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The United States Senate elections of 1898 and 1899 were landslide elections which had the Republican Party gain six seats in the United States Senate.
The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major political parties in the United States; the other is its historic rival, the Democratic Party.
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.
As these elections were prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the popular election of United States Senators by the people of the states. The amendment supersedes Article I, §3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures. It also alters the procedure for filling vacancies in the Senate, allowing for state legislatures to permit their governors to make temporary appointments until a special election can be held.
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 25 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature the Legislative Assembly.
Senate Party Division, 56th Congress (1899–1901)
The People's Party was a left-wing, agrarian political party in the United States. The Populist Party emerged in the early 1890s as an important force in the Southern United States and the Western United States, but the party collapsed after it nominated Democrat William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 United States presidential election. A rump faction of the party continued to operate into the first decade of the 20th century, but never matched the popularity of the party in the early 1890s.
The Silver Republican Party was a United States political party in the 1890s. It was so named because it split from the Republican Party over the issues of free silver and bimetallism. The main Republican Party supported the gold standard. Silver Republican strength was concentrated in the Western states where mining, particularly silver mining, was an important industry. Silver Republicans were elected to the Congress from several Western states. In 1896, Silver Republicans supported Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan over William McKinley. After 1900, the Silver Republican Party was on the decline and most of its members rejoined the Republican Party. However, some such as Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho and former Secretary of the Interior Henry M. Teller of Colorado joined the Democratic Party.
The Silver Party was a political party in the United States active from 1892 until 1911 and most successful in Nevada which supported a platform of bimetallism and free silver.
After the October 7, 1898 special election in Oregon.
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | |||||
D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 |
D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 Ran | D21 Ran | D22 Ran | D23 Ran | D24 Ran | D25 Ran |
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P5 Ran | D34 Retired | D33 Retired | D32 Retired | D31 Retired | D30 Ran | D29 Ran | D28 Ran | D27 Ran | D26 Ran |
P4 | P3 | P2 | P1 | S2 | S1 | SR1 | SR2 | SR3 Ran | SR4 Ran |
Plurality ↓ | SR5 Ran | ||||||||
R36 Ran | R37 Ran | R38 Ran | R39 Ran | R40 Ran | R41 Ran | R42 Ran | R43 Ran | R44 Ran | |
R35 Ran | R34 Ran | R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 |
R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 |
R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | |||||
D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 |
D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 Re-elected | D21 Re-elected | D22 Re-elected | D23 Re-elected | D24 Hold | D25 Gain from SR |
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R50 Gain from D | SR3 Re-elected | SR2 | SR1 | S1 | S2 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 |
R49 Gain from D | R48 Gain from D | R47 Gain from D | R46 Gain from D | R45 Gain from D | R44 Gain from D | R43 Hold | V1 D Loss | V2 D Loss | V3 D Loss |
Majority → | |||||||||
R42 Re-elected | V6 R Loss | V5 SR Loss | V4 P Loss | ||||||
R36 Re-elected | R37 Re-elected | R38 Re-elected | R39 Re-elected | R40 Re-elected | R41 Re-elected | ||||
R35 Re-elected | R34 Re-elected | R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 |
R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 |
R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | |||||
D15 | D14 | D13 | D12 | D11 | D10 | D9 | D8 | D7 | D6 |
D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 | D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 |
SR3 | SR2 | SR1 | S1 | S2 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | D26 Appointed |
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R50 | R49 | R48 | R47 | R46 | R45 | R44 | V1 | V2 | V3 |
Majority → | R43 | ||||||||
V5 | V4 | ||||||||
R36 | R37 | R38 | R39 | R40 | R41 | R42 | |||
