# 1844–45 United States Senate elections

The 1844–45 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with James K. Polk's 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 1844 and 1845, 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 Party re-captured control of the Senate, gaining a net total of eleven seats from the Whigs.

## Results summary

Senate party division, 29th Congress (1845–1847)
* Majority party: Democratic (26–31)
* Minority party: Whig (24)
* Other parties: (0–1)
* Vacant: (4–2)
* Total seats: 54–58

## Change in Senate composition
### Before the elections

| | | | | D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ |
| D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_9$ | D$_8$ | D$_7$ |
| D$_{17}$ | D$_{18}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{20}$ Ran | D$_{21}$ Ran | D$_{22}$ Ran | D$_{23}$ Ran | D$_{24}$ Retired | LO$_1$ Retired | W$_{27}$ Retired |
| W$_{27}$ Retired |||||||||
| W$_{17}$ Ran | W$_{18}$ Ran | W$_{19}$ Ran | W$_{20}$ Ran | W$_{21}$ Unknown | W$_{22}$ Unknown | W$_{23}$ Retired | W$_{24}$ Retired | W$_{25}$ Retired | W$_{26}$ Retired |
| W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ | W$_{10}$ | W$_9$ | W$_8$ | W$_7$ |
| | | | | W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ |

### Result of the elections

| | | | D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ | D$_7$ |
| D$_{17}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_9$ | D$_8$ |
| D$_{18}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{20}$ Re-elected | D$_{21}$ Re-elected | D$_{22}$ Re-elected | D$_{23}$ Re-elected | D$_{24}$ Gain | D$_{25}$ Gain | D$_{26}$ Gain | D$_{27}$ Gain |
| D$_{27}$ Gain |||||||||
| W$_{18}$ Re-elected | W$_{19}$ Re-elected | W$_{20}$ Hold | W$_{21}$ Hold | W$_{22}$ Hold | W$_{23}$ Gain | W$_{24}$ Gain | V$_1$ W Loss | V$_2$ New seat | V$_3$ New seat |
| W$_{17}$ Re-elected | W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ | W$_{10}$ | W$_9$ | W$_8$ |
| | | | W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ | W$_7$ |

### Beginning of the next Congress

| | | | D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ | D$_7$ |
| D$_{17}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_9$ | D$_8$ |
| D$_{18}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{20}$ | D$_{21}$ | D$_{22}$ | D$_{23}$ | D$_{24}$ | D$_{25}$ | D$_{26}$ | V$_4$ D Loss |
| V$_4$ D Loss |||||||||
| W$_{18}$ | W$_{19}$ | W$_{20}$ | W$_{21}$ | W$_{22}$ | W$_{23}$ | W$_{24}$ | V$_1$ | V$_2$ | V$_3$ |
| W$_{17}$ | W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ | W$_{10}$ | W$_9$ | W$_8$ |
| | | | W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ | W$_7$ |

### Beginning of the first session of the next Congress (December 1, 1845)

| | | | D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ | D$_7$ |
| D$_{17}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_9$ | D$_8$ |
| D$_{18}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{20}$ | D$_{21}$ | D$_{22}$ | D$_{23}$ | D$_{24}$ Hold | D$_{25}$ Hold | D$_{26}$ Hold | D$_{27}$ Gain |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | D$_{28}$ Gain |
| W$_{18}$ | W$_{19}$ | W$_{20}$ | W$_{21}$ | W$_{22}$ | W$_{23}$ Hold | W$_{24}$ Hold | D$_{30}$ Gain | D$_{29}$ Gain | D$_{28}$ Gain |
| W$_{17}$ | W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ | W$_{10}$ | W$_9$ | W$_8$ |
| | | | W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ | W$_7$ |
| Key: | D$_#$ Democratic LO$_#$ Law and Order W$_#$ Whig V$_#$ Vacant |

## Race summaries
### Special elections during the 28th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1844 or in 1845 before March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Rhode Island (Class 1) | William Sprague | Whig | 1842 (special) | Incumbent resigned January 17, 1844. New senator elected January 25, 1844. Law and Order gain. | ▌Y John B. Francis (Law and Order) 67 votes ▌ Christopher Spencer (Liberation) 26 votes |
| Louisiana (Class 3) | Alexander Porter | Whig | 1833 (special) 1837 (resigned) 1843 | Incumbent died January 13, 1844. New senator elected February 12, 1844. Whig hold. | ▌Y Henry Johnson (Whig) [data missing] |
| Arkansas (Class 2) | William S. Fulton | Democratic | 1836 (special) 1840 | Incumbent died August 15, 1844. New senator elected November 8, 1844. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Chester Ashley (Democratic) [data missing] |
| New York (Class 1) | Daniel S. Dickinson | Democratic | 1844 (appointed) | Appointee elected January 18, 1845. Winner was later be elected to the next term; see below. | ▌Y Daniel S. Dickinson (Democratic) 27 ▌Millard Fillmore (Whig) 3 ▌Jonathan Thompson (American Republican) 1 |
| New York (Class 3) | Henry A. Foster | Democratic | 1844 (appointed) | Appointee retired or lost election. New senator elected January 18, 1845. Democratic hold. | ▌Y John Adams Dix (Democratic) 27 ▌Willis Hall (Whig) 3 ▌Harman B. Cropsey (American Republican) 1 |

