# 1875 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

Elections in Wisconsin :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
Class 1
1848
1851
1857
1863
1869
1875
1881
1887
1893
1899
1905
1911
1916
1922
1925 sp
1928
1934
1940
1946
1952
1957 sp
1958
1964
1970
1976
1982
1988
1994
2000
2006
2012
2018
2024
Class 3
1848
1849
1855
1861
1867
1872
1879
1881 sp
1885
1890
1891
1897
1903
1907 sp
1909
1914
1918 sp
1920
1926
1932
1938
1944
1950
1956
1962
1968
1974
1980
1982
1986
1992
1998
2004
2010
2016
2022
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1863
2nd sp
1864
1866
1868
1870
2nd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
5th sp
1887
8th sp
1888
1890
1892
1893
4th sp
1894
7th sp
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
2nd sp
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
6th sp
11th sp
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
6th sp
1931
1st sp
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1941
1st sp
1942
1944
1946
1947
2nd sp
1948
1950
1952
1953
9th sp
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1969
7th sp
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1979
6th sp
1980
1982
1984
4th sp
1986
1988
1990
1992
1993
1st sp
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
7th sp
2022
2024
8th sp
2026 :
State government
General elections
1995
2000
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1848
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2012 (recall)
2014
2018
2022
2026
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
1942
1968
2012 (recall)
Secretary of State elections
1978
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney General elections
2014
2018
2022
Treasurer elections
2014
2022
Superintendent elections
2013
2017
2021
2025
State Senate elections
1996
2008
2010
2011 (recall)
2012 (recall)
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
State Assembly elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Supreme Court elections
2008
2009
2011
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2023
2025 :
Ballot measures
2006Referendum 1
2025Question 1 :
Green Bay
Mayoral elections
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Madison
Mayoral elections
1997 sp
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Milwaukee
Mayoral elections
1910
1912
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2022 sp
2024 :
Kenosha
Mayoral elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
vte :
The 1875 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held in the 28th Wisconsin Legislature between January 27, 1875, and February 3, 1875. Incumbent Republican U.S. senator Matthew H. Carpenter ran for a second six-year term, but was defeated by a determined rebellion from within his own party. Former state legislator, Republican Angus Cameron, was elected United States senator on the 11th ballot. This was the first time that one of Wisconsin's U.S. senators had been defeated seeking re-election.
At the start of the 1875 term, Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature with 14 votes to spare, so should have been able to quickly elect a Republican United States senator. But accusations of corruption against the incumbent, Matt Carpenter, had caused a significant number of Republican legislators to pledge to voters that they would not support Carpenter's re-election to the U.S. Senate. Despite Carpenter winning enough support in the Republican caucus to obtain renomination, the holdouts refused to fall in line with the party and denied his re-election. Ultimately, Cameron was selected as a consensus choice merging the support of the 19 holdout Republicans with 49 of the 52 Democratic, Liberal Republican, or Reformer legislators.

## Major candidates
### Democratic

* Edward S. Bragg, former state senator and former Union Army general from Fond du Lac.

### Republican

* Angus Cameron, former speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, former state senator from La Crosse.
* Matthew H. Carpenter, incumbent U.S. senator.
* Orsamus Cole, incumbent justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
* George Cochrane Hazelton, former state senator from Boscobel.
* Cadwallader C. Washburn, former governor of Wisconsin, former U.S. representative, former Union Army general.

## Results
### Republican nomination

Prior to the caucus, Carpenter faced opposition in the caucus, but was still widely expected to win re-election in Wisconsin newspapers. During the two months between the legislative elections and the start of the legislative session, Carpenter was consumed with activity in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as presiding officer of the Senate due to the absence of Vice President Henry Wilson. At the time, Carpenter's leading opponent for the nomination was former Wisconsin governor Cadwallader C. Washburn, who had been a candidate for U.S. senate in each of the last four opportunities. The Wisconsin press concluded that one of the two would certainly be the next senator.
The Republican caucus met on the evening of January 21. On the first ballot, Carpenter secured the nomination with 54 of 81 votes. Republican newspapers urged legislators to fall in line and support the nominee, as rumors began to emerge of a planned revolt.

