# 1820–21 United States Senate elections

The 1820–21 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, corresponding with James Monroe's landslide re-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 1820 and 1821, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
The Democratic-Republican Party gain one-to-five seats (in the general and special elections), assuming almost complete control of the Senate.

## Results summary

Senate party division, 17th Congress (1821–1823)
* Majority party: Democratic-Republican (39–43)
* Minority party: Federalist (4)
* Vacant: (3–1)
* Total seats: 46–48

## Change in composition
### Before the elections

Composition after the June 13 and 14, 1820 elections in Maine.
| | | | | | | | DR$_1$ Maine New seat | DR$_2$ | DR$_3$ |
| DR$_{13}$ | DR$_{12}$ | DR$_{11}$ | DR$_{10}$ | DR$_9$ | DR$_8$ | DR$_7$ | DR$_6$ | DR$_5$ | DR$_4$ |
| DR$_{14}$ | DR$_{15}$ | DR$_{16}$ | DR$_{17}$ | DR$_{18}$ | DR$_{19}$ | DR$_{20}$ | DR$_{21}$ | DR$_{22}$ | DR$_{23}$ |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | DR$_{24}$ |
| DR$_{33}$ N.Y. Ran | DR$_{32}$ N.J. Ran | DR$_{31}$ Miss. Ran | DR$_{30}$ Md. Ran | DR$_{29}$ Maine New seat Ran | DR$_{28}$ Ind. Ran | DR$_{27}$ | DR$_{26}$ | DR$_{25}$ | DR$_{24}$ |
| DR$_{34}$ Ohio Ran | DR$_{35}$ Va. Ran | DR$_{36}$ Pa. Unknown | DR$_{37}$ Tenn. Unknown | F$_9$ Vt. Retired | F$_8$ Del. Retired | F$_7$ R.I. Unknown | F$_6$ Mass. Ran | F$_5$ Conn. Ran | F$_4$ |
| | | | | | | | F$_1$ | F$_2$ | F$_3$ |

### Result of the general elections

| | | | | | | | DR$_1$ | DR$_2$ | DR$_3$ |
| DR$_{13}$ | DR$_{12}$ | DR$_{11}$ | DR$_{10}$ | DR$_9$ | DR$_8$ | DR$_7$ | DR$_6$ | DR$_5$ | DR$_4$ |
| DR$_{14}$ | DR$_{15}$ | DR$_{16}$ | DR$_{17}$ | DR$_{18}$ | DR$_{19}$ | DR$_{20}$ | DR$_{21}$ | DR$_{22}$ | DR$_{23}$ |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | DR$_{24}$ |
| DR$_{33}$ Va. Re-elected | DR$_{32}$ Ohio Re-elected | DR$_{31}$ Miss. Re-elected | DR$_{30}$ Md. Re-elected | DR$_{29}$ Maine Re-elected | DR$_{28}$ Ind. Re-elected | DR$_{27}$ | DR$_{26}$ | DR$_{25}$ | DR$_{24}$ |
| DR$_{34}$ N.J. Hold | DR$_{35}$ N.Y. Hold | DR$_{36}$ Conn. Gain | DR$_{37}$ R.I. Gain | DR$_{38}$ Vt. Gain | V$_1$ Pa. DR loss | V$_2$ Tenn. DR loss | V$_3$ Del. F loss | F$_5$ Mass. Re-elected | F$_4$ |
| | | | | | | | F$_1$ | F$_2$ | F$_3$ |

### Result of the special elections in the next Congress

| | | | | | | DR$_1$ Mo. New seat | DR$_2$ Mo. New seat | DR$_3$ | DR$_4$ Ga. Hold |
| DR$_{14}$ | DR$_{13}$ | DR$_{12}$ | DR$_{11}$ | DR$_{10}$ | DR$_9$ | DR$_8$ | DR$_7$ | DR$_6$ | DR$_5$ |
| DR$_{15}$ | DR$_{16}$ | DR$_{17}$ | DR$_{18}$ | DR$_{19}$ | DR$_{20}$ | DR$_{21}$ | DR$_{22}$ | DR$_{23}$ | DR$_{24}$ |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | DR$_{25}$ |
| DR$_{34}$ | DR$_{33}$ | DR$_{32}$ | DR$_{31}$ | DR$_{30}$ | DR$_{29}$ | DR$_{28}$ | DR$_{27}$ | DR$_{26}$ | DR$_{25}$ |
| DR$_{35}$ | DR$_{36}$ | DR$_{37}$ | DR$_{38}$ | DR$_{39}$ | DR$_{40}$ | DR$_{41}$ Pa. Gain | DR$_{42}$ Tenn. Gain | V$_1$ | F$_5$ |
| | | | | | | F$_1$ | F$_2$ | F$_3$ | F$_4$ |
| Key: | DR$_#$ Democratic-Republican F$_#$ Federalist V$_#$ Vacant |

## Race summaries

Bold states link to specific election articles.

