United States Senate elections, 1834 and 1835

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United States Senate elections, 1834 and 1835
Flag of the United States (1822-1836).svg
  1832/33 Dates vary by state 1836/37  

16 of the 48 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections)
25 seats needed for a majority

 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
 
Party Anti-Jacksonian Jacksonian Nullifier
Last election23 seats21 seats2 seats
Seats before26202
Seats won681
Seats after24222
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 2Increase2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Seats up871

Majority party before election

Anti-Jacksonian

Elected Majority party

Anti-Jacksonian

The United States Senate elections of 1834 and 1835 were elections that had the Anti-Jackson coalition maintain control of the United States Senate. However, during the 24th Congress, the Jacksonian coalition gained control of the Senate.

United States Senate Upper house of the United States Congress

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.

Contents

As this election was prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution Part of the United States Constitution

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.

State legislature (United States) legislature of a U.S. state

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.

Results summary

Senate Party Division, 24th Congress (1835–1837)

The Nullifier Party was an American political party based in South Carolina in the 1830s. Considered an early American third party, it was started by John C. Calhoun sometime in May–December 1828.

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

After the January 20, 1835 special election in Maine.

AJ1AJ2AJ3AJ4
AJ14AJ13AJ12AJ11AJ10AJ9AJ8AJ7AJ6AJ5
AJ15AJ16AJ17AJ18AJ19
Ran
AJ20
Ran
AJ21
Ran
AJ22
Ran
AJ23
Unknown
AJ24
Unknown
Majority →AJ25
Retired
J15
Ran
J16
Ran
J17*
Ran
J18
Ran
J19
Ran
J20
Unknown
N1N2
Ran
AJ26
Retired
J14
Ran
J13J12J11J10J9J8J7J6J5
J1J2J3J4
Note:
  • J17 (Maine class 2 seat): Anti-Jacksonian incumbent resigned January 1, 1835, presumably before the election for the next term. A Jacksonian successor was elected January 20, 1835 to finish the term and for the next term. The seat is therefore labelled as Jacksonian "before the election" in this table.

As a result of the elections

AJ1AJ2AJ3AJ4
AJ14AJ13AJ12AJ11AJ10AJ9AJ8AJ7AJ6AJ5
AJ15AJ16AJ17AJ18AJ19
Re-elected
AJ20
Re-elected
AJ21
Re-elected
AJ22
Hold
AJ23
Gain
AJ24*
Gain
Plurality →
J15
Re-elected
J16
Re-elected
J17*
Re-elected
J18
Re-elected
J19
Gain
J20
Gain
J21
Gain
N1N2
Re-elected
V1*
Loss
J14
Re-elected
J13J12J11J10J9J8J7J6J5
J1J2J3J4
Notes:
  • AJ24 (Virginia class 1 seat): John Tyler (J) was re-elected as an Anti-Jacksonian.
  • V1 (Louisiana class 2 seat): Winner was elected but resigned without having been seated.
  • J17 (Maine class 2 seat): Anti-Jacksonian incumbent resigned January 1, 1835, presumably before the election for the next term. A Jacksonian successor was elected January 20, 1835 to finish the term and for the next term. The seat is therefore labelled as a Jacksonian "re-election" in this table.
John Tyler 10th president of the United States

John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States from 1841 to 1845 after briefly being the tenth vice president (1841); he was elected to the latter office on the 1840 Whig ticket with President William Henry Harrison. Tyler ascended to the presidency after Harrison's death in April 1841, only a month after the start of the new administration. He was a stalwart supporter of states' rights, and as president he adopted nationalist policies only when they did not infringe on the powers of the states. His unexpected rise to the presidency, with the resulting threat to the presidential ambitions of Henry Clay and other politicians, left him estranged from both major political parties.