R35 | R34 | R33 | R32 | R31 | R30 | R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 |
R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 |
R15 | R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 |
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 |
Key: |
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In these elections, the winners were seated during 1898 or in 1899 before March 4; ordered by election date.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Ohio (Class 1) | Mark Hanna | Republican | 1897 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 12, 1898. Winner also elected to the next term, see below. | √ Mark Hanna (Republican) 73 votes Robert McKisson (Republican) 70 votes John J. Lentz (Democratic) 1 vote |
Oregon (Class 3) | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected October 7, 1898. Republican gain. | √ Joseph Simon (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1899; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
California | Stephen M. White | Democratic | 1893 | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. [3] Democratic loss. Seat remained vacant until February 7, 1900. | Ulysses S. Grant Jr. (Republican) Daniel M. Burns W.H.L. Barnes Robert N. Bulla [3] |
Connecticut | Joseph Hawley | Republican | 1881 1887 1893 | Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1899. [4] | √ Joseph Roswell Hawley (Republican) Daniel N. Morgan (Democratic) |
Delaware | George Gray | Democratic | 1885 (Special) 1887 1893 | Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. [5] Democratic loss. Seat remained vacant until 1903. | George Gray (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Florida | Samuel Pasco | Democratic | 1887 1893 (Failure to elect) 1893 (Appointed) 1893 (Special) | Legislature failed to elect. [6] Democratic loss. Incumbent appointed to begin the term. [6] Incumbent lost election to finish the term, see below. | [Data unknown/missing.] |
Indiana | David Turpie | Democratic | 1863 (Special) 1863 (Retired) 1887 1893 | Incumbent lost re-election. Winner elected January 17, 1899. Republican gain. | √ Albert J. Beveridge (Republican) David Turpie (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Maine | Eugene Hale | Republican | 1881 1887 1893 | Incumbent re-elected in 1899. | √ Eugene Hale (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Maryland | Arthur P. Gorman | Democratic | 1880 1886 1892 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 25, 1898. [7] Republican gain. | √ Louis E. McComas (Republican) 63 votes Arthur P. Gorman (Democratic) 47 votes Shaw (Republican) 4 votes. [7] |
Massachusetts | Henry Cabot Lodge | Republican | 1893 | Incumbent re-elected in 1899. | √ Henry Cabot Lodge (Republican) Bruce (Democratic) P. Porter Winfield (Social Democratic) [8] |
Michigan | Julius C. Burrows | Republican | 1895 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1899. | √ Julius C. Burrows (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Minnesota | Cushman Davis | Republican | 1886 1892 | Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1899. [9] | √ Cushman Davis (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Mississippi | Hernando Money | Democratic | 1897 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected in 1899. | √ Hernando Money (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Missouri | Francis Cockrell | Democratic | 1874 1881 1887 1893 | Incumbent re-elected January 19, 1899. [10] | √ Francis Cockrell (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Montana | Lee Mantle | Silver Republican | 1895 (Special) | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1899. Democratic gain. | √ William A. Clark (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Nebraska | William V. Allen | Populist | 1893 | Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. [11] Populist loss. The seat was filled in March 1899, see below. | William V. Allen (Populist) |
Nevada | William Stewart | Silver Republican | 1887 1893 | Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1899. [12] | √ William Morris Stewart (Silver Republican) A.C. Cleveland W.W. Williams Mason Woodburn |
New Jersey | James Smith Jr. | Democratic | 1893 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 24, 1899. [13] Republican gain. | √ John Kean (Republican) James Smith Jr. (Democratic) |
New York | Edward Murphy Jr. | Democratic | 1893 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 17, 1899. Republican gain. | √ Chauncey M. Depew (Republican) Edward Murphy Jr. (Democratic) |
North Dakota | William N. Roach | Democratic | 1893 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 20, 1899. [14] Republican gain. | √ Porter J. McCumber (Republican) William N. Roach (Democratic) ß[Data unknown/missing.] |
