# 1856 Iowa Senate election

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In the 1856 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the sixth Iowa General Assembly. Following the expansion of the Iowa Senate from 31 to 36 seats in 1856, elections were held for 21 of the state senate's 36 seats. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.
The general election took place in 1856.
Following the previous election in 1854, Democrats had control of the Iowa Senate with 17 seats to Whigs' 14 seats. However, three changes occurred during the fifth general assembly. In the first district, Democratic Senator James M. Love resigned on July 1, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat that was filled by special election. Democrat David Trowbridge Brigham succeeded Senator Love, holding the seat for the Democrats. In the twentieth district, Democratic Senator Theophilus Bryan was originally declared the winner. However, the members of the Iowa Senate voted on January 7, 1855, to remove Senator Bryan and replace him with his Whig opponent, Senator James Cunningham Jordan, thereby flipping the seat to Whig control. In the twenty-fourth district, Democratic Senator John G. Shields died on June 25, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat. Therefore, by election day in 1856, the Democrats held 15 seats, the Whigs held 15 seats, and one seat was vacant (the seat that had been held by Democratic Senator John Shields).
Prior to the 1856 election, nearly all Whigs switched political party affiliation to become Republicans.
To claim control of the chamber from Democrats, the Republicans needed to garner 19 Senate seats.
Republicans claimed control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1856 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 23 seats, Democrats having 12 seats, and a lone seat for the Know Nothing Party (a net gain of 23 seats for Republicans and 1 seat for Know Nothings). This was the first time Democrats lost control of the chamber. Republican Senator William W. Hamilton was chosen as the President of the Iowa Senate for the sixth General Assembly, succeeding Democratic Senator Maturin L. Fisher in that leadership position.
The 1856 general election was the first in which the Iowa Senate's districts expanded to cover all the land area currently recognized as Iowa.