### Votes on January 27, 1875

The legislature met in joint session on January 27 with only one member absent. They took two votes in succession to try to pick a U.S. senator. The results were identical, no candidate reached a majority.
1st & 2nd Votes of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 27, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Ballots | Ballots |
| Party | Party | Candidate | 1st | 2nd |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter | 59 | 59 |
| | Democratic | Edward S. Bragg | 52 | 52 |
| | Republican | Orsamus Cole | 13 | 13 |
| | Republican | George W. Allen | 2 | 2 |
| | Republican | Romanzo Bunn | 2 | 2 |
| | Republican | Horace Rublee | 2 | 2 |
| | Republican | Luther S. Dixon | 1 | 1 |
| | Republican | Lucius Fairchild | 1 | 1 |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | 1 | 1 |
| Needed for majority | Needed for majority | Needed for majority | 67 | 67 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132 | 132 |

### Votes on January 28, 1875

The legislature reconvened in joint session on January 28 and took three more votes. The three votes had nearly identical results; again no candidate reached a majority.
3rd, 4th, & 5th Votes of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 28, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Ballots | Ballots | Ballots |
| Party | Party | Candidate | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter | 59 | 59 | 59 |
| | Democratic | Edward S. Bragg | 52 | 52 | 51 |
| | Republican | Orsamus Cole | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| | Republican | Luther S. Dixon | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| | Republican | Horace Rublee | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| | Republican | Romanzo Bunn | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| | Republican | Angus Cameron | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic | Stephen D. Carpenter | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Needed for majority | Needed for majority | Needed for majority | 67 | 67 | 67 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132 | 132 | 132 |

### Votes on January 29, 1875

Two more votes were taken on January 29, with identical results.
6th & 7th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 29, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) | 60 | 45.45% | +1 |
| | Democratic | Edward S. Bragg | 52 | 39.39% | +1 |
| | Republican | Orsamus Cole | 17 | 12.88% | |
| | Republican | David Atwood | 1 | 0.76% | +1 |
| | Republican | Romanzo Bunn | 1 | 0.76% | |
| | Republican | Angus Cameron | 1 | 0.76% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 50.76% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132 | 99.25% | |
| Void election result ||||||

### Vote on January 30, 1875

A larger number of legislators were absent from the votes on January 30 and February 1, reducing the number needed for a majority, but still no candidate could reach the threshold.
8th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, January 30, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) | 51 | 43.97% | −9 |
| | Democratic | Edward S. Bragg | 44 | 37.93% | −8 |
| | Republican | Orsamus Cole | 13 | 11.21% | −4 |
| | Republican | Joshua J. Guppey | 3 | 2.59% | +3 |
| | Republican | David Atwood | 1 | 0.86% | |
| | Republican | Romanzo Bunn | 1 | 0.86% | |
| | Republican | Angus Cameron | 1 | 0.86% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 50.88% | −9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 114 | 85.71% | -18 |
| Void election result ||||||

### Vote on February 1, 1875

9th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, February 1, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) | 45 | 44.12% | −6 |
| | Democratic | Edward S. Bragg | 37 | 36.27% | −7 |
| | Republican | Orsamus Cole | 17 | 16.67% | +4 |
| | Republican | George Cochrane Hazelton | 1 | 0.98% | +1 |
| | Republican | Romanzo Bunn | 1 | 0.98% | |
| | Republican | William T. Price | 1 | 0.98% | +1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52 | 50.98% | −6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 102 | 76.69% | -12 |
| Void election result ||||||

### Vote on February 2, 1875

10th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, February 2, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) | 59 | 46.09% | +14 |
| | Democratic | Edward S. Bragg | 50 | 39.06% | +13 |
| | Republican | Orsamus Cole | 17 | 13.28% | |
| | Republican | George Cochrane Hazelton | 2 | 1.56% | +1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 50.78% | +13 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 128 | 96.24% | +26 |
| Void election result ||||||

### Vote on February 3, 1875

On the evening of February 2, 1875, the Democrats caucused with the holdout Republicans and agreed to a compromise candidate to merge their voting power—the caucus chose former speaker Angus Cameron. Wisconsin newspapers credited U.S. representative and railroad financier Alexander Mitchell with facilitating the negotiation. The legislature re-convened in joint session on February 3, and voted again, with nearly all the Democrats supporting Cameron, he achieving a majority on the 11th overall ballot.
11th Vote of the 28th Wisconsin Legislature, February 3, 1875 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Angus Cameron | 68 | 52.52% | +68 |
| | Republican | Matthew H. Carpenter (incumbent) | 59 | 44.70% | |
| | Republican | George Cochrane Hazelton | 3 | 2.27% | +1 |
| | Republican | Luther S. Dixon | 1 | 0.76% | +1 |
| | Republican | John G. Clark | 1 | 0.76% | +1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 50.76% | +2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132 | 99.25% | +4 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |