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The 1852–53 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the 1852 presidential 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 1852 and 1853, 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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20 of the 62 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 32 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results: Democratic gain Democratic hold Whig gain Whig hold Know Nothing Gain Legislature failed to elect | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Democratic Party gained two seats in the Senate. Only six of the twenty senators up for election were re-elected.
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Senate party division, 33rd Congress (1853–1855)
- Majority party: Democratic (35–38)
- Minority party: Whig Party (19–17)
- Other parties: Free Soiler (2–5); Know Nothing (1)
- Vacant: 5–1
- Total seats: 62
Before the elections
| D1 | |||||||||
| D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 |
| D21 Ala. (sp) Ran |
D20 Ala. (reg) Ran |
D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 |
| D22 Ark. Ran |
D23 Ga. Unknown |
D24 Ill. Ran |
D25 Ind. (sp) Retired |
D26 Iowa Ran |
D27 La. (reg) Unknown |
D28 La. (sp) Resigned |
D29 Maine Retired |
D30 Mich. Retired |
D31 Miss. (sp 1) Unknown |
| Majority → | D32 Miss. (sp 2) Miss. (reg) Resigned | ||||||||
| FS1 | FS2 | FS3 N.H. Ran |
V2 Conn. (sp) |
V1 Calif. (sp) |
D36 Va. Ran |
D35 Texas Ran |
D34 S.C. (sp) Ran S.C. (reg) Unknown |
D33 N.J. (sp) Resigned | |
| W21 Tenn. Ran |
W20 R.I. Unknown |
W19 N.C. Ran |
W18 N.J. (reg) Unknown |
W17 Mass. Retired |
W16 Ky. Retired |
W15 Del. Retired |
W14 | W13 | W12 |
| W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 | W10 | W11 |
| W1 | |||||||||
As a result of the elections
| D1 | ||||||||||
| D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | |
| D21 Ala. (sp) Elected[a] |
D20 Ala. (reg)
|
D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | |
| D22 Ark. Re-elected |
D23 Calif. (sp) Gain |
D24 Conn. (sp) Gain |
D25 Ga. Hold |
D26 Ill. Re-elected |
D27 Ind. (sp) Hold |
D28 Iowa Re-elected |
D29 La. (sp) Hold |
D30 Mich. Hold |
D31 Miss. (sp 1) Hold | |
| Majority → | D32 N.H. Gain | |||||||||
V2
D Loss |
V1 Maine D Loss |
KN1 Ky. Gain |
D38 Va. Re-elected |
D37 Texas Re-elected |
D36 S.C. (sp) Hold S.C. (reg) Hold |
D35 R.I.
|
D34 N.J. (sp) Hold |
D33 N.J. (reg) Gain | ||
| V3 N.C. W Loss |
FS2 | FS1 | W18 Tenn. Re-elected |
W17 Mass. Hold |
W16 La. (reg) Gain |
W15 Del. Hold |
W14 | W13 | W12 | |
| W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 | W10 | W11 | |
| W1 | ||||||||||
| Key: |
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|---|
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Special elections during the 32nd Congress
In these elections, the winners were seated during 1852 or in 1853 before March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| California (Class 1) |
Vacant | Legislature had previously failed to elect in 1850–1851. New senator elected January 30, 1852 on the eighth ballot.[2] Democratic gain. |
| ||
| Mississippi (Class 2) |
Henry S. Foote | Democratic | 1846 or 1847 | Incumbent resigned January 8, 1852, to become Governor of Mississippi. New senator elected February 18, 1852. Whig gain. Winner then retired at the end of the term; see below. |
▌ Walker Brooke (Whig)[data missing] |
| Mississippi (Class 1) |
John J. McRae | Democratic | 1851 (appointed) | Interim appointee replaced by an elected successor. New senator elected March 17, 1852. Democratic hold. |
▌ Stephen Adams (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Connecticut (Class 1) |
Vacant | Legislature failed to elect. New senator elected May 12, 1852. Democratic gain. |
▌ Isaac Toucey (Democratic) [data missing] | ||
| South Carolina (Class 2) |
William F. De Saussure | Democratic | 1852 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected November 29, 1852.[3] Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. |
▌ William F. De Saussure (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Indiana (Class 3) |
Charles W. Cathcart | Democratic | 1852 (appointed) | Incumbent retired when elected successor qualified. New senator elected January 18, 1853. Democratic hold. |
▌ John Pettit (Democratic) [data missing] |
Elections leading to the 33rd Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1853; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Alabama | Jeremiah Clemens | Democratic | 1849 (special) | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until November 29, 1853; see below. |
[data missing] |
| Arkansas | William K. Sebastian | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) 1848 (special) |