Ohio | Mark Hanna | Republican | 1897 (Appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 12, 1898. Winner also elected to finish the term, see above. | √ Mark Hanna (Republican) 73 votes Robert McKisson (Republican) 70 votes John J. Lentz (Democratic) 1 vote |
Pennsylvania | Matthew S. Quay | Republican | 1887 1893 | Legislature failed to elect. Republican loss. Incumbent appointed to start the term, but Senate rejected credentials. Seat would remain vacant until 1901. | Matthew S. Quay (Republican) |
Rhode Island | Nelson W. Aldrich | Republican | 1881 (Special) 1886 1892 | Incumbent re-elected in 1898. | √ Nelson W. Aldrich (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Tennessee | William B. Bate | Democratic | 1887 1893 | Incumbent re-elected in 1899. | √ William B. Bate (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Texas | Roger Q. Mills | Democratic | 1892 1893 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 24, 1899. [15] Democratic hold. | √ Charles Culberson (Democratic) Unopposed |
Utah | Frank J. Cannon | Silver Republican | 1896 | Legislature failed to elect. [16] Silver Republican loss. Seat would remain vacant until 1901. | Frank J. Cannon (Republican) Alfred W. McCune (Democratic) |
Vermont | Redfield Proctor | Republican | 1891 (Appointed) 1892 (Special) 1892 | Incumbent re-elected October 19, 1898. [17] | √ Redfield Proctor (Republican) Thomas W. Moloney (Democrats) |
Virginia | John W. Daniel | Democratic | 1887 1893 | Incumbent re-elected in 1899. | √ John W. Daniel (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
Washington | John L. Wilson | Republican | 1895 (Special) | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected February 1, 1899. [18] Republican hold. | √ Addison G. Foster (Republican) [Data unknown/missing.] |
West Virginia | Charles J. Faulkner | Democratic | 1887 1893 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 25, 1899. [19] Republican gain. | √ Nathan B. Scott (Republican) 48 J.F. McGraw (Democratic) 46 Nathan Goff Jr. (Republican) 1 [19] |
Wisconsin | John L. Mitchell | Democratic | 1893 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 31, 1899. [20] Republican gain. | √ Joseph V. Quarles (Republican) Timoth E. Ryan (Democratic) |
Wyoming | Clarence D. Clark | Republican | 1895 (Special) | Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1899. [21] | √ Clarence D. Clark (Republican) John Eugene Osborne (Democratic) |
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1899 after March 4, and seated in the 56th Congress.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Nebraska (Class 1) | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect, see above. New senator elected late March 8, 1899. [22] Republican gain. | √ Monroe Hayward (Republican) 74 votes William V. Allen (Populist) 58 votes [22] | ||
Florida (Class 1) | Samuel Pasco | Democratic | 1887 1893 (Failure to elect) 1893 (Appointed) 1893 (Special) 1899 (Failure to elect) 1899 (Appointed) | Interim appointee lost election to finish the term. New senator elected April 19, 1899. [23] Democratic hold. | √ James Taliaferro (Democratic) Samuel Pasco (Democratic) |
In this election, the winner was seated in the 57th Congress, starting March 4, 1901.
State | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
Virginia (Class 2) | Thomas S. Martin | Democratic | 1893 (Early) | Incumbent re-elected early December 19, 1899 for the term beginning March 4, 1901. [24] | √ Thomas S. Martin (Democratic) [Data unknown/missing.] |
The election in New York was held January 17, 1899.
Democrat Edward Murphy Jr. had been elected to this seat in 1893, and his term would expire on March 3, 1899. At the State election in November 1898, 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1899–1900) in the State Senate; and 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats were elected for the session of 1899 to the Assembly. The 122nd New York State Legislature met from January 4 to April 28, 1899, at Albany, New York.
Edward Murphy Jr. was a businessman and politician from Troy, New York. A Democrat, he served as mayor of Troy, New York (1875-1883), chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee (1888-1894), and a United States Senator from New York (1893-1899).
The Republican caucus met on January 12. State Senator Hobart Krum presided. They nominated Chauncey M. Depew unanimously. Depew had been Secretary of State of New York from 1864 to 1865, and was the frontrunning candidate to succeed Thomas C. Platt at the U.S. Senate special election in 1881 when he withdrew after the 41st ballot. Parallel to his political career, he moved up the ladder in the Vanderbilt Railroad System, being President of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad from 1885 to 1898, and holding positions in dozens of other railroad companies.