### Races leading to the 29th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1845; 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 | Jabez W. Huntington | Whig | 1840 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1844 or 1845. | ▌Y Jabez W. Huntington (Whig) [data missing] |
| Delaware | Richard H. Bayard | Whig | 1836 (special) 1838 or 1839 1839 (resigned) 1841 (special) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1845. Whig hold. | ▌Y John M. Clayton (Whig) [data missing] |
| Florida | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Florida was admitted March 3, 1845, but elected its first Class 1 senator late, during the next Congress. Seat remained vacant. | None. |
| Indiana | Albert White | Whig | 1838 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1844. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Jesse D. Bright (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Maine | John Fairfield | Democratic | 1843 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1844 or 1845. | ▌Y John Fairfield (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Maryland | William Merrick | Whig | 1838 (special) 1839 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1844 or 1845. Whig hold. | ▌Y Reverdy Johnson (Whig) [data missing] |
| Massachusetts | Rufus Choate | Whig | 1841 (special) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1845. Whig hold. | ▌Y Daniel Webster (Whig) [data missing] |
| Michigan | Augustus S. Porter | Whig | 1840 (special) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1844 or 1845. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Lewis Cass (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Mississippi | John Henderson | Whig | 1838 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost. New senator elected in 1844. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Jesse Speight (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Missouri | Thomas H. Benton | Democratic | 1821 1827 1833 1839 | Incumbent re-elected in 1845. | ▌Y Thomas H. Benton (Democratic) [data missing] |
| New Jersey | William L. Dayton | Whig | 1842 (appointed) ? (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1845. | ▌Y William L. Dayton (Whig) |
| New York | Daniel S. Dickinson | Democratic | 1844 (appointed) 1845 (special) | Incumbent re-elected February 4, 1845. | ▌Y Daniel S. Dickinson (Democratic) 25 ▌John C. Clark (Whig) 4 |
| Ohio | Benjamin Tappan | Democratic | 1838 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected December 5, 1844. Whig gain. | ▌Y Thomas Corwin (Whig) ▌David T. Disney (Democratic) 46 votes Ebenezer Lane 1 vote. |
| Pennsylvania | Daniel Sturgeon | Democratic | 1840 | Incumbent re-elected January 14, 1845. | ▌Y Daniel Sturgeon (Democratic) 54.14% ▌James Cooper (Whig) 36.84% ▌John Ashmead (Know Nothing) 3.76% ▌E. W. Keyser (Know Nothing) 1.50% ▌Jacob Broom (Know Nothing) 0.75% ▌E. C. Reigert (Know Nothing) 0.75% ▌John Sergeant (Whig) 0.75% Not voting 1.50% |
| Rhode Island | John B. Francis | Law and Order | 1844 (special) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1844 or 1845. Whig gain. | ▌Y Albert C. Greene (Whig) [data missing] |
| Tennessee | Ephraim H. Foster | Whig | 1838 (special) 1839 (re-elected, but resigned) 1843 (special) | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1844. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Hopkins L. Turney (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Vermont | Samuel S. Phelps | Whig | 1839 | Incumbent re-elected in 1845. | ▌Y Samuel S. Phelps (Whig) [data missing] |
| Virginia | William C. Rives | Whig | 1832 (special) 1834 (resigned) 1836 (special) 1839 (failure to elect) 1841 (special) | Legislature failed to elect. Whig loss. | [data missing] |

### Special elections during the 29th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were elected in 1845 after March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Pennsylvania (Class 3) | James Buchanan | Democratic | 1834 (special) 1836 1843 | Incumbent resigned March 5, 1845, to become U.S. Secretary of State. New senator elected March 13, 1845. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Simon Cameron (Democratic) 50.38% ▌George W. Woodward (Democratic) 41.35% ▌J. R. Ingersoll (Whig) 1.50% ▌John Banks (Whig) 0.75% ▌Peter A. Brown (Know Nothing) 0.75% ▌Thomas S. Bell (Unknown) 0.75% ▌T. D. Cochran (Whig) 0.75% Not voting 3.76% |
| Massachusetts (Class 2) | Isaac C. Bates | Whig | 1841 (special) 1841 | Incumbent died March 16, 1845. New senator elected March 24, 1845. Whig hold. | ▌Y John Davis (Whig) [data missing] |
| Florida (Class 1) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Florida was admitted March 3, 1845. Its first senators were elected July 1, 1845. Democratic gain. | ▌Y David Levy Yulee (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Florida (Class 3) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Florida was admitted March 3, 1845. Its first senators were elected July 1, 1845. Democratic gain. | ▌Y James Westcott (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Georgia (Class 2) | John M. Berrien | Whig | 1825 1829 (resigned) 1840 | Incumbent resigned in May 1845 to become judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He did not remain on the court, and was re-elected November 13, 1845. Whig hold. | ▌Y John M. Berrien (Whig) [data missing] |
| South Carolina (Class 2) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Incumbent Daniel E. Huger (D) had resigned in the previous Congress. New senator was elected November 26, 1845. Democratic hold. | ▌Y John C. Calhoun (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Virginia (Class 1) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected late December 3, 1845. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Isaac S. Pennybacker (Democratic) [data missing] |

