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The 1820–21 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, corresponding with James Monroe's landslide re-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 1820 and 1821, 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.
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15 of the 46 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 24 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results: Dem-Republican hold Dem-Republican gain Federalist hold Legislature Failed To Elect | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Democratic-Republican Party gain one-to-five seats (in the general and special elections), assuming almost complete control of the Senate.
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Senate party division, 17th Congress (1821–1823)
- Majority party: Democratic-Republican (39–43)
- Minority party: Federalist (4)
- Vacant: (3–1)
- Total seats: 46–48
Before the elections
Composition after the June 13 and 14, 1820 elections in Maine.
| DR1 Maine New seat |
DR2 | DR3 | |||||||
| DR13 | DR12 | DR11 | DR10 | DR9 | DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 | DR4 |
| DR14 | DR15 | DR16 | DR17 | DR18 | DR19 | DR20 | DR21 | DR22 | DR23 |
| Majority → | DR24 | ||||||||
| DR33 N.Y. Ran |
DR32 N.J. Ran |
DR31 Miss. Ran |
DR30 Md. Ran |
DR29 Maine New seat Ran |
DR28 Ind. Ran |
DR27 | DR26 | DR25 | |
| DR34 Ohio Ran |
DR35 Va. Ran |
DR36 Pa. Unknown |
DR37 Tenn. Unknown |
F9 Vt. Retired |
F8 Del. Retired |
F7 R.I. Unknown |
F6 Mass. Ran |
F5 Conn. Ran |
F4 |
| F1 | F2 | F3 | |||||||
Result of the general elections
| DR1 | DR2 | DR3 | |||||||
| DR13 | DR12 | DR11 | DR10 | DR9 | DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 | DR4 |
| DR14 | DR15 | DR16 | DR17 | DR18 | DR19 | DR20 | DR21 | DR22 | DR23 |
| Majority → | DR24 | ||||||||
| DR33 Va. Re-elected |
DR32 Ohio Re-elected |
DR31 Miss. Re-elected |
DR30 Md. Re-elected |
DR29 Maine Re-elected |
DR28 Ind. Re-elected |
DR27 | DR26 | DR25 | |
| DR34 N.J. Hold |
DR35 N.Y. Hold |
DR36 Conn. Gain |
DR37 R.I. Gain |
DR38 Vt. Gain |
V1 Pa. DR loss |
V2 Tenn. DR loss |
V3 Del. F loss |
F5 Mass. Re-elected |
F4 |
| F1 | F2 | F3 | |||||||
Result of the special elections in the next Congress
| DR1 Mo. New seat |
DR2 Mo. New seat |
DR3 | DR4 Ga. Hold | ||||||
| DR14 | DR13 | DR12 | DR11 | DR10 | DR9 | DR8 | DR7 | DR6 | DR5 |
| DR15 | DR16 | DR17 | DR18 | DR19 | DR20 | DR21 | DR22 | DR23 | DR24 |
| Majority → | DR25 | ||||||||
| DR34 | DR33 | DR32 | DR31 | DR30 | DR29 | DR28 | DR27 | DR26 | |
| DR35 | DR36 | DR37 | DR38 | DR39 | DR40 | DR41 Pa. Gain |
DR42 Tenn. Gain |
V1 | F5 |
| F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | ||||||
| Key: |
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Bold states link to specific election articles.
Special elections during the preceding Congress
In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1820 or before March 4, 1821; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| New York (Class 3) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect in 1818/1819. Previous incumbent was elected January 8, 1820. Federalist gain. |
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| Massachusetts (Class 1) |
Prentiss Mellen | Federalist | 1820 (special) | Incumbent resigned to become Chief Justice of Maine. New senator elected June 12, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Federalist hold. |
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| Maine (Class 1) |
None (new state) | New senator elected June 13, 1820 on the second ballot. Winner was also elected to the next term. Democratic-Republican gain. |
First ballot:
Second ballot:
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| Maine (Class 2) |
New senator elected June 14, 1820. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Mississippi (Class 1) |
Walter Leake | Democratic- Republican |
1817 | Incumbent resigned May 15, 1820. New senator elected August 30, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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| Kentucky (Class 3) |
William Logan | Democratic- Republican |
1818 | Incumbent resigned May 28, 1820 to run for Governor of Kentucky. New senator elected October 19, 1820. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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| Rhode Island (Class 2) |
James Burrill Jr. | Federalist | 1816 | Incumbent died December 25, 1820. New senator elected January 9, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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Races leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1821; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Connecticut | Samuel Dana | Federalist | 1810 (special) 1814 |
Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected March 4, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Delaware | Outerbridge Horsey | Federalist | 1810 (special) 1815 |
Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Federalist loss. A Democratic-Republican was later elected in 1822. |
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| Indiana | James Noble | Democratic- Republican |
1816 | Incumbent re-elected in 1821. |
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| Maine | John Holmes | Democratic- Republican |
1820 | Incumbent re-elected January 31, 1821. |
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| Maryland | William Pinkney | Democratic- Republican |
1819 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. |
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| Massachusetts | Elijah H. Mills | Federalist | 1820 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820.[2] |
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| Mississippi | David Holmes | Democratic- Republican |
1820 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. |
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| New Jersey | James J. Wilson | Democratic- Republican |
1815 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected November 11, 1820.[3] Democratic-Republican hold. Incumbent then resigned January 8, 1821, and winner was appointed to finish the term. |
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| New York | Nathan Sanford | Democratic- Republican |
1809 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected February 6, 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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| Ohio | Benjamin Ruggles | Democratic- Republican |
1815 | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. |
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| Pennsylvania | Jonathan Roberts | Democratic- Republican |
1814 (special) 1814 |
Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. New senator would later be elected in 1821. |
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| Rhode Island | William Hunter | Federalist | 1811 (special) 1814 |
Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1820 or 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Tennessee | John H. Eaton | Democratic- Republican |
1818 (appointed) 1819 (special) |
Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. New senator would later be elected September 27, 1821; see below.[4] |
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| Vermont | Isaac Tichenor | Federalist | 1796 (special) 1796 1797 (resigned) 1814 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Virginia | James Barbour | Democratic- Republican |
1814 (special) 1814 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1821. |
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Special elections during the next Congress
In this special election, the winner was elected in 1821 after March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Missouri (Class 1) |
None (new state) | New senator elected August 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Missouri (Class 3) |
New senator elected August 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Tennessee (Class 1) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator re-elected late September 27, 1821.[4] Democratic-Republican gain. |
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| Georgia (Class 2) |
Freeman Walker | Democratic- Republican |
1819 (special) | Incumbent resigned August 6, 1821. New senator elected November 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. |
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| Pennsylvania (Class 1) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected December 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. |
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John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) was elected as one of the new states first pair of senators whose terms began with June 13, 1820, statehood. He was elected to the class 1 seat's short term, which ended March 3, 1821, and was re-elected January 31, 1821, to the term starting March 4, 1821.
John Chandler (Democratic-Republican) as elected to the class 2 seat's long term, and his term would end March 3, 1823.
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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William Pinkney won election by an unknown number of votes, for the Class 1 seat.[5]
Massachusetts (regular)
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Massachusetts (special)
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Mississippi (regular)
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Mississippi (special)
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New York (regular)
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New York (special)
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Rhode Island (regular)
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Rhode Island (special)
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Tennessee (regular)
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Tennessee (special)
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