Hobart Krum was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS).
Thomas Collier Platt was a two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1873–1877) and a three-term U.S. Senator from New York in the years 1881 and 1897–1909. He is best known as the "political boss" of the Republican Party in New York State in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Upon his death, the New York Times stated that "no man ever exercised less influence in the Senate or the House of Representatives than he," but "no man ever exercised more power as a political leader." He considered himself the "political godfather" of many Republican governors of the state, including Theodore Roosevelt.
The Democratic caucus met also on January 12. State Senator George W. Plunkitt presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Edward Murphy, Jr. unanimously.
George Washington Plunkitt was an American politician from New York State. He served in both houses of the New York State Legislature and was a member of the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City.
Chauncey M. Depew was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.
House | Republican | Democratic | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
State Senate (50 members) | Chauncey M. Depew | 27 | Edward Murphy, Jr. | 23 |
State Assembly (150 members) | Chauncey M. Depew | 84 | Edward Murphy, Jr. | 60 |
Note: The votes were cast on January 17, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 18 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
In mid-August 1898, Alfred W. McCune decided to seek office as a Democrat for the United States Senate. [25] State legislators had already indicated they would not support the incumbent, Frank J. Cannon for reelection. Cannon, a Republican, had voted against the Dingley Act, which would have raised tariffs on sugar and helped the Utah sugar industry. [26] The Dingley bill was strongly supported by the LDS Church hierarchy, who now opposed his reelection. [26] Other factors were his support for Free Silver; rumors about immoral acts he may have committed while living in Washington, D.C.; and that the Utah legislature was controlled by Democrats. [26] The McCunes were close friends with Heber J. Grant, seventh LDS Church president and an ordained LDS apostle. [27] Although the LDS church had (just weeks before) made a decision to stay out of state politics, McCune asked Grant for the church's assistance in winning office. [25] Grant consulted with Joseph F. Smith (Apostle and sixth LDS president) and John Henry Smith (a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of the LDS Church), both of whom supported McCune's senatorial bid. [25] But McCune was not alone in seeking the office. Former Representative William H. King was also running (and backed by two Apostles), as was James Moyle (a prominent attorney and founder of the Utah Democratic Party who was backed by state legislators) and George Q. Cannon (an Apostle and member of the First Presidency). [25]
At the time, members of the Senate were still elected by their respective state legislatures. [25] The Utah state legislature convened in January 1899. [28] There were 13 Republicans and 50 Democrats in the state legislature. [29] From the beginning, McCune was considered the leading candidate. [28] But the legislature quickly deadlocked over the election. One-hundred and twenty-one ballots were cast, and no winner emerged. [28] McCune was one or two votes shy of winning on several ballots. [28] on February 18, before the 122nd ballot, state representative Albert A. Law (a Republican from Cache County and a Cannon supporter) claimed McCune offered him $1,500 for his vote. [30] McCune strenuously denied the charge, and a seven-member legislative established to investigate the allegation. [28] [30] The committee voted 7-to-2 to absolve McCune of the charge, and this outcome was announced to the legislature on March 6. [28] [30] Balloting resumed, and on March 8, on the 149th ballot, McCune still lacked enough votes to win office (he had only 25 votes). [28] [30] The legislature adjourned without having chosen a senator, [31] and McCune traveled in Europe for several weeks to regain his health (returning in June 1899). [32]
Utah's U.S. Senate seat remained vacant until January 1901.
Reed Smoot was a businessman and apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was elected by the state legislature to the United States Senate in 1902; he served as a Republican senator from 1903 to 1933. From his time in the Senate, Smoot is primarily remembered as the co-sponsor of the 1930 Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, which increased almost 900 American import duties. Thomas Lamont, a partner at J.P. Morgan at the time said, "That Act intensified nationalism all over the world". The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act is widely regarded as one of the catalysts for the Great Depression.
