The 1834–35 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 1834 and 1835, 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.
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16 of the 48 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 25 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results: Jacksonian Hold Jacksonian Gain Anti-Jacksonian Hold Anti-Jacksonian Gain Nullifier Hold Legislature Failed To Elect | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Anti-Jackson coalition maintained control of the Senate. However, during the 24th Congress, the Jacksonian coalition gained control of the Senate.
Results summary
Senate party division, 24th Congress (1835–1837)
- Majority party: Jacksonian (21–31)
- Minority party: Anti-Jackson (24–19)
- Other parties: Nullifier (2)
- Total seats: 48–52
Change in composition
Before the elections
| NR1 | NR2 | NR3 | NR4 | ||||||
| NR14 | NR13 | NR12 | NR11 | NR10 | NR9 | NR8 | NR7 | NR6 | NR5 |
| NR15 | NR16 | NR17 | NR18 | NR19 Del. Ran |
NR20 Miss. Ran |
NR21 R.I. Ran |
NR22 Va. Ran |
NR23 La. Unknown |
NR24 N.J. Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Majority → | NR25 Mass. Retired | ||||||||
| J15 Ga. Ran |
J16 Ill. Ran |
J17 N.C. Ran |
J18 Tenn. Ran |
J19 Ky. Unknown |
N1 | N2 S.C. Ran |
NR27 Maine Resigned |
NR26 N.H. Retired | |
| J14 Ala. Ran |
J13 | J12 | J11 | J10 | J9 | J8 | J7 | J6 | J5 |
| J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | ||||||
Result of the regular elections
| NR1 | NR2 | NR3 | NR4 | ||||||
| NR14 | NR13 | NR12 | NR11 | NR10 | NR9 | NR8 | NR7 | NR6 | NR5 |
| NR15 | NR16 | NR17 | NR18 | NR19 Del. Re-elected |
NR20 R.I. Re-elected |
NR21 Va. Re-elected |
NR22 Mass. Hold |
NR23 Ky. Gain |
NR24 Tenn. Re-elected to different party |
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| Plurality → | |||||||||
| J15 Ga. Re-elected |
J16 Ill. Re-elected |
J17 N.C. Re-elected |
J18 Maine Gain |
J19 Miss. Gain |
J20 N.H. Gain |
J21 N.J. Gain |
N1 | N2 S.C. Re-elected |
V1 La. NR Loss[a] |
| J14 Ala. Re-elected |
J13 | J12 | J11 | J10 | J9 | J8 | J7 | J6 | J5 |
| J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | ||||||
| Key: |
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Race summaries
Special elections during the 23rd Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1834 or before March 4, 1835; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Virginia (Class 2) |
William Rives | Jacksonian | 1832 (special) | Incumbent resigned February 22, 1834. Successor elected February 26, 1834. Winner was also elected to the next term; see below. National Republican gain. |
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| Pennsylvania (Class 3) |
William Wilkins | Jacksonian | 1832 | Incumbent resigned June 30, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Russia. New senator elected December 6, 1834. Jacksonian hold. |
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| Georgia (Class 3) |
John Forsyth | Jacksonian | 1818 (special) 1819 (resigned) 1829 (special) 1830 or 1831 |
Incumbent resigned June 27, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Spain. New senator elected January 12, 1835. Jacksonian hold. |
|
| Maryland (Class 3) |
Ezekiel F. Chambers | National Republican |
1826 (special) 1831 |
Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834, to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals. New senator elected January 13, 1835. National Republican hold. |
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| Maine (Class 2) |
Peleg Sprague | National Republican |
1829 | Incumbent resigned January 1, 1835. New senator elected January 20, 1835. Successor was also elected to the next term; see below. Jacksonian gain. |
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Races leading to the 24th Congress
In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1835; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Alabama | William R. King | Jacksonian | 1819 1822 1828 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1834. |
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| Delaware | John M. Clayton | National Republican |
1827 (special) 1829 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1835. |
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| Georgia | John Pendleton King | Jacksonian | 1833 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1834. |
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| Illinois | John M. Robinson | Jacksonian | 1830 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1835. |
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| Kentucky | George M. Bibb | Jacksonian | 1829 | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1835. National Republican gain. |
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| Louisiana | George A. Waggaman | National Republican |
1831 (special) | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1835, but resigned due to ill health before being seated. National Republican loss. |
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| Maine | Peleg Sprague | National Republican |
1829 | Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834, to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals. New senator elected January 19, 1835. Jacksonian gain. Successor was also elected to finish the term; see above. |
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| Massachusetts | Nathaniel Silsbee | National Republican |
1826 (special) 1828 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1835. National Republican hold. |
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| Mississippi | George Poindexter | National Republican |
1830 (appointed) 1830 (special) |
Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1835. Jacksonian gain. |