Incumbent re-elected in 1853. | ▌ William K. Sebastian (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Delaware | Presley Spruance | Whig | 1846 or 1847 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1853. Whig hold. |
|
| Georgia | Robert M. Charlton | Democratic | 1852 (appointed) | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1852. Democratic hold. |
▌ Robert Toombs (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Illinois | Stephen A. Douglas | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected in 1852. |
|
| Iowa | George W. Jones | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent re-elected in 1852. |
|
| Kentucky | Joseph R. Underwood | Whig | 1846 or 1847 | Incumbent retired. New senator had already been elected early in 1851. Know Nothing gain. |
|
| Louisiana | Solomon W. Downs | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1852. Whig gain. |
▌ Judah P. Benjamin (Whig) [data missing] |
| Maine | James W. Bradbury | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1854. |
[data missing] |
| Massachusetts | John Davis | Whig | 1835 1841 (resigned) 1845 (special) 1847 |
Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1853. Whig hold. |
▌ Edward Everett (Whig) [data missing] |
| Michigan | Alpheus Felch | Democratic | 1847 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1853. Democratic hold. |
|
| Mississippi | Walker Brooke | Whig | 1852 (special) | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1854. |
[data missing] |
| New Hampshire | John P. Hale | Free Soil | 1846 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1852. Democratic gain. |
|
| New Jersey | Jacob W. Miller | Whig | 1841 1846 |
Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1852 or 1853. Democratic gain. |
|
| North Carolina | Willie Mangum | Whig | 1830 1836 (resigned) 1840 (special) 1841 |
Incumbent lost re-election. Leglislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1854. |
▌Willie Mangum (Whig) [data missing] |
| Rhode Island | John Hopkins Clarke | Whig | 1846 or 1847 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. Leglislature failed to elect. Whig loss. Seat would remain vacant until July 20, 1853; see below. |
[data missing] |
| South Carolina | William F. De Saussure | Democratic | 1852 (appointed) 1852 (special) |
Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1852 or 1853. Democratic hold. |
▌ Josiah J. Evans (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Tennessee | John Bell | Whig | 1847 | Incumbent re-elected in 1853. |
|
| Texas | Sam Houston | Democratic | 1846 1847 |
Incumbent re-elected in 1853. |
|
| Virginia | Robert M. T. Hunter | Democratic | 1846 | Incumbent re-elected in 1852. |
|
Elections during the 33rd Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1853 on or after March 4; ordered by date.
| State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| New Jersey (Class 1) |
Robert F. Stockton | Democratic | 1851 | Incumbent resigned January 10, 1853, to become president of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company. New senator elected March 4, 1853. Democratic hold. |
|
| Rhode Island (Class 2) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected July 20, 1853. Democratic gain. |
▌ Philip Allen (Democratic) [data missing] | ||
| Alabama (Class 2) |
Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected November 29, 1853. Democratic gain. |
| ||
| Louisiana (Class 3) |
Pierre Soulé | Democratic | 1847 (special) 1847 (left office) 1848 |
Incumbent resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain. New senator elected December 5, 1853. Democratic hold. |
|
| Alabama (Class 3) |
Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) 1849 (elected successor qualified) 1853 (appointed) |
Interim appointee elected December 12, 1853.[14] |
|
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Alabama (regular)
The legislature had failed to elect a senator for the other seat, previously held by Democrat Jeremiah Clemens. On November 28, 1853, Democrat Clement Claiborne Clay was elected late to the seat.[12]
Clement Claiborne Clay 85 votes- R. W. Walker 37 votes
- Jeremiah Clemens 8 votes[12]
Alabama (special, class 3)
On December 20, 1852, Democrat William R. King resigned due to poor health. On January 14, 1853, Democrat Benjamin Fitzpatrick was appointed to continue the term, and he was elected November 28, 1853, to finish the term.[14][12]
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick 107 votes
- William D. Dunn 14 votes
- Jeremiah Clemens 2 votes
- Francis Strother Lyon 1 vote[12]
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Democratic senator William K. Sebastian had been appointed May 12, 1848, to continue the term, to which he was elected later that year to finish.