Key:
AJ#= Anti-Jacksonian
J#= Jacksonian
N#= Nullfier
V#= Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 23rd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1834 or before March 4, 1835; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Virginia
(Class 2)
William Rives Jacksonian 1832 (Special) Incumbent resigned February 22, 1834.
Successor elected February 26, 1834.
Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.
Anti-Jacksonian gain.
Benjamin W. Leigh (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Pennsylvania
(Class 3)
William Wilkins Jacksonian 1832 Incumbent resigned June 30, 1834 to become U.S. Minister to Russia.
Winner elected December 6, 1834.
Jacksonian hold.
James Buchanan (Jacksonian) 66 (49.62%) [1]
Amos Ellmaker (Anti-Jacksonian) 31 (23.31%)
James Clarke (Jacksonian) 26 (19.55%)
Joseph Lawrence (Anti-Jacksonian) 6 (4.51%)
Joel Sutherland (Jacksonian) 1 (0.75%)
Not voting 3 (2.26%)
Georgia
(Class 3)
John Forsyth Jacksonian 1829 (Special)
1831
Incumbent resigned June 27, 1834 to become U.S. Minister to Spain.
Winner elected January 12, 1835.
Jacksonian hold.
Alfred Cuthbert (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Maryland
(Class 3)
Ezekiel F. Chambers Anti-Jacksonian 1826 (Special)
1831
Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834 to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
Winner elected January 13, 1835.
Anti-Jacksonian hold.
Robert Henry Goldsborough (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Maine
(Class 2)
Peleg Sprague Anti-Jacksonian 1826 (Special)
1831
Incumbent resigned December 20, 1834 to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
Winner elected January 20, 1835.
Winner was also elected to the next term, see below.
Jacksonian gain.
John Ruggles (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]

Races leading to the 24th Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1835; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral
history
Alabama William R. King Jacksonian 1819
1822
1828
Incumbent re-elected in 1834.William R. King (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Delaware John M. Clayton Anti-Jacksonian 1827 (Special)
1829
Incumbent re-elected in 1835.John M. Clayton (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Georgia John Pendleton King Jacksonian 1833 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1834.John Pendleton King (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Illinois John M. Robinson Jacksonian 1830 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835.John M. Robinson (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Kentucky George M. Bibb Jacksonian 1829 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
Winner elected in 1835.
Anti-Jacksonian gain.
John J. Crittenden (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Louisiana George A. Waggaman Anti-Jacksonian 1831 (Special) Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
Winner elected in 1835, but due to ill-health, resigned without having been seated.
Anti-Jacksonian loss.
Charles Gayarré (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Maine John Ruggles Jacksonian 1835 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835 John Ruggles (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Massachusetts Nathaniel Silsbee Anti-Jacksonian 1826 (Special)
1828
Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in 1835.
Anti-Jacksonian hold.
John Davis (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Mississippi George Poindexter Anti-Jacksonian1830 (Appointed)
? (Special)
Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
Robert J. Walker (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
New Hampshire Samuel Bell Anti-Jacksonian 1823 Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
Henry Hubbard (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
New Jersey Theodore Frelinghuysen Anti-Jacksonian 1828 Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
Winner elected in 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
Garret D. Wall (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
North Carolina Bedford Brown Jacksonian 1829 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835.Bedford Brown (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Rhode Island Nehemiah R. Knight Anti-Jacksonian 1821 (Special)
1823
1829
Incumbent re-elected in 1835.Nehemiah R. Knight (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
South Carolina John C. Calhoun Nullifier 1832 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1834.John C. Calhoun (Nullifier)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Tennessee Hugh Lawson White Jacksonian 1825 (Special)
1829
Incumbent re-elected in 1835 as Anti-Jacksonian.
Anti-Jacksonian gain.
Hugh Lawson White (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]
Virginia Benjamin W. Leigh Anti-Jacksonian 1834 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1835.Benjamin W. Leigh (Anti-Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]

Special elections during the 24th Congress

In this special election, the winner was seated in 1835 after March 4; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Connecticut
(Class 1)
Nathan Smith Anti-Jacksonian 1832 Incumbent died December 6, 1835.
Successor elected December 21, 1835.
Jacksonian gain.
John M. Niles (Jacksonian)
[Data unknown/missing.]

See also

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The United States Senate elections of 1842 and 1843 were elections which had the Whigs lose seats but maintain control of the United States Senate. Although they lost three seats in the general elections, they gained two of them back by the start of the first session in special elections.

The United States Senate elections of 1840 and 1841 were elections which, corresponding with their Party's success in the 1840 presidential election, had the Whig Party take control of the United States Senate.

The United States Senate elections of 1838 and 1839 were elections which had the Democratic Party lose seven seats in the United States Senate, but still retain a majority.

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The United States Senate elections of 1832 and 1833 were elections that had the Anti-Jackson coalition assume control of the United States Senate from the Jacksonian coalition, despite Andrew Jackson's victory in the presidential election.

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References

  1. "U.S. Senate Election - 6 December 1834" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 22, 2013.