# 1869 Iowa Senate election

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In the 1869 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the thirteenth Iowa General Assembly. Following the expansion of the Iowa Senate from 49 to 50 seats in 1869, elections were held for 21 of the state senate's 50 seats. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.
The general election took place on October 12, 1869.
Following the previous election in 1867, Republicans had control of the Iowa Senate with 40 seats to Democrats' eight seats and a lone member from the People's Party. However, three changes occurred during the twelfth general assembly. In the tenth district, Republican Senator Charles Leopold Matthies died on October 16, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat. In the eighteenth district, Republican Senator John R. Needham died on July 9, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat. In the twenty-fourth district, Republican Senator William Penn Wolf resigned on March 3, 1869, causing a vacancy in his seat. All three seats were left vacant until the next election. Therefore, by election day in 1869, the Republicans held 37 seats, the Democrats held 8 seats, there was a lone People's Party member, and three seats were vacant (all the vacancies had been held by Republicans).
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 18 Senate seats.
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 43 seats and Democrats having seven seats (a net gain of 6 seats for Republicans).

## Summary of Results

* Note: The holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.
| Senate District | Incumbent | Party | Party | Elected Senator | Party | Party | Outcome |
| 1st | Nathaniel Hedges | | Dem | Exum Sumner McCulloch | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 1st | Joseph Hollman | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 2nd | Eliab Doud | | Rep | Jacob Garretson Vale | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 4th | Madison Miner Walden | | Rep | William Fields Vermillion | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 5th | James D. Wright | | Rep | Edward M. Bill | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 6th | Edward M. Bill | | Rep | James D. Wright | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 10th | Charles Leopold Matthies | | Rep | Charles Beardsley | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 11th | Theron Webb Woolson | | Rep | John Patterson West | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 14th | James M. Robertson | | Rep | James Simpson Hurley | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 16th | John Abbott Parvin | | Rep | Samuel McNutt | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 17th | John C. Johnson | | Rep | Joseph W. Havens | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 18th | John R. Needham | | Rep | John Nicholas Dixon | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 19th | Thomas McMillan | | Rep | John M. Cathcart | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 21st | Joseph Rea Reed | | Rep | Benjamin Franklin Murray | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 22nd | Andrew McCune Larimer | | Rep | Hans Reimer Claussen | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 22nd | W. W. Cones | | People's | Robert Lowry | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 23rd | John Henry Smith | | Rep | Alexander Baird Ireland | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 27th | John Meyer | | Rep | Joseph Dysart | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 28th | Jonathan Wright Cattell | | Rep | Frank T. Campbell | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 29th | Lewis Brigham Dunham | | Dem | Benjamin Franklin Allen | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 30th | Sewall Spaulding Farwell | | Rep | Lewis Brigham Dunham | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 31st | Robert Smyth | | Rep | John McKean | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 32nd | James Chapin | | Rep | Robert Smyth | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 33rd | Wells Sylvanus Rice | | Rep | James Chapin | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 34th | Frederick M. Knoll | | Dem | Wells Sylvanus Rice | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 34th | Benjamin Billings Richards | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 35th | Joseph Grimes | | Rep | Frederick M. Knoll | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 35th | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Michael B. Mulkern | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 36th | William G. Donnan | | Rep | Joseph Grimes | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 37th | Homer E. Newell | | Rep | William G. Donnan | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 38th | William Larrabee | | Rep | George William Couch | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 39th | Marcus Tuttle | | Rep | Homer E. Newell | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 40th | James B. Powers | | Rep | William Larrabee | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 44th | Isaac J. Mitchell | | Rep | Emmons Johnson | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 45th | Theodore Hawley | | Rep | Isaac J. Mitchell | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 46th | Addison Oliver | | Rep | Marcus Tuttle | | Rep | Rep Hold |
| 47th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Theodore Hawley | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 48th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Charles Atkins | | Rep | Rep Gain |
Source:
* 1 2 3 Following the 1867 Iowa Senate election, Republicans held 40 seats to Democrats' 8 and a lone seat held by a People's Party member. However, three changes occurred during the twelfth general assembly. In the tenth district, Republican Senator Charles Leopold Matthies died on October 16, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat. In the eighteenth district, Republican Senator John R. Needham died on July 9, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat. In the twenty-fourth district, Republican Senator William Penn Wolf resigned on March 3, 1869, causing a vacancy in his seat. All three seats were left vacant until the next election. Therefore, by election day in 1869, the Republicans held 37 seats, the Democrats held 8 seats, there was a lone People's Party member, and three seats were vacant (all the vacancies had been held by Republicans).
* 1 2 3 4 The Iowa Senate expanded from 49 seats to 50 seats following the 1869 general election.
* 1 2 Article IV, section 18, of the Constitution of Iowa at that time established that the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa shall perform the duties of the President of the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor performed the duties of President of the Senate from January 11, 1858 through January 14, 1991. As of 1991, duties of Iowa's Lieutenant Governor no longer include presiding over the state Senate.
* ↑ As Lieutenant Governor, John Scott was the thirteenth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the twelfth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Republican Benjamin F. Gue in that leadership position.
* ↑ As the next Lieutenant Governor, Henry Clay Bulis was the fourteenth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the thirteenth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Republican John Scott in that leadership position.
* ↑ At the time, the Iowa Senate had several multi-member districts.
* ↑ The first district transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
* ↑ The second district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The fourth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The fifth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Wright was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 5 to 6.
* 1 2 Senator Bill was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 6 to 5.
* ↑ The sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The tenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ In the tenth district, Republican Senator Charles Leopold Matthies died on October 16, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat.
* ↑ The eleventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The fourteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The sixteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The seventeenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The eighteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Needham died on July 9, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat.
* ↑ The nineteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twenty-first district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twenty-second district was a 2-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twenty-third district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twenty-seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twenty-eighth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twenty-ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Dunham was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 29 to 30.
* ↑ The thirtieth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The thirty-first district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Smyth was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 31 to 32.
* ↑ The thirty-second district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Chapin was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 32 to 33.
* ↑ The thirty-third district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Rice was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 33 to 34.
* ↑ The thirty-fourth district transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
* 1 2 Senator Knoll was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 34 to 35.
* ↑ Senator Richards was an incumbent who was up for re-election. He was redistricted from district 34 to 35.
* ↑ The thirty-fifth district transitioned from a 1- to 2-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Grimes was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 35 to 36.
* ↑ On February 8, 1871, Senator Mulkern died, causing a vacancy.
* ↑ The thirty-sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Donnan was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 36 to 37.
* ↑ The thirty-seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Newell was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 37 to 39.
* ↑ The thirty-eighth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Larrabee was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 38 to 40.
* ↑ The thirty-ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Tuttle was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 39 to 46.
* ↑ The fortieth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The forty-fourth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Mitchell was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 44 to 45.
* ↑ The forty-fifth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Hawley was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 45 to 47.
* ↑ The forty-sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The forty-seventh district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The forty-eighth district was a newly created 1-member district at the time.

## Detailed Results

* NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not provide detailed vote totals for Iowa State Senate elections in 1869.