### Special elections during the preceding Congress

In these special elections, the winner was elected during 1820 or before March 4, 1821; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| New York (Class 3) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect in 1818/1819. Previous incumbent was elected January 8, 1820. Federalist gain. | ▌Y Rufus King (Federalist) Unanimous |
| Massachusetts (Class 1) | Prentiss Mellen | Federalist | 1820 (special) | Incumbent resigned to become Chief Justice of Maine. New senator elected June 12, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Federalist hold. | ▌Y Elijah H. Mills (Federalist) [data missing] |
| Maine (Class 1) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | New senator elected June 13, 1820 on the second ballot. Winner was also elected to the next term. Democratic-Republican gain. | First ballot: ▌Y John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) 110 ▌Y John Chandler (Democratic-Republican) 93 ▌Y Joshua Wingate Jr. (Unknown) 84 ▌A. K. Parris (Democratic-Republican) 35 ▌Ezekiel Whitman (Federalist) 4 ▌James Neal (Unknown) 1 Second ballot: ▌Y John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) 95 ▌Joshua Wingate Jr. (Unknown) 79 |
| Maine (Class 2) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | New senator elected June 14, 1820. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y John Chandler (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Mississippi (Class 1) | Walter Leake | Democratic- Republican | 1817 | Incumbent resigned May 15, 1820. New senator elected August 30, 1820. Winner was also elected to the next term. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y David Holmes (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Kentucky (Class 3) | William Logan | Democratic- Republican | 1818 | Incumbent resigned May 28, 1820 to run for Governor of Kentucky. New senator elected October 19, 1820. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Isham Talbot (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Rhode Island (Class 2) | James Burrill Jr. | Federalist | 1816 | Incumbent died December 25, 1820. New senator elected January 9, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y Nehemiah R. Knight (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |

### Races leading to the next Congress

In these general elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1821; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Connecticut | Samuel Dana | Federalist | 1810 (special) 1814 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected March 4, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y Elijah Boardman (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Delaware | Outerbridge Horsey | Federalist | 1810 (special) 1815 | Incumbent retired. Legislature failed to elect. Federalist loss. A Democratic-Republican was later elected in 1822. | [data missing] |
| Indiana | James Noble | Democratic- Republican | 1816 | Incumbent re-elected in 1821. | ▌Y James Noble (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Maine | John Holmes | Democratic- Republican | 1820 | Incumbent re-elected January 31, 1821. | ▌Y John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Maryland | William Pinkney | Democratic- Republican | 1819 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. | ▌Y William Pinkney (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Massachusetts | Elijah H. Mills | Federalist | 1820 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820. | ▌Y Elijah H. Mills (Federalist) 65.3% ▌Benjamin W. Crowninshield (Democratic-Republican) 31.3% Scattering 3.3% |
| Mississippi | David Holmes | Democratic- Republican | 1820 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. | ▌Y David Holmes (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| New Jersey | James J. Wilson | Democratic- Republican | 1815 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected November 11, 1820. Democratic-Republican hold. Incumbent then resigned January 8, 1821, and winner was appointed to finish the term. | ▌Y Samuel L. Southard (Democratic-Republican) 55.6% ▌James J. Wilson (Democratic-Republican) 44.4% |
| New York | Nathan Sanford | Democratic- Republican | 1809 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected February 6, 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Martin Van Buren (Democratic-Republican) ▌Nathan Sanford (Democratic-Republican) |
| Ohio | Benjamin Ruggles | Democratic- Republican | 1815 | Incumbent re-elected in 1820 or 1821. | ▌Y Benjamin Ruggles (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Pennsylvania | Jonathan Roberts | Democratic- Republican | 1814 (special) 1814 | Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. New senator would later be elected in 1821. | [data missing] |
| Rhode Island | William Hunter | Federalist | 1811 (special) 1814 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1820 or 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y James DeWolf (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Tennessee | John H. Eaton | Democratic- Republican | 1818 (appointed) 1819 (special) | Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. New senator would later be elected September 27, 1821; see below. | [data missing] |
| Vermont | Isaac Tichenor | Federalist | 1796 (special) 1796 1797 (resigned) 1814 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y Horatio Seymour (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Virginia | James Barbour | Democratic- Republican | 1814 (special) 1814 | Incumbent re-elected in 1821. | ▌Y James Barbour (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |

### Special elections during the next Congress

In this special election, the winner was elected in 1821 after March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Missouri (Class 1) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | New senator elected August 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y Thomas H. Benton (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Missouri (Class 3) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | New senator elected August 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y David Barton (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Tennessee (Class 1) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator re-elected late September 27, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y John H. Eaton (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Georgia (Class 2) | Freeman Walker | Democratic- Republican | 1819 (special) | Incumbent resigned August 6, 1821. New senator elected November 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican hold. | ▌Y Nicholas Ware (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |
| Pennsylvania (Class 1) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected December 10, 1821. Democratic-Republican gain. | ▌Y William Findlay (Democratic-Republican) [data missing] |

## Maine

John Holmes (Democratic-Republican) was elected as one of the new states first pair of senators whose terms began with June 13, 1820, statehood. He was elected to the class 1 seat's short term, which ended March 3, 1821, and was re-elected January 31, 1821, to the term starting March 4, 1821.
John Chandler (Democratic-Republican) as elected to the class 2 seat's long term, and his term would end March 3, 1823.

## Maryland

William Pinkney won election by an unknown number of votes, for the Class 1 seat.