# 1848–49 United States Senate elections

The 1848–49 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. 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 1848 and 1849, 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 3.
The Democratic Party lost seats but maintained control of the Senate.

## Results

Senate party division, 31st Congress (1849–1851)
* Majority party: Democratic (33–36)
* Minority party: Whig Party (25–24)
* Other parties: Free Soil (2)
* Total seats: 60–62

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

| D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ | D$_7$ | D$_8$ | D$_9$ | D$_{10}$ |
| D$_{20}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{18}$ | D$_{17}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ |
| D$_{21}$ | D$_{22}$ | D$_{23}$ | D$_{24}$ | D$_{25}$ Ran | D$_{26}$ Ran | D$_{27}$ Ran | D$_{28}$ Ran | D$_{29}$ Ran | D$_{30}$ Ran |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | D$_{31}$ Ran |
| W$_{21}$ Unknown | ID$_1$ | D$_{38}$ Retired | D$_{37}$ Retired | D$_{36}$ Retired | D$_{35}$ Retired | D$_{34}$ Unknown | D$_{33}$ Ran | D$_{32}$ Ran | D$_{31}$ Ran |
| W$_{20}$ Ran | W$_{19}$ Ran | W$_{18}$ Ran | W$_{17}$ Ran | W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ |
| W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ | W$_7$ | W$_8$ | W$_9$ | W$_{10}$ |

### As a result of the elections

| D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ | D$_7$ | D$_8$ | D$_9$ | D$_{10}$ |
| D$_{20}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{18}$ | D$_{17}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ |
| D$_{21}$ | D$_{22}$ | D$_{23}$ | D$_{24}$ | D$_{25}$ Re-elected | D$_{26}$ Re-elected | D$_{27}$ Re-elected | D$_{28}$ Re-elected | D$_{29}$ Re-elected | D$_{30}$ Hold |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | D$_{31}$ Hold |
| W$_{21}$ Gain | W$_{22}$ Gain | W$_{23}$ Gain | W$_{24}$ Gain | W$_{25}$ Gain | ID$_1$ | FS$_1$ Gain | D$_{33}$ Gain | D$_{32}$ Hold | D$_{31}$ Hold |
| W$_{20}$ Hold | W$_{19}$ Re-elected | W$_{18}$ Re-elected | W$_{17}$ Re-elected | W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ |
| W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ | W$_7$ | W$_8$ | W$_9$ | W$_{10}$ |
Note: "Re-elected" includes incumbent appointee elected to the next term.

### Beginning of the next Congress

| D$_1$ | D$_2$ | D$_3$ | D$_4$ | D$_5$ | D$_6$ | D$_7$ | D$_8$ | D$_9$ | D$_{10}$ |
| D$_{20}$ | D$_{19}$ | D$_{18}$ | D$_{17}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{11}$ |
| D$_{21}$ | D$_{22}$ | D$_{23}$ | D$_{24}$ | D$_{25}$ | D$_{26}$ | D$_{27}$ | D$_{28}$ | D$_{29}$ | D$_{30}$ |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | D$_{31}$ |
| W$_{21}$ | W$_{22}$ | W$_{23}$ | W$_{24}$ | W$_{25}$ | FS$_2$ | FS$_1$ | D$_{33}$ | D$_{32}$ | D$_{31}$ |
| W$_{20}$ | W$_{19}$ | W$_{18}$ | W$_{17}$ | W$_{16}$ | W$_{15}$ | W$_{14}$ | W$_{13}$ | W$_{12}$ | W$_{11}$ |
| W$_1$ | W$_2$ | W$_3$ | W$_4$ | W$_5$ | W$_6$ | W$_7$ | W$_8$ | W$_9$ | W$_{10}$ |
| Key: | D$_#$ Democratic ID$_#$ Independent Democratic FS$_#$ Free Soil W$_#$ Whig V$_#$ Vacant |