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| New Hampshire | Samuel Bell | National Republican |
1823 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1835. Jacksonian gain. |
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| New Jersey | Theodore Frelinghuysen | National Republican |
1829 | Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election. New senator elected in 1835. Jacksonian gain. |
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| North Carolina | Bedford Brown | Jacksonian | 1829 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1835. |
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| Rhode Island | Nehemiah R. Knight | National Republican |
1821 (special) 1823 1829 |
Incumbent re-elected May 13, 1835. |
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| South Carolina | John C. Calhoun | Nullifier | 1832 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1834. |
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| Tennessee | Hugh Lawson White | Jacksonian | 1825 (special) 1829 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1835 as National Republican. National Republican gain. |
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| Virginia | Benjamin W. Leigh | National Republican |
1834 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1835. |
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Special election during the 24th Congress
In this special election, the winner was seated in 1835 after March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Connecticut (Class 1) |
Nathan Smith | National Republican | 1832 | Incumbent died December 6, 1835. New senator elected December 21, 1835. Jacksonian gain. |
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Early elections during the 24th Congress
In these elections, the winners were not seated until 1837.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Michigan (Class 1) |
None (new state) | New state. New senator was elected in November 1835 but not seated until January 26, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio. Jacksonian gain. |
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| Michigan (Class 2) |
New state. New senator was elected in November 1835 but not seated until January 26, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio. Jacksonian gain. |
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Alabama
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Connecticut (special)
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Delaware
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Georgia
Georgia had two elections this cycle: a regular election for the class 2 seat and a special election for the class 3 seat.
Georgia (regular)
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In the class 2 seat, incumbent Jacksonian John Pendleton King, who had served since winning an 1833 special election, was re-elected sometime in 1834.
Georgia (special)
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In the class 3 seat, incumbent Jacksonian John Forsyth, who had served since winning an 1829 special election, resigned June 27, 1834, to become U.S. Minister to Spain.
Jacksonian Alfred Cuthbert was elected January 12, 1835.
Illinois
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Kentucky
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Louisiana
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Maine
Maine had two elections this cycle, both for the class 2 seat.
Incumbent Anti-Jacksonian Peleg Sprague, who was elected in 1829, resigned January 1, 1835.
Jacksonian John Ruggles won both elections.
Maine (regular)
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Jacksonian John Ruggles was elected January 19, 1835, to the next term. He was then elected to finish the current term, see below.
Maine (special)
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Jacksonian John Ruggles was elected January 20, 1835, to finish the term that would end March 3, 1835.
Maryland (special)
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80 members of the Maryland General Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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Ezekiel F. Chambers won election over non-voters by a margin of 63.10%, or 53 votes, for the Class 3 seat.[5]
Massachusetts
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Michigan
The new state of Michigan elected its new senators in 1835, both Jacksonians: Lucius Lyon (Class 1) and John Norvell (Class 2). They were not seated until January 26, 1837, due to a territorial dispute with Ohio.
Mississippi
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New Hampshire
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New Jersey
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North Carolina
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Pennsylvania (special)
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Rhode Island
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South Carolina
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Tennessee
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Virginia
Virginia had two elections this cycle, both for the class 2 seat.
Incumbent Jacksonian William Rives, who had just won the 1832 special election, resigned February 22, 1834.
Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh won both elections.
Virginia (regular)
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Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh was re-elected sometime in 1835 to the next term.
Virginia (special)
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Anti-Jacksonian Benjamin W. Leigh was elected February 26, 1834, to finish the term that would end March 3, 1835. He was then elected to the next term, see above.
See also
Notes
References
Sources
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