## Maryland

Reverdy Johnson won election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.

## New York

There were three elections: Two special elections were held on January 18, 1845, and one regular election was held on February 4, 1845.
The 68th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 14, 1845.

### New York (special, class 1)

Nathaniel P. Tallmadge had been re-elected in 1840 to the Class 1 seat (term 1839–1845), but resigned June 17, 1844, to become Governor of Wisconsin Territory. On November 30, Governor of New York William C. Bouck appointed his Democratic Lieutenant Governor Daniel S. Dickinson to fill the vacancy temporarily, and Dickinson was seated December 9, 1844.
January 18, 1845, United States Senator special election, Class 1 :
| House | Democratic | Democratic | Whig | Whig | American Republican | American Republican |
| State Senate (32 members) | Y Daniel S. Dickinson | 27 | Millard Fillmore | 3 | Jonathan Thompson | 1 |
| State Assembly (128 members) | Y Daniel S. Dickinson | | | | | |

### New York (special, class 3)

Silas Wright Jr. had been re-elected in 1843 to the Class 3 seat (term 1843–1849), but resigned November 26, 1844, when elected Governor of New York. On November 30, Governor Bouck appointed Democratic State Senator Henry A. Foster to fill the vacancy temporarily, and Foster took his seat on December 9, 1844.
January 18, 1845, United States Senator special election, Class 3 :
| House | Democratic | Democratic | Whig | Whig | American Republican | American Republican |
| State Senate (32 members) | Y John Adams Dix | 27 | Willis Hall | 3 | Harman B. Cropsey | 1 |
| State Assembly (128 members) | Y John Adams Dix | | | | | |
Dix took his seat on January 27, 1845, and remained in office until March 3, 1849, when his term expired.

### New York (regular)

February 4, 1845, United States Senator election, Class 1 :
| House | Democratic | Democratic | Whig | Whig |
| State Senate (32 members) | Y Daniel S. Dickinson | 25 | John C. Clark | 4 |
| State Assembly (128 members) | Y Daniel S. Dickinson | | | |
Dickinson re-took his seat under the new credentials on January 27, 1845, and re-elected, remained in office until March 3, 1851, when his term expired.

## Pennsylvania
### Pennsylvania (regular)

The regular election was held January 14, 1845. Incumbent Daniel Sturgeon was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 14, 1845, to elect a Senator to serve the term beginning on March 4, 1845. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
State Legislature Results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Daniel Sturgeon (Incumbent) | 72 | 54.14 |
| | Whig | James Cooper | 49 | 36.84 |
| | Know Nothing | John Ashmead | 5 | 3.76 |
| | Know Nothing | E. W. Keyser | 2 | 1.50 |
| | Know Nothing | Jacob Broom | 1 | 0.75 |
| | Know Nothing | E. C. Reigert | 1 | 0.75 |
| | Whig | John Sergeant | 1 | 0.75 |
| | N/A | Not voting | 2 | 1.50 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 133 | 100.00% |

### Pennsylvania (special)

A special election was held March 13, 1845. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. Democratic future-U.S. president James Buchanan was elected in an 1834 special election and was re-elected in 1836 and 1843.
Senator Buchanan resigned on March 5, 1845, after being appointed U.S. Secretary of State by President James K. Polk.
Following the resignation of senator Buchanan, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on March 13, 1845, to elect a new senator to fill the vacancy and serve the remainder of the term set to expire on March 4, 1849. Five ballots were recorded. The results of the fifth and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:
State Legislature Results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Simon Cameron | 67 | 50.38 |
| | Democratic | George W. Woodward | 55 | 41.35 |
| | Whig | J. R. Ingersoll | 2 | 1.50 |
| | Whig | John Banks | 1 | 0.75 |
| | Know Nothing | Peter A. Brown | 1 | 0.75 |
| | Unknown | Thomas S. Bell | 1 | 0.75 |
| | Whig | T. D. Cochran | 1 | 0.75 |
| | N/A | Not voting | 5 | 3.76 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 133 | 100.00% |