1888–89 United States Senate elections

The 1888–89 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with Benjamin Harrison's victory over incumbent President Grover Cleveland. 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 1888 and 1889, 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.

1888–89 United States Senate elections

← 1886 & 1887 Dates vary by state 1890 & 1891 →
26 of the 76 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections) 39 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader George F. Edmunds[a] James B. Beck[b] (retired) Harrison H. Riddleberger[c] (retired) Party Republican Democratic Readjuster Leader since March 4, 1885 March 4, 1885 March 4, 1887 Leader's seat Vermont Kentucky Virginia Seats before 38 37 1 Seats after 38 37 0 Seat change 1 Seats up 12 13 1 Races won 12 13 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election Republican[d] Elected Majority Party Republican[d]

Both parties were unchanged in the regular elections, but later special elections would give Republicans an eightseat majority, mostly from newly admitted states.

Results summary

Senate party division, 51st Congress (1889–1891)

• Majority party: Republican (39 to 51)
• Minority party: Democratic (37 to 35)
• Other parties: (0)
• Total seats: 76 to 88

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D9	D10	D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18
D28 Ran	D27 Ran	D26 Ran	D25 Ran	D24	D23	D22	D21	D20	D19
D29 Ran	D30 Ran	D31 Ran	D32 Ran	D33 Ran	D34 Ran	D35 Ran	D36 Ran	D37 Ran	RA1 Retired
Majority with Readjuster in caucus →									R38 Retired
R29 Ran	R30 Ran	R31 Ran	R32 Ran	R33 Ran	R34 Ran	R35 Ran	R36 Unknown	R37 Unknown
R28 Ran	R27 Ran	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21	R20	R19
R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18
R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

After the elections

D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D9	D10	D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18
D28 Re-elected	D27 Re-elected	D26 Re-elected	D25 Re-elected	D24	D23	D22	D21	D20	D19
D29 Re-elected	D30 Re-elected	D31 Re-elected	D32 Re-elected	D33 Re-elected	D34 Re-elected	D35 Re-elected	D36 Re-elected	D37 Gain	V1 R Loss
Majority due to vacancy →									R38 Gain
R29 Re-elected	R30 Re-elected	R31 Re-elected	R32 Re-elected	R33 Re-elected	R39 Re-elected	R35 Hold	R36 Hold	R37 Hold
R28 Re-elected	R27 Re-elected	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21	R20	R19
R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18
R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

Beginning of the next Congress

D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1
D9	D10	D11	D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18
D28	D27	D26	D25	D24	D23	D22	D21	D20	D19
D29	D30	D31	D32	D33	D34	D35	D36	D37	R39 Gain
Majority →
R29	R30	R31	R32	R33	R34	R35	R36	R37	R38
R28	R27	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22	R21	R20	R19
R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18
R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1

End of 1889

									D1
D11	D10	D9	D8	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2
D12	D13	D14	D15	D16	D17	D18	D19	D20	D21
D31	D30	D29	D28	D27	D26	D25	D24	D23	D22
D32	D33	D34	D35	D36	D37	R45 New state	R44 New state	R43 New state	R42 New state
Majority →
R32	R33 Hold	R34 Hold	R35	R36	R37	R38	R39	R40 New state	R41 New state
R31	R30	R29	R28	R27	R26	R25	R24	R23	R22
R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18	R19	R20	R21
R11	R10	R9	R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2
									R1

Key:	D# Democratic RA# Readjuster R# Republican V# Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 50th Congress

There were no special elections during 1888 or in 1889 before March 4.