Sebastian was re-elected to a full term in 1853.
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The California legislature had failed to elect a successor to Democrat John C. Frémont in time for the 1851 beginning of the class 1 term.
In fact, this time it took eight ballots for Democrat John B. Weller (71 votes, 80.7%) to be elected January 30, 1852, over Whig Pierson B. Reading (17 votes, 19.3%).[2]
The Connecticut legislature had failed to elect a senator for the term beginning in 1851. Democrat Isaac Toucey was elected in May 1852 to finish the term.
| Senate (May 11, 1852)[15] | House (May 12, 1852)[16] |
|---|---|
|
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First-term Whig Presley Spruance retired and Whig former senator John M. Clayton was elected January 12, 1853.
Clayton received 17 votes and there were 13 blank ballots cast.[4]
Second-term Whig John M. Berrien resigned May 28, 1852, and Democrat Robert M. Charlton was appointed May 31, 1852, to finish the term.
Democrat Robert Toombs was elected in 1852 and would serve through re-election in 1858 and until he withdrew in 1861.
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Two-term Democrat Stephen A. Douglas was re-elected January 5, 1853. He would be re-elected in 1859 and serve until his 1861 death.
- Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) 75 votes
- State senator Joseph Gillespie (Whig) 19 votes
- James H. Collins 1 vote[5]
First term Democrat James Whitcomb died December 4, 1852, and Democrat Charles W. Cathcart was appointed December 6, 1852, pending a special election to finish the term that would end in 1855.
Democrat John Pettit won the January 18, 1853, election.
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First-term Democrat George Wallace Jones was re-elected to a second term.
He received the Democratic nomination on December 20, 1852, by the narrowest of margins: 30 to 29 votes.[17] The general election was held the next day, December 21, in which Jones easily won.
- George Wallace Jones (Democratic) 59 votes
- George G. Wright (Whig) 31 votes
- John F. Kinney (Democratic) 1 vote
One-term Whig Joseph R. Underwood retired from the class 2 seat and the Know Nothing Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky John Burton Thompson had already been elected early, December 15, 1851, far in advance of the 1853 term.
Louisiana (regular)
Democrat Solomon W. Downs lost re-election to Whig businessman Judah P. Benjamin in January 1852. Some Whig newspapers thought Benjamin too young and inexperienced at forty, despite his undoubted talent, but the Whig legislative caucus selected him on the second ballot, and he was elected by the legislature.[18]
Louisiana (special)
First-term Democrat Pierre Soulé was appointed U.S. Minister to Spain and resigned April 11, 1853.
Former-Democratic congressman and diplomat John Slidell was elected April 28, 1853.
- John Slidell (Democratic) 70 votes
- T.G. Hunt 37 votes[13]
Slidell would be re-elected in 1858 and serve until he withdrew in 1861.
First-term Democrat James W. Bradbury retired and the Maine legislature failed to elect his replacement until long after the new Congress began. It wasn't until 1854 that a new senator would be elected.
Long-time senator Whig John Davis retired. Whig U.S. Secretary of State and former Governor of Massachusetts Edward Everett was elected in 1853.
Everett would resign just one year into his term due to his distaste dealing with the politics of slavery and abolition.
First-term Democrat Alpheus Felch retired. Fellow Democratic congressman Charles E. Stuart was elected January 11, 1853, over Whig Mayor of Detroit Zachariah Chandler.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles E. Stuart | 49 | 69.0 | |
| Whig | Zachariah Chandler | 21 | 29.6 | |
| Unknown | Hovey K. Clarke | 1 | 1.4 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles E. Stuart | 24 | 77.4 | |
| Whig | Zachariah Chandler | 7 | 22.6 | |
Stuart only served one term, retiring in 1859. Chandler, meanwhile, would be elected to the other seat and serve for three terms.
Mississippi (special, class 1)
Incumbent Democrat Jefferson Davis resigned in 1851 to run for Governor of Mississippi. Democrat John J. McRae was appointed December 1, 1851, to continue Davis's term, pending a special election. Democrat Stephen Adams won the March 17, 1852, special election to finish the term that would continue until 1857.
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Mississippi (special, class 2)
Incumbent Democrat Henry S. Foote resigned January 8, 1852, to become Governor of Mississippi. Whig Walker Brooke was elected February 18, 1852, to finish the term that would end the following year.