## 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 |
| 2nd | Milton D. Browning | | Whig | David Trowbridge Brigham | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 2nd | William F. Coolbaugh | | Dem | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict | Obsolete subdistrict |
| 4th | William Greyer Coop | | Dem | William F. Coolbaugh | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 4th | John Park | | Whig | Lyman Cook | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 5th | Alvin Saunders | | Whig | Henry Hoffman Trimble | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 6th | James C. Ramsey | | Dem | William M. Reed | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 7th | Daniel A. Anderson | | Whig | Alvin Saunders | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 8th | Samuel Goslee McAchran | | Whig | James C. Ramsey | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 9th | Nathan Udell | | Dem | Daniel A. Anderson | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 10th | James D. Test | | Dem | John Wesley Warner | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 11th | George Washington Lucas | | Dem | Samuel Dale | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 12th | Hiram Thomas Cleaver | | Dem | James D. Test | | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 13th | James Latimer Hogin | | Whig | Hiram Thomas Cleaver | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 14th | John R. Needham | | Whig | Charles Foster | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 15th | Jefferson David Hillis | | Whig | James Latimer Hogin | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 16th | Ambrose Cowperthwaite Fulton | | Whig | William A. Loughridge | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 17th | George W. Wilkinson | | Whig | Jairus Edward Neal | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 18th | Julius J. Matthews | | Whig | Marquis Lafayette McPherson | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 19th | Samuel Workman | | Dem | George W. Wilkinson | | Know Nothing | Know Nothing Gain |
| 20th | Theophilus Bryan | | Dem | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 20th | James Cunningham Jordan | | Whig | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 21st | Elisha F. Clark | | Dem | Nicholas John Rusch | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 22nd | Joseph Birge | | Dem | Jonathan Wright Cattell | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 23rd | Isaac Mosher Preston | | Dem | Julius J. Matthews | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 24th | Maturin L. Fisher | | Dem | William George Thompson | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 24th | John G. Shields | | Dem | William George Thompson | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 24th | William W. Hamilton | | Whig | William George Thompson | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 25th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | George McCoy | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 26th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Josiah Bushnell Grinnell | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 27th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | James Cunningham Jordan | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 28th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Jeremiah W. Jenkins | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 29th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Joseph Birge | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 30th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | William G. Stewart | | Dem | Dem Gain |
| 31st | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | William W. Hamilton | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 32nd | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Henry B. Carter | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 33rd | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Aaron Brown | | Rep | Rep Gain |
| 34th | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Jeremiah T. Atkins | | Rep | Rep Gain |
Source:
* 1 2 Following the 1854 Iowa Senate election, Democrats held 17 seats to Whigs' 14. However, three changes occurred during the fifth general assembly. In the first district, Democratic Senator James M. Love resigned on July 1, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat that was filled by special election. Democrat David Trowbridge Brigham succeeded Senator Love, holding the seat for the Democrats. In the twentieth district, Democratic Senator Theophilus Bryan was originally declared the winner. However, the members of the Iowa Senate voted on January 7, 1855 to remove Senator Bryan and replace him with his Whig opponent, Senator James Cunningham Jordan, thereby flipping the seat to Whig control. In the twenty-fourth district, Democratic Senator John G. Shields died on June 25, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat. Therefore, by election day in 1856, the Democrats held 15 seats, the Whigs held 15 seats, and one seat was vacant (the seat that had been held by Democratic Senator John Shields).
* 1 2 3 4 The Iowa Senate expanded from 31 seats to 36 seats following the 1856 general election.
* 1 2 3 Nearly all Whigs switched political party to become Republicans.
* 1 2 Senator Maturin L. Fisher of Clayton County was chosen to be the sixth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the fifth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Senator William E. Leffingwell in that leadership position.
* 1 2 Republican Senator William W. Hamilton of Dubuque County was chosen to be the seventh President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the sixth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Democratic Senator Maturin L. Fisher in that leadership position. Senator Hamilton was the first Republican to serve as President of the Senate (all the previous Senate Presidents had been Democrats). Following Hamilton's one term as President of the Iowa Senate, Article IV, section 18, of the Constitution of Iowa was enacted & 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.
* ↑ At the time, the Iowa Senate had several multi-member districts.
* ↑ Senator George W. Wilkinson was a holdover incumbent senator not up for re-election. Nonetheless, he switched political parties from Whig to Know Nothing.
* ↑ The second district transitioned from a 2- to 1-member district.
* ↑ Senator Browning was redistricted from district 2 to 4.
* ↑ Democrat David Trowbridge Brigham succeeded Senator James M. Love to fill the remainder of an unexpired term. As an incumbent, Brigham was redistricted from district 1 to 2. The first district transitioned from a 3- to 2-member district, and the other two senators in the first district were holdover senators not up for re-election. Brigham was elected to a full term in 1856 to represent the second district.
* 1 2 Senator Coolbaugh was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 2 to 4.
* ↑ The fourth district was a 2-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Coop was redistricted from district 4 to 6.
* ↑ The fifth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Alvin Saunders was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 5 to 7. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ The sixth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Ramsey was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 6 to 8.
* ↑ The seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Anderson was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 7 to 9. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ The eighth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator McAchran was redistricted from district 8 to 5.
* ↑ The ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Udell was redistricted from district 9 to 10.
* ↑ The tenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Test was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 10 to 12.
* ↑ The eleventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ The twelfth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Cleaver was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 12 to 13. He switched parties from Democrat to Republican.
* ↑ The thirteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Hogin was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 13 to 15. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ The fourteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator John R. Needham was redistricted from district 14 to 16.
* ↑ The fifteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Hillis was redistricted from district 15 to 17.
* ↑ The sixteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Fulton was redistricted from district 16 to 21.
* ↑ The seventeenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Wilkinson was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 17 to 19. He switched parties from Whig to Know Nothing.
* ↑ The eighteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Matthews was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 18 to 23. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ The nineteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Workman was redistricted from district 19 to 20.
* ↑ The twentieth district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Bryan was originally deemed to be elected to the seat. However, on January 7, 1855, he was removed by a vote of the members of the Iowa Senate and replaced by Senator Jordan of the Whig Party.
* ↑ Senator Bryan was originally deemed to be elected to the seat. However, on January 7, 1855, he was removed by a vote of the members of the Iowa Senate and replaced by Senator Jordan of the Whig Party.
* 1 2 Senator Jordan was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 20 to 27. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ The twenty-first district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Clark was redistricted from district 21 to 28/29.
* ↑ The twenty-second district was a 1-member district at the time.
* 1 2 Senator Birge was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 22 to 29.
* ↑ The twenty-third district was a 1-member district at the time.
* ↑ Senator Preston was redistricted from district 23 to 24/25.
* ↑ The twenty-fourth district transitioned from a 3- to 1-member district. Senator Fisher was redistricted from district 24 to 32. Senator Shields died on June 25, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat. Senator Hamilton was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 24 to 31. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ Senator Fisher was redistricted from district 24 to 32.
* ↑ Senator Shields died on June 25, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat.
* 1 2 Senator Hamilton was an incumbent holdover senator not up for re-election. Instead, he was redistricted from district 24 to 31. He switched parties from Whig to Republican.
* ↑ The twenty-fifth district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The twenty-sixth district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The twenty-seventh district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The twenty-eighth district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The twenty-ninth district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The thirtieth district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The thirty-first district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The thirty-second district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The thirty-third district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The thirty-fourth district was a newly created 1-member district.

## Detailed Results

* NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not provide detailed vote totals for Iowa State Senate elections in 1856.