Races leading to the 51st Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1889; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Alabama	John T. Morgan	Democratic	1876 1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y John T. Morgan (Democratic) [data missing]
Arkansas	James H. Berry	Democratic	1885 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y James H. Berry (Democratic) [data missing]
Colorado	Thomas M. Bowen	Republican	1882–83	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1889. Republican hold.	▌Y Edward O. Wolcott (Republican) [data missing]
Delaware	Eli Saulsbury	Democratic	1870 1876 1883	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1888 or 1889. Republican gain.	▌Y Anthony C. Higgins (Republican) ▌Eli Saulsbury (Democratic) [data missing]
Georgia	Alfred H. Colquitt	Democratic	1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Alfred H. Colquitt (Democratic) [data missing]
Illinois	Shelby M. Cullom	Republican	1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Shelby M. Cullom (Republican) [data missing]
Iowa	James F. Wilson	Republican	1882	Incumbent re-elected January 25, 1888.	▌Y James F. Wilson (Republican)[2] ▌Thomas J. Anderson (Democratic) ▌Daniel Campbell (Unknown)[e] ▌J. R. Reed (Unknown)[e] ▌John A. T. Hull (Republican)[e] ▌Henry C. Wallace (Republican)[e]
Kansas	Preston B. Plumb	Republican	1877 1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Preston B. Plumb (Republican) [data missing]
Kentucky	James B. Beck	Democratic	1876 1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y James B. Beck (Democratic) [data missing]
Louisiana	Randall L. Gibson	Democratic	1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y Randall L. Gibson (Democratic) [data missing]
Maine	William P. Frye	Republican	1881 (special) 1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y William P. Frye (Republican) [data missing]
Massachusetts	George F. Hoar	Republican	1877 1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y George F. Hoar (Republican) [data missing]
Michigan	Thomas W. Palmer	Republican	1882–83	Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1889. Republican hold.	▌Y James McMillan (Republican) [data missing]
Minnesota	Dwight M. Sabin	Republican	1883	Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1888. Republican hold.	▌Y W. D. Washburn (Republican) [data missing]
Mississippi	Edward C. Walthall	Democratic	1885 (appointed) 1886 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y Edward C. Walthall (Democratic) [data missing]
Nebraska	Charles F. Manderson	Republican	1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Charles F. Manderson (Republican) [data missing]
New Hampshire	William E. Chandler	Republican	1887 (special)	Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Republican loss. Gilman Marston (R) was appointed to start the next term and Chandler was later elected to finish the term; see below.	[data missing]
New Jersey	John R. McPherson	Democratic	1877 1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y John R. McPherson (Democratic) 43 ▌ William J. Sewell (Republican) 38
North Carolina	Matt W. Ransom	Democratic	1872 (special) 1876 1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y Matt W. Ransom (Democratic) [data missing]
Oregon	Joseph N. Dolph	Republican	1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Joseph N. Dolph (Republican) [data missing]
Rhode Island	Jonathan Chace	Republican	1885 (special)	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Jonathan Chace (Republican) [data missing]
South Carolina	Matthew Butler	Democratic	1876 1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Matthew Butler (Democratic) [data missing]
Tennessee	Isham G. Harris	Democratic	1877 1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y Isham G. Harris (Democratic) [data missing]
Texas	Richard Coke	Democratic	1876 1882	Incumbent re-elected in 1888.	▌Y Richard Coke (Democratic) [data missing]
Virginia	Harrison H. Riddleberger	Readjuster	1881	Incumbent retired. New senator elected early December 20, 1887.[4] Democratic gain.	▌Y John S. Barbour Jr. (Democratic) [data missing]
West Virginia	John E. Kenna	Democratic	1883	Incumbent re-elected in 1889.	▌Y John E. Kenna (Democratic) [data missing]

Elections during the 51st Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1889 after March 4; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Rhode Island (Class 2)	Jonathan Chace	Republican	1885 (special) 1888	Incumbent resigned April 9, 1889. New senator elected April 10, 1889. Republican hold.	▌Y Nathan F. Dixon III (Republican) [data missing]
New Hampshire (Class 2)	Gilman Marston	Republican	1889 (Appointed)	Interim appointee retired or lost election to finish the term. New senator elected June 18, 1889. Republican hold.	▌Y William E. Chandler (Republican) [data missing]
South Dakota (Class 2)	None (new state)			South Dakota admitted to the Union November 2, 1889. First senators elected October 16, 1889, in advance of statehood.[5] Republican gain.	▌Y Richard F. Pettigrew (Republican) 108 ▌Bartlett Tripp (Democratic) 14 Absent/not voting 2[5]
South Dakota (Class 3)				South Dakota admitted to the Union November 2, 1889. First senators elected October 16, 1889, in advance of statehood.[5] Republican gain.	▌Y Gideon C. Moody (Republican) 107 ▌Merritt H. Day (Democratic) 14[5]
Washington (Class 1)	None (new state)			Washington admitted to the Union November 11, 1889. First senators elected November 20, 1889. Republican gain.	▌Y John B. Allen (Republican) [data missing]
Washington (Class 3)				Washington admitted to the Union November 11, 1889. First senators elected November 20, 1889. Republican gain.	▌Y Watson C. Squire (Republican) [data missing]
North Dakota (Class 1)	None (new state)			North Dakota admitted to the Union November 2, 1889. First senators elected November 25, 1889.[6] Republican gain.	▌Y Lyman R. Casey (Republican) 62 ▌Martin N. Johnson (Republican) 26 ▌Daniel W. Maratta (Democratic) 4[6]
North Dakota (Class 3)				North Dakota admitted to the Union November 2, 1889. First senators elected November 25, 1889.[6] Republican gain.	▌Y Gilbert A. Pierce (Republican) 56 ▌Michael L. McCormack (Democratic) 6[6]

See also

• 1888 United States elections
  • 1888 United States presidential election
  • 1888 United States House of Representatives elections
• 50th United States Congress
• 51st United States Congress

References

1. as Republican Conference Chair
2. as Democratic Caucus Chair
3. as the leader of Readjuster Party
4. The Readjusters caucused with the Republicans.
5. Campbell, Reed, Hull, and Wallace each received between one and three votes.^[3]

1. "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
2. Clark, p. 214.
3. Clark, p. 215.
4. John S. Barbour Jr. at Encyclopedia Virginia
5. Journal of the House of Representatives…, p. 11
6. Journal of the House of the First Legislative Assembly…, p. 63-64

• Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
• Clark, Dan Elbert (1912). History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa.
• Journal of the House of the First Legislative Assembly begun and held at the Capitol at Bismarck, November 19, 1889 to March 18, 1890. Tribune, Printers and Binders. 1890.
• Journal of the House of Representatives of the Special Session of the South Dakota Legislature. Free Press Company. 1889.