1854 Iowa Senate election

1854 Iowa Senate election

←  1852 1854 1856  →
19 out of 31 seats in the Iowa State Senate 16 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Whig Last election 20 11 Seats after 17 14 Seat change 3 3
President of the Iowa Senate before election William E. Leffingwell [lower-alpha 1] Democratic Elected President of the Iowa Senate Maturin L. Fisher [lower-alpha 2] Democratic

In the 1854 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the fifth Iowa General Assembly. Elections were held for 19 of the state senate's 31 seats. ^{[lower-alpha 3]} State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.

The general election took place in 1854. ^[4]

Following the previous election in 1852, Democrats had control of the Iowa Senate with 20 seats to Whigs' 11 seats.

To claim control of the chamber from Democrats, the Whigs needed to net 5 Senate seats.

Democrats maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1854 general election with the balance of power shifting to Democrats holding 17 seats and Whigs having 14 seats (a net gain of 3 seats for Whigs). Democratic Senator Maturin L. Fisher was chosen as the President of the Iowa Senate for the fifth General Assembly, succeeding Democratic Senator William E. Leffingwell in that leadership position. ^{[lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 1]}

Summary of Results

• Note: The holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.

Senate District	Incumbent	Party		Elected Senator	Party		Outcome
1st [lower-alpha 4]	Salmon Cowles		Dem	Exum Sumner McCulloch		Dem	Dem Hold
	James M. Love [lower-alpha 5]		Dem	David Trowbridge Brigham		Dem	Dem Hold
	Vacancy upon Senator Love's resignation.
	Calvin J. Price		Dem	William A. Thurston		Dem	Dem Hold
2nd [lower-alpha 6]	George Hepner		Dem	William Findlay Coolbaugh		Dem	Dem Hold
3rd [lower-alpha 7]	John Brice Spees		Whig	Abner Harrison McCrary		Whig	Whig Hold
5th [lower-alpha 8]	Archibald McKinney		Whig	Alvin Saunders		Whig	Whig Hold
6th [lower-alpha 9]	John Wesley Hedrick		Whig	James C. Ramsey		Dem	Dem Gain
7th [lower-alpha 10]	Henry Benham Hendershott		Dem	Daniel A. Anderson		Whig	Whig Gain
9th [lower-alpha 11]	Amos Harris		Dem	Nathan Udell		Dem	Dem Hold
10th [lower-alpha 12]	Hadley Douglas Johnson		Dem	James D. Test		Dem	Dem Hold
12th [lower-alpha 13]	Norman Everson		Whig	Hiram Thomas Cleaver		Dem	Dem Gain
13th [lower-alpha 14]	Joseph Lowe		Dem	James Latimer Hogin		Whig	Whig Gain
16th [lower-alpha 15]	Eli Snow Wing		Dem	Ambrose Cowperthwaite Fulton		Whig	Whig Gain
17th [lower-alpha 16]	Jonathan Emerson Fletcher		Dem	George W. Wilkinson		Whig	Whig Gain
18th [lower-alpha 17]	William E. Leffingwell		Dem	Julius J. Matthews		Whig	Whig Gain
19th [lower-alpha 18]	George D. Crosthwait		Whig	Samuel Workman		Dem	Dem Gain
20th [lower-alpha 19]	Andrew Young Hull		Dem	Theophilus Bryan [lower-alpha 20]		Dem	Dem Hold
				James Cunningham Jordan [lower-alpha 21]		Whig	Whig Gain
22nd [lower-alpha 22]	Nathan G. Sales		Dem	Joseph Birge		Dem	Dem Hold
24th [lower-alpha 23]	John G. Shields [lower-alpha 24]		Dem	Vacancy after Shields' death on June 25, 1856.
	Warner Lewis		Dem	William W. Hamilton		Whig	Whig Gain

Source: ^[11]

1. Senator William E. Leffingwell of Clinton County was chosen to be the fifth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the fourth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Senator Enos Lowe in that leadership position. ^[1]
2. Senator Maturin L. Fisher of Clayton County was chosen to be the sixth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the fifth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Senator William E. Leffingwell in that leadership position. ^[2]
3. At the time, the Iowa Senate had several multi-member districts. ^[3]
4. The first district was a 3-member district at the time.
5. Senator Love was a holdover senator not up for re-election. However, on July 1, 1856, during the next term, he resigned, causing a vacancy in this seat that was filled by special election. ^[5]
6. The second district was a 2-member district at the time. However, only one of the seats in the district was contested in the election. The other was held by a holdover senator not up for re-election.
7. The third district was a 2-member district at the time. However, only one of the seats in the district was contested in the election. The other was held by a holdover senator not up for re-election.
8. The fifth district was a 1-member district at the time.
9. The sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
10. The seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
11. The ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
12. The tenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
13. The twelfth district was a 1-member district at the time.
14. The thirteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
15. The sixteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
16. The seventeenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
17. The eighteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
18. The nineteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
19. The twentieth district was a 1-member district at the time.
20. Senator Bryan was originally deemed to be elected to the seat. ^[6] However, on January 7, 1855, during the next term, he was removed by a vote of the members of the Iowa Senate and replaced by Senator Jordan of the Whig Party. ^[7]
21. Senator Bryan was originally deemed to be elected to the seat. ^[8] However, on January 7, 1855, during the next term, he was removed by a vote of the members of the Iowa Senate and replaced by Senator Jordan of the Whig Party. ^[9]
22. The twenty-second district was a 1-member district at the time.
23. The twenty-fourth district was a 3-member district at the time. Senator Fisher was a holdover incumbent not up for re-election. Senator Shields was a holdover incumbent not up for re-election; however, on June 25, 1856, during the next term, Shields died, causing a vacancy in his seat. Senator Lewis was up for re-election and was succeeded by Senator Hamilton.
24. Senator Shields was a holdover incumbent not up for re-election; however, on June 25, 1856, during the next term, Shields died, causing a vacancy in his seat. ^[10]

Detailed Results

• NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not provide detailed vote totals for Iowa State Senate elections in 1854.

See also

• Elections in Iowa

External links

District boundaries for the Iowa Senate in 1854:

• Iowa Senate Districts 1852-1855 map

References

1. "Senator William E. Leffingwell". Iowa Legislature . Retrieved July 20, 2021.
2. "Senator Maturin L. Fisher". Iowa Legislature . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
3. "General Assembly: 5 (12/04/1854 - 11/30/1856)". Iowa Legislature . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
4. "General Assembly: 5 (12/04/1854 - 11/30/1856)". Iowa Legislature . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
5. "Senator James M. Love: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
6. "Senator Theophilus Bryan: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
7. "Senator James Cunningham Jordan: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
8. "Senator Theophilus Bryan: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
9. "Senator James Cunningham Jordan: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
10. "Senator John G. Shields: Compiled Historical Information". Iowa Official Register . Retrieved July 21, 2021.
11. "Legislators". Iowa State Senate . Retrieved July 21, 2021.