
|
D
20
Ran
|
D
21
Ran
|
D
22
Ran
|
D
23
Ran
|
D
24
Retired
|
LO
1
Retired
|
W
27
Retired
|
Majority →
|
W
17
Ran
|
W
18
Ran
|
W
19
Ran
|
W
20
Ran
|
W
21
Unknown
|
W
22
Unknown
|
W
23
Retired
|
W
24
Retired
|
W
25
Retired
|
W
26
Retired
|
W
16
|
W
15
|
W
14
|
W
13
|
W
12
|
W
11
|
W
10
|
W
9
|
W
8
|
W
7
|
|
W
1
|
W
2
|
W
3
|
W
4
|
W
5
|
W
6
|
Result of the elections
[
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]
|
D
1
|
D
2
|
D
3
|
D
4
|
D
5
|
D
6
|
D
7
|
D
17
|
D
16
|
D
15
|
D
14
|
D
13
|
D
12
|
D
11
|
D
10
|
D
9
|
D
8
|
D
18
|
D
19
|
D
20
Re-elected
|
D
21
Re-elected
|
D
22
Re-elected
|
D
23
Re-elected
|
D
24
Gain
|
D
25
Gain
|
D
26
Gain
|
D
27
Gain
|
Majority →
|
W
18
Re-elected
|
W
19
Re-elected
|
W
20
Hold
|
W
21
Hold
|
W
22
Hold
|
W
23
Gain
|
W
24
Gain
|
V
1
W Loss
|
V
2
New seat
|
V
3
New seat
|
W
17
Re-elected
|
W
16
|
W
15
|
W
14
|
W
13
|
W
12
|
W
11
|
W
10
|
W
9
|
W
8
|
|
W
1
|
W
2
|
W
3
|
W
4
|
W
5
|
W
6
|
W
7
|
Beginning of the next Congress
[
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]
|
D
1
|
D
2
|
D
3
|
D
4
|
D
5
|
D
6
|
D
7
|
D
17
|
D
16
|
D
15
|
D
14
|
D
13
|
D
12
|
D
11
|
D
10
|
D
9
|
D
8
|
D
18
|
D
19
|
D
20
|
D
21
|
D
22
|
D
23
|
D
24
|
D
25
|
D
26
|
V
4
D Loss
|
Majority ↑
|
W
18
|
W
19
|
W
20
|
W
21
|
W
22
|
W
23
|
W
24
|
V
1
|
V
2
|
V
3
|
W
17
|
W
16
|
W
15
|
W
14
|
W
13
|
W
12
|
W
11
|
W
10
|
W
9
|
W
8
|
|
W
1
|
W
2
|
W
3
|
W
4
|
W
5
|
W
6
|
W
7
|
Beginning of the first session of the next Congress (December 1, 1845)
[
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]
|
D
1
|
D
2
|
D
3
|
D
4
|
D
5
|
D
6
|
D
7
|
D
17
|
D
16
|
D
15
|
D
14
|
D
13
|
D
12
|
D
11
|
D
10
|
D
9
|
D
8
|
D
18
|
D
19
|
D
20
|
D
21
|
D
22
|
D
23
|
D
24
Hold
|
D
25
Hold
|
D
26
Hold
|
D
27
Gain
|
Majority →
|
D
28
Gain
|
W
18
|
W
19
|
W
20
|
W
21
|
W
22
|
W
23
Hold
|
W
24
Hold
|
D
30
Gain
|
D
29
Gain
|
W
17
|
W
16
|
W
15
|
W
14
|
W
13
|
W
12
|
W
11
|
W
10
|
W
9
|
W
8
|
|
W
1
|
W
2
|
W
3
|
W
4
|
W
5
|
W
6
|
W
7
|
Race summaries
[
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]
Special elections during the 28th Congress
[
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]
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1844 or in 1845 before March 4; ordered by election date.
Races leading to the 29th Congress
[
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]
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1845; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
Special elections during the 29th Congress
[
edit
]
In these special elections, the winners were elected in 1845 after March 4; ordered by election date.
State
|
Incumbent
|
Results
|
Candidates
|
Senator
|
Party
|
Electoral history
|
Pennsylvania
(Class 3)
|
James Buchanan
|
Democratic
|
1834
(special)
1836
1843
|
Incumbent resigned March 5, 1845, to become
U.S. Secretary of State
.
New senator
elected
March 13, 1845
.
Democratic hold.
|
|
Massachusetts
(Class 2)
|
Isaac C. Bates
|
Whig
|
1841
(special)
1841
|
Incumbent died March 16, 1845.
New senator
elected
March 24, 1845
.
Whig hold.
|
|
Florida
(Class 1)
|
New state
|
Florida was admitted March 3, 1845.
Its first senators were
elected
July 1, 1845
.
Democratic gain
.
|
|
Florida
(Class 3)
|
Florida was admitted March 3, 1845.
Its first senators were
elected
July 1, 1845
.
Democratic gain
.
|
|
Georgia
(Class 2)
|
John M. Berrien
|
Whig
|
1825
1829
(Resigned)
1840
|
Incumbent resigned in May 1845 to become judge of the
Supreme Court of Georgia
.
He did not remain on the court, however, and was
re-elected
November 13, 1845
.
Whig hold.
|
|
South Carolina
(Class 2)
|
Vacant
|
Incumbent Democrat
Daniel E. Huger
had resigned in the previous Congress.
