Contents

1870–71 United States Senate elections

1870–71 United States Senate elections

← 1868 & 1869 Dates vary by state (And other dates for special elections) 1872 & 1873 →
25 of the 70 (4 vacant)/74 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 36 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Henry B. Anthony[a] Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1863 Leader's seat Rhode Island Last election 57 seats 9 seats Seats before 63 11 Seats won 17 7 Seats after 58 14 Seat change 4 3 Seats up 21 4
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold      Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election Republican Elected Majority Party Republican

The 1870–71 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 1870 and 1871, 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.

The Republican Party lost five seats, though it still retained an overwhelming majority. In advance of these elections, the last four seceded states were readmitted to the Senate.

Mississippian Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to be elected as a U.S. Senator and become a member of Congress.^[2]

In Georgia, Foster Blodgett was elected and presented his credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.

In Virginia, Republican John F. Lewis and Democrat John W. Johnston were elected on January 26, 1870, to fill seats that had been vacant since 1864 and 1865.

Results summary[edit]

Senate party division, 42nd Congress (1871–1873)

• Majority party: Republican (55)
• Minority party: Democratic (14)
• Other parties: Liberal Republican (1)
• Vacant: (4)
• Total seats: 74

Change in Senate composition[edit]

By March 30, 1870[edit]

After the readmission of Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi, and the special elections in Iowa and Maine.

Before the elections[edit]

Including the February 1871 readmission of Georgia.

Result of the elections[edit]

Beginning of the next Congress[edit]

Race summaries[edit]

Special elections during the 41st Congress[edit]

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1870 or in 1871 before March 4; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the 42nd Congress[edit]

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1871; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

Elections during the 42nd Congress[edit]

In this election, the winner was elected in 1871 after March 4.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Virginia (Class 2)	Vacant			Legislature had failed to elect. Previous incumbent re-elected March 15, 1871. Democratic gain.	▌ Y John W. Johnston (Democratic) [data missing]
Georgia (Class 2)	Vacant			Foster Blodgett had presented credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected. Winner elected November 14, 1871. Democratic gain.	▌Y Thomas M. Norwood (Democratic) [data missing]

See also[edit]

• 1870 United States elections
  • 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections
• 41st United States Congress
• 42nd United States Congress

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". United States Senate.
• Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-16-063256-3.
• Taft, George S. (1885). Compilation of Senate Election Cases from 1789 to 1885. United States Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.