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2020) |
Mississippi (regular)
Brooke was not a candidate to the next term.
The Mississippi legislature failed to elect a replacement for Brooke, and the seat remained vacant until early 1854.
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Free Soil senator John P. Hale ran for U.S. President, coming in third place in the popular vote, but failing to win any states. He lost to the Democratic fellow-New Hampshire senator Franklin Pierce. He then lost re-election to his senate seat when Democrats took over the New Hampshire legislature in 1852 state elections.
Democratic former-senator Charles G. Atherton was returned to the Senate in Hale's place on November 25, 1852.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles G. Atherton | 148 | 55.2 | |
| Unknown | Ira Perley | 81 | 30.2 | |
| Unknown | John Preston | 27 | 10.1 | |
| Democratic | State senator John S. Wells | 4 | 1.5 | |
| Free Soil | John P. Hale (Incumbent) | 4 | 1.5 | |
| Whig | Ichabod Goodwin | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Unknown | Moses A. Cartland | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Unknown | Joseph E. Bennett | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Democratic | Charles H. Peaslee | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles G. Atherton | 10 | 83.3 | |
| Unknown | Ira Perley | 1 | 8.3 | |
| Unknown | John Preston | 1 | 8.3 | |
Atherton died from pulmonary tuberculosis in the first year of his term.
After Republicans retook the New Hampshire legislature in 1854, Hale was re-elected to finish the term.
New Jersey (regular)
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Two-term Whig Jacob W. Miller lost re-election to Democratic former-Congressman William Wright.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William Wright | 48 | 62.3 | |
| Whig | Jacob W. Miller (Incumbent) | 29 | 37.7 | |
Wright would lose re-election in 1859 but be returned to the Senate in 1863.
New Jersey (special)
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First-term Democrat Robert F. Stockton resigned from the Class 1 seat January 10, 1853, to become President of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company.
Democrat John Renshaw Thomson was elected February 11, 1853, over Whig former-senator William L. Dayton to finish the term.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Renshaw Thomson | 47 | 64.4 | |
| Whig | William L. Dayton | 26 | 35.6 | |
Thomson would be re-elected in 1857 to a full term and serve until his death in 1862.
Long-time Whig Willie Mangum was a candidate for re-election. Although Democratic former-congressman James C. Dobbin was a top choice of the North Carolina Legislature, no candidate received a majority of votes in either house, so the seat was left unfilled.[23]
The seat would remain vacant until a 1854 special election.
Dobbin would then be appointed U.S. Secretary of the Navy and Magnum retired from public service.
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The Rhode Island General Assembly failed to elect, so first-term Whig John Hopkins Clarke thereby lost re-election.
After the term began, Democrat Philip Allen was elected July 20, 1853, to fill the seat. Allen would serve only one term, retiring in 1859.
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Democrat Robert Rhett resigned May 7, 1852, and Democratic judge of the chancery court William F. De Saussure was appointed May 10, 1852, to continue the term, pending a special election. The term would end in March 1853, so there was an election to finish the term and an election to the next term.
South Carolina (special)
De Saussure was elected November 29, 1852, just to finish the term.[24]
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South Carolina (regular)
Democrat Josiah J. Evans was elected December 1, 1852, on the fourth ballot to the next term.[25]
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First-term Whig John Bell was re-elected October 29, 1853, on the 49th ballot.
- John Bell (Whig) 51 votes
- Thomas A.R. Nelson 18 votes
- Cave Johnson 23 votes
- Neill S. Brown 4 votes
- Aaron V. Brown 1 vote[8]
Bell would fall out of favor with the Tennessee legislature over the sectionalism that was rife in the late 1850s and lost their vote for re-election.
Two-term Democrat Sam Houston — a Texas founder who had served as senator since statehood — was re-elected January 15, 1853.
- Sam Houston (Democratic) 65 votes
- John Hemphill 14 votes
- George W. Smyth 1 vote[9]
Houston would retire at the end of this term in 1859, and be replaced by John Hemphill.
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First-term Democrat Robert M. T. Hunter was re-elected January 22, 1852.
- Robert M. T. Hunter (Democratic) 126 votes
- Scattering 63 votes[10]
Hunter would be re-elected again in 1858 and serve until his 1861 expulsion.
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