Frank Jenne Cannon was the first United States Senator from Utah, who served from 1896 to 1899.
Although the 17th Amendment was not passed until 1913, some states elected their Senators directly before its passage. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to adopt measures reflecting the people's will. By 1912, as many as 29 states elected senators either as nominees of their party's primary or in conjunction with a general election.
Thomas Kearns was an American mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was a United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.
The 1863 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 3, 1863, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The 1881 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 18, 1881, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The 1893 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 17, 1893, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The 1899 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 17, 1899, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The 1905 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 17, 1905, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The 1911 United States Senate election in New York was held from January 17 to March 31, 1911, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The United States Senate elections of 1896 and 1897 were elections in which the Democratic Party lost seven seats in the United States Senate, mostly to smaller third parties.
The United States Senate elections of 1900 and 1901 were elections in which the Democratic Party gained two seats in the United States Senate, and which corresponded with President William McKinley's landslide re-election. By the beginning of the next Congress, however, the Republicans gained five additional seats, giving them a ten-seat majority.
The United States Senate elections of 1904 and 1905 were elections that coincided with President Theodore Roosevelt's landslide election to a full term. Party share of seats remained roughly the same, when including vacancies and appointments, and the Republicans retained a significant majority over the Democrats.
The United States Senate elections of 1880 and 1881 were elections that coincided with the presidential election of 1880, and had the Democratic Party lose five seats in the United States Senate. The newly elected Readjuster senator caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. All of that changed September 19, 1881 when the Vice President ascended to the Presidency and the Senate became evenly-divided.
The United States Senate elections of 1886 and 1887 were elections that had the Republican Party lose two seats in the United States Senate. At the beginning of the 50th Congress, therefore, Republicans had the slimmest possible majority due to a vacant Democratic seat: 38 out of 75 seats. Once that vacancy was filled, Republicans maintained control as the single Readjuster Senator caucused with them.
The United States Senate elections of 1890 and 1891 were elections in which the Republican Party lost four seats in the United States Senate, though still retaining a slim majority. That majority was increased, however, upon the admission of two more states with Republican senators.
The United States Senate elections of 1892 and 1893 were elections which, corresponding with former Democratic President Grover Cleveland's return to power, had the Republican Party lose nine seats in the United States Senate and lose its majority to the Democratic Party. The Democratic majority, however, was minimal and didn't last past the next Congress.
Alfred William McCune was an American railroad builder, mine operator, and politician from the state of Utah. Owner of several retail and construction businesses, he helped build the Montana Central Railway and a portion of the Utah Southern Railroad, founded the Utah and Pacific Railroad, and built railways in Peru, among other projects. He also owned many profitable mines in Canada, Montana, Peru, and Utah, including the Payne Mine—which paid the most dividends in the history of British Columbia. Late in life, he co-founded the Cerro de Pasco Investment Company, which became the largest copper investor in South America and the largest American investor in Peru until it was nationalized in 1974. He was one of Utah's first millionaires.
The United States Senate elections of 1862 and 1863 were elections during the American Civil War in which Republicans increased their control of the U.S. Senate. The Republican Party gained three seats, bringing their majority to 66% of the body. Also caucusing with them were Unionists and Unconditional Unionists. As many Southern states seceded in 1860 and 1861, and members left the Senate to join the Confederacy, or were expelled for supporting the rebellion, seats were declared vacant. To establish a quorum with fewer members, a lower total seat number was taken into account.
On January 12, 1898, the Ohio General Assembly met in joint convention to elect a United States Senator. The incumbent, Mark Hanna, had been appointed by Governor Asa Bushnell on March 5, 1897, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Sherman to become Secretary of State to President William McKinley. Hanna's appointment was only good until the legislature met and made its own choice. The legislature elected Hanna over his fellow Republican, Cleveland Mayor Robert McKisson, both for the remainder of Sherman's original term and for a full six-year term to conclude in 1905.