## Race summaries
### Special elections during the 30th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1848 or in 1849 before March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Mississippi (Class 1) | Jefferson Davis | Democratic | 1847 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 11, 1848. | ▌Y Jefferson Davis (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Connecticut (Class 1) | Roger S. Baldwin | Whig | 1847 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected in May 1848. | ▌Y Roger S. Baldwin (Whig) [data missing] |
| Maine (Class 1) | Wyman B. S. Moor | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) | Interim appointee retired when successor elected June 7, 1848. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Hannibal Hamlin (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Wisconsin (Class 1) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848. Senator elected June 8, 1848. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Isaac P. Walker (Democratic) 77.22% ▌Y Henry Dodge (Democratic) 75.95% ▌ Alexander L. Collins (Whig) 22.78% ▌ Edward V. Whiton (Whig) 21.52% ▌ John Hubbard Tweedy (Whig) 1.27% ▌ William S. Hamilton (Whig) 1.27% |
| Wisconsin (Class 3) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848. Senator elected June 8, 1848. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Isaac P. Walker (Democratic) 77.22% ▌Y Henry Dodge (Democratic) 75.95% ▌ Alexander L. Collins (Whig) 22.78% ▌ Edward V. Whiton (Whig) 21.52% ▌ John Hubbard Tweedy (Whig) 1.27% ▌ William S. Hamilton (Whig) 1.27% |
| Alabama (Class 3) | Arthur P. Bagby | Democratic | 1841 (special) 1842 | Incumbent resigned June 16, 1848 to become U.S. Minister to Russia. New senator elected July 1, 1848. Democratic hold. | ▌Y William R. King (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Arkansas (Class 2) | William K. Sebastian | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected November 17, 1848. | ▌Y William K. Sebastian (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Iowa (Class 2) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846. Legislature had failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required 30 votes. Senator elected December 7, 1848. Democratic gain. | ▌Y George Wallace Jones (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Iowa (Class 3) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846. Legislature had failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required 30 votes. Senator elected December 7, 1848. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Augustus C. Dodge (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Kentucky (Class 3) | Thomas Metcalfe | Whig | 1848 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 3, 1849. | ▌Y Thomas Metcalfe (Whig) 88 votes ▌ Lazarus W. Powell (Democratic) 38 votes |
| Michigan (Class 1) | Thomas Fitzgerald | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senator elected January 20, 1849, but did not take his seat until March 4, 1849. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Lewis Cass (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Delaware (Class 1) | John M. Clayton | Whig | 1829 1835 | Incumbent resigned February 23, 1849 to become U.S. Secretary of State. New senator elected February 23, 1849. Whig hold. | ▌Y John Wales (Whig) [data missing] |

### Races leading to the 31st Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1849; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Alabama | William R. King | Democratic | 1848 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1848 or 1849. | ▌Y William R. King (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Arkansas | Solon Borland | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) | Incumbent appointee elected to a full term in November 1848. | ▌Y Solon Borland (Democratic) ▌Ambrose Sevier (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Connecticut | John M. Niles | Democratic | 1842 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1848 or 1849. Whig gain. | ▌Y Truman Smith (Whig) [data missing] |
| Florida | James Westcott | Democratic | 1845 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1848. Whig gain. | ▌Y Jackson Morton (Whig) [data missing] |
| Georgia | Herschel V. Johnson | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1847. Whig gain. | ▌Y William C. Dawson (Whig) [data missing] |
| Illinois | Sidney Breese | Democratic | 1843 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected January 13, 1849. Democratic hold. | ▌Y James Shields (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Indiana | Edward A. Hannegan | Democratic | 1842 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1848. Democratic hold. | ▌Y James Whitcomb (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Kentucky | Thomas Metcalfe | Whig | 1848 (appointed) ? (special) | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected February 1, 1849. Whig hold. | ▌Y Henry Clay (Whig) 93 votes ▌Richard Mentor Johnson (Democratic) 45 votes |
| Louisiana | Henry Johnson | Whig | 1844 (special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1848. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Pierre Soulé (Democratic) ▌Henry Johnson (Whig) [data missing] |
| Maryland | James Pearce | Whig | 1843 | Incumbent re-elected in 1849. | ▌Y James Pearce (Whig) [data missing] |
| Missouri | David Rice Atchison | Democratic | 1843 (appointed) 1843 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1849. | ▌Y David Rice Atchison (Democratic) [data missing] |
| New Hampshire | Charles G. Atherton | Democratic | 1843 (special) | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1848 or 1849. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Moses Norris Jr. (Democratic) [data missing] |
| New York | John Adams Dix | Democratic | 1845 (special) | Incumbent lost re-election as a Free Soiler. New senator elected February 6, 1849. Whig gain. | ▌Y William H. Seward (Whig) ▌John Adams Dix (Free Soil) ▌Reuben H. Walworth (Democratic) ▌Daniel D. Barnard (Whig) |
| North Carolina | George Badger | Whig | 1846 (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1849. | ▌Y George Badger (Whig) [data missing] |
| Ohio | William Allen | Democratic | 1837 1842 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1849. Free Soil gain. | ▌Y Salmon P. Chase (Free Soil) ▌Thomas Ewing (Whig) ▌William Allen (Democratic) ▌Joshua Reed Giddings (Free Soil) ▌Reuben Hitchcock (Unknown) ▌Emery D. Potter (Democratic) ▌David T. Disney (Democratic) ▌John C. Vaughn (Unknown) |
| Pennsylvania | Simon Cameron | Democratic | 1845 (special) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected January 10, 1849. Whig gain. | ▌Y James Cooper (Whig) 49.62% ▌Richard Brodhead (Democratic) 46.62% ▌Thaddeus Stevens (Free Soil) 2.26% |
| South Carolina | Andrew Butler | Democratic | 1846 (appointed) ? (special) | Incumbent re-elected in 1848. | ▌Y Andrew Butler (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Vermont | William Upham | Whig | 1843 | Incumbent re-elected October 31, 1848. | ▌Y William Upham (Whig) ▌ Levi Baker Vilas (Democratic) ▌ Jacob Collamer (Whig) |
| Wisconsin | Isaac P. Walker | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent re-elected on January 17, 1849. | ▌Y Isaac P. Walker (Democratic) 52.94% ▌ Byron Kilbourn (Free Soil) 21.18% ▌ Alexander Botkin (Whig) 21.18% ▌ Morgan Lewis Martin (Democratic) 2.35% ▌ James Duane Doty (Democratic) 1.18% ▌ William S. Hamilton (Whig) 1.18% |

