1859 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

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1859 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
  1855 (special) January 11 and 12, 1859 1865  

40 members of the Massachusetts Senate
396 members of the Massachusetts House
Majority vote of each house needed to win
  Colonel Henry Wilson (Massachusetts Senator, U.S. Vice President).jpg
Nominee Henry Wilson
Party Republican
Senate35
Percentage87.5%
House199
Percentage84.69%

Senator before election

Henry Wilson
Republican

Elected Senator

Henry Wilson
Republican

The 1859 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held during January 1859. Incumbent Senator Henry Wilson, who had been elected in 1855 to fill the unexpired term of Edward Everett, was re-elected easily to a full term as a member of the Republican Party.

Contents

At the time, Massachusetts elected United States senators by a majority vote of each separate house of the Massachusetts General Court, the House and the Senate.

Background

At the time, the Massachusetts legislature was dominated by a coalition of Republican Party and American Party supporters, united in opposition to slavery.

Election in the Senate

On January 11, the State Senate convened and re-elected Wilson overwhelmingly, with 35 votes.

1859 U.S. Senate election in the Senate [1] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Henry Wilson (incumbent) 35 87.50%
Republican George S. Boutwell 37.50%
Constitutional Union Edward Everett 12.50%
Democratic Caleb Cushing 12.50%
Total votes40 100.00%

Election in the House

On January 12, the House ratified the Senate result, electing Wilson to a full term in the U.S. Senate.

1859 U.S. Senate election in the House [1] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Henry Wilson (incumbent) 199 84.69%
Democratic Caleb Cushing 2510.64%
OthersScattering114.68%
Total votes235 100.00%

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References

  1. 1 2 "United States Senators Elected". The Maine Farmer. January 20, 1859. p. 2.
  2. "Re-Election of Senator Wilson". The New York Times. January 12, 1859. p. 1.
  3. "Re-election of the Hon. Henry Wilson". The New York Times. January 13, 1859.