New senator was
elected
November 26, 1845
.
Democratic gain
.
|
|
Virginia
(Class 1)
|
Vacant
|
Legislature had failed to elect.
New senator
elected late
December 3, 1845
.
Democratic gain
.
|
|
Arkansas (special)
[
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]
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Connecticut
[
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]
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Delaware
[
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]
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Florida
[
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]
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Florida (regular)
[
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]
Florida (special)
[
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]
Georgia (special)
[
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]
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Indiana
[
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Louisiana (special)
[
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]
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Maine
[
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]
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|
Maryland
[
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]
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(
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|
1844 United States Senate election in Maryland
|
|
|
Reverdy Johnson
won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.
[5]
Massachusetts
[
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]
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Massachusetts (regular)
[
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]
Massachusetts (special)
[
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]
Michigan
[
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]
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Mississippi
[
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]
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Missouri
[
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]
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New Jersey
[
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]
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New York
[
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]
There were three elections: Two special elections were held on January 18, 1845, and one regular election was held on February 4, 1845.
The
68th New York State Legislature
met from January 7 to May 14, 1845.
New York (special, class 1)
[
edit
]
Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
had been re-elected in 1840 to the Class 1 seat (term 1839-1845), but resigned June 17, 1844, to become
Governor of Wisconsin Territory
. On November 30,
Governor of New York
William C. Bouck
appointed his Democratic
Lieutenant Governor
Daniel S. Dickinson
to fill the vacancy temporarily, and Dickinson was seated December 9, 1844.
New York (special, class 3)
[
edit
]
Silas Wright Jr.
had been re-elected in 1843 to the Class 3 seat (term 1843-1849), but resigned November 26, 1844, when elected
Governor of New York
. On November 30, Governor Bouck appointed Democratic State Senator
Henry A. Foster
to fill the vacancy temporarily, and Foster took his seat on December 9, 1844.
Dix took his seat on January 27, 1845, and remained in office until March 3, 1849, when his term expired.
New York (regular)
[
edit
]
Dickinson re-took his seat under the new credentials on January 27, 1845, and re-elected, remained in office until March 3, 1851, when his term expired.
Ohio
[
edit
]
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Pennsylvania
[
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]
Pennsylvania (regular)
[
edit
]
The regular election was held January 14, 1845. Incumbent
Daniel Sturgeon
was re-elected by the
Pennsylvania General Assembly
to the
United States Senate
.
[6]
The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the
House of Representatives
and the
Senate
, convened on January 14, 1845, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1845. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
Pennsylvania (special)
[
edit
]
A special election was held March 13, 1845.
Simon Cameron
was elected by the
Pennsylvania General Assembly
to the
United States Senate
.
[8]
Democratic future-
U.S. president
James Buchanan
was elected in an
1834 special election
and was re-elected in
1836
and
1843
.
Senator Buchanan resigned on March 5, 1845, after being appointed
U.S. Secretary of State
by President
James K. Polk
.
[9]
Following the resignation of senator Buchanan, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on March 13, 1845, to elect a new Ssenator to fill the vacancy and serve the remainder of the term set to expire on March 4, 1849. Five ballots were recorded. The results of the fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:
Rhode Island
[
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]
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Rhode Island (regular)
[
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]
Rhode Island (special)
[
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]
South Carolina (special)
[
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]
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Tennessee
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]
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Vermont
[
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]
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Virginia
[
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]
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Virginia (regular)
[
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]
Virginia (special)
[
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]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)"
.
National Archives and Records Administration
. February 8, 2022.
- ^
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.
- ^
"Rhode Island"
.
The Whig standard
. Washington, D.C. January 29, 1844. p. 2
. Retrieved
November 27,
2021
.
- ^
"Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Feb 00, 1845"
.
www.ourcampaigns.com
. Retrieved
November 5,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"U.S. Senate Election - 14 January 1845"
(PDF)
. Wilkes University
. Retrieved
December 22,
2012
.
- ^
"PA US Senate"
. OurCampaigns
. Retrieved
December 22,
2012
.
- ^
a
b
"U.S. Senate Election - 13 March 1845"
(PDF)
. Wilkes University
. Retrieved
December 22,
2013
.
- ^
"BUCHANAN, James, (1791 - 1868)"
. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
. Retrieved
December 22,
2013
.
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.
(
August 2020
)
|
Sources and external links
[
edit
]
- Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present
, via Senate.gov
- Members of the 28th United States Congress
, via GPOaccess.gov
- Members of the 29th United States Congress
, via GPOaccess.gov
- Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682-2006
from the
Wilkes University Election Statistics Project
- Taylor, William Alexander; Taylor, Aubrey Clarence (1899).
Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900
. State of Ohio.
- The New York Civil List
compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 134f for State Senators 1845; pg. 230f for Members of Assembly 1845)
- Political History of the State of New York, from Jan. 1, 1841, to Jan. 1, 1847; Vol. III
by
Jabez Delano Hammond
(State election, 1844: pg. 505f; appointments, 1844: pg. 508f; Speaker election, 1845: pg. 518; U.S. Senate nominations, 1845: pg. 526ff) [gives wrong date for caucus, and election]
- Abridgment of the Debates in Congress, from 1789 to 1856: Dec. 4, 1843 to June 18, 1846
(page 197)
- Journal of the Senate
(68th Session)
(1845; pg. 77f and 142f)