### Elections during the 31st Congress

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1849 after March 4.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Illinois (Class 3) | James Shields | Democratic | 1848 or 1849 | Senate voided election March 15, 1849, as incumbent had not been a U.S. citizen long enough as required by the U.S. Constitution. Incumbent was re-elected October 27, 1849, having by then qualified. Democratic hold. | ▌Y James Shields (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Alabama (Class 2) | Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic | 1848 (appointed) | Interim appointee retired when successor elected or lost election to finish the term. New senator elected November 30, 1849. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Jeremiah Clemens (Democratic) [data missing] |
| California (Class 1) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | California admitted as a state on September 9, 1850. Senator elected December 20, 1849 and seated upon statehood. Democratic gain. | ▌Y John C. Frémont (Democratic) [data missing] |
| California (Class 3) | None (new state) | None (new state) | None (new state) | California admitted as a state on September 9, 1850. Senator elected December 20, 1849 and seated upon statehood. Democratic gain. | ▌Y William M. Gwin (Democratic) [data missing] |

## Individual elections
### Maryland

Reverdy Johnson won election in 1844 but retired to become the United States Attorney General. In order to fill his seat, David Stewart was elected by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 1 seat.
James Pearce won re-election by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.

### New York

The New York election was held February 6, 1849. Barnburner John Adams Dix had been elected in 1845 to this seat after the resignation of Silas Wright, and Dix's term would expire on March 3, 1849. In November 1848, Dix was the Barnburners/Free-Soilers candidate for Governor of New York, but was defeated by Whig Hamilton Fish.
At this time New York Democratic Party was split in two fiercely opposing factions: the Barnburners" and the "Hunkers". The Barnburners organized the Free Soil Party in 1848 and nominated Martin Van Buren for U.S. President. Due to the split, the Whig Party won most of the elective offices by pluralities.
At the State election in November 1847, 24 Whigs and 8 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1848–1849) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1848, 106 Whigs, 15 Free Soilers and 7 Hunkers were elected to the Assembly for the session of 1849. The 72nd New York State Legislature met from January 2 to April 11, 1849, at Albany, New York.
Ex-Governor of New York William H. Seward was nominated by a caucus of Whig State legislators on February 1, 1849. The vote was 88 for Seward, 12 for John A. Collier, 18 scattering and 4 blanks. The incumbent U.S. Senator John Adams Dix ran for re-election supported by the Free Soilers. Ex-Chancellor Reuben H. Walworth was the candidate of the Hunkers. Walworth had been third place in the last gubernatorial election, behind Fish and Dix. Ex-Congressman Daniel D. Barnard (Whig) received 2 scattering votes in the Senate. William H. Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.
| House | Whig | Whig | Free Soil | Free Soil | Dem./Hunker | Dem./Hunker | Also ran | Also ran |
| State Senate (32 members) | William H. Seward | 19 | John Adams Dix | 6 | Reuben H. Walworth | 2 | Daniel D. Barnard | 2 |
| State Assembly (128 members) | William H. Seward | 102 | John Adams Dix | 15 | Reuben H. Walworth | 7 | | |

### Ohio

The two houses of the Ohio General Assembly met in joint session February 22, 1849, with 72 representatives and 35 senators present to elect a Senator (Class 3) to succeed incumbent William Allen. On the fourth ballot, Salmon P. Chase was elected with a majority of the votes cast, as follows:
| Ballot | William Allen | Thomas Ewing | Joshua Reed Giddings | Salmon P. Chase | Reuben Hitchcock | Emery D. Potter | David T. Disney | John C. Vaughn | Blank ballots | Total votes cast |
| 1 | 27 | 41 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 106 |
| 2 | 1 | 41 | 8 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 108 |
| 3 | 0 | 39 | 9 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 105 |
| 4 | 0 | 39 | 11 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 106 |
The second ballot was declared a nullity by Speaker of the Senate Brewster Randall, because there were one more ballots cast than members present.

### Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania election was held January 10, 1849. James Cooper was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
Incumbent Democrat Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1845, was not a candidate for re-election to another term. The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on January 10, 1849, to elect a new Senator to fill the term beginning on March 4, 1849. Three ballots were recorded. The results of the third and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:
State Legislature results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Cooper | 66 | 49.62 |
| | Democratic | Richard Brodhead | 62 | 46.62 |
| | Free Soil | Thaddeus Stevens | 3 | 2.26 |
| | N/A | Not voting | 2 | 1.50 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 133 | 100.00% |