# 1872–73 United States Senate elections

The 1872–73 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with President Ulysses S. Grant's re-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 1872 and 1873, 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 Republican Party, while still retaining a commanding majority, lost two seats. By the beginning of the Congress, however, they would lose three more: two as defections to the Liberal Republican Party, and one a resignation of Henry Wilson to become U.S. Vice President. This remains the last election in which Republicans held a 2/3 majority in the Senate.

## Results summary

Senate party division, 43rd Congress (1873–1875)
* Majority party: Republican (50–51)
* Minority party: Democratic (19–20)
* Other parties: Liberal Republican (3–2)
* Vacant: (2–1)
* Total seats: 74

## Change in composition
### Before the elections

After the January 30, 1872 special election in North Carolina.
| D$_7$ | D$_6$ | D$_5$ | D$_4$ | D$_3$ | D$_2$ | D$_1$ | | | |
| D$_8$ | D$_9$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{15}$ Ran | D$_{16}$ Unknown | D$_{17}$ Unknown |
| R$_{48}$ Unknown | R$_{49}$ Unknown | R$_{50}$ Unknown | R$_{51}$ Retired | R$_{52}$ Retired | R$_{53}$ Retired | R$_{54}$ Retired | R$_{55}$ Retired | R$_{56}$ Resigned | LR$_1$ Retired |
| R$_{47}$ Ran | R$_{46}$ Ran | R$_{45}$ Ran | R$_{44}$ Ran | R$_{43}$ Ran | R$_{42}$ Ran | R$_{41}$ Ran | R$_{40}$ Ran | R$_{39}$ Ran | R$_{38}$ Ran |
| R$_{38}$ Ran |||||||||
| R$_{28}$ | R$_{29}$ | R$_{30}$ | R$_{31}$ | R$_{32}$ | R$_{33}$ | R$_{34}$ | R$_{35}$ | R$_{36}$ | R$_{37}$ Ran |
| R$_{27}$ | R$_{26}$ | R$_{25}$ | R$_{24}$ | R$_{23}$ | R$_{22}$ | R$_{21}$ | R$_{20}$ | R$_{19}$ | R$_{18}$ |
| R$_8$ | R$_9$ | R$_{10}$ | R$_{11}$ | R$_{12}$ | R$_{13}$ | R$_{14}$ | R$_{15}$ | R$_{16}$ | R$_{17}$ |
| R$_7$ | R$_6$ | R$_5$ | R$_4$ | R$_3$ | R$_2$ | R$_1$ | | | |

### Result of the elections

| D$_7$ | D$_6$ | D$_5$ | D$_4$ | D$_3$ | D$_2$ | D$_1$ | | | |
| D$_8$ | D$_9$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{15}$ Hold | D$_{16}$ Hold | D$_{17}$ Hold |
| R$_{48}$ Hold | R$_{49}$ Hold | R$_{50}$ Hold | R$_{51}$ Hold | R$_{52}$ Hold | R$_{53}$ Gain | LR$_1$ Re-elected, new party | V$_1$ R Loss | D$_{19}$ Gain | D$_{18}$ Gain |
| R$_{47}$ Hold | R$_{46}$ Hold | R$_{45}$ Hold | R$_{44}$ Hold | R$_{43}$ Re-elected | R$_{42}$ Re-elected | R$_{41}$ Re-elected | R$_{40}$ Re-elected | R$_{39}$ Re-elected | R$_{38}$ Re-elected |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | R$_{37}$ Re-elected |
| R$_{28}$ | R$_{29}$ | R$_{30}$ | R$_{31}$ | R$_{32}$ | R$_{33}$ | R$_{34}$ | R$_{35}$ | R$_{36}$ | R$_{37}$ Re-elected |
| R$_{27}$ | R$_{26}$ | R$_{25}$ | R$_{24}$ | R$_{23}$ | R$_{22}$ | R$_{21}$ | R$_{20}$ | R$_{19}$ | R$_{18}$ |
| R$_8$ | R$_9$ | R$_{10}$ | R$_{11}$ | R$_{12}$ | R$_{13}$ | R$_{14}$ | R$_{15}$ | R$_{16}$ | R$_{17}$ |
| R$_7$ | R$_6$ | R$_5$ | R$_4$ | R$_3$ | R$_2$ | R$_1$ | | | |

### Beginning of the next Congress

| D$_7$ | D$_6$ | D$_5$ | D$_4$ | D$_3$ | D$_2$ | D$_1$ | | | |
| D$_8$ | D$_9$ | D$_{10}$ | D$_{11}$ | D$_{12}$ | D$_{13}$ | D$_{14}$ | D$_{15}$ | D$_{16}$ | D$_{17}$ |
| R$_{48}$ | R$_{49}$ | R$_{50}$ | LR$_1$ | LR$_2$ Changed | LR$_3$ Changed | V$_1$ | V$_2$ Resigned | D$_{19}$ | D$_{18}$ |
| R$_{47}$ | R$_{46}$ | R$_{45}$ | R$_{44}$ | R$_{43}$ | R$_{42}$ | R$_{41}$ | R$_{40}$ | R$_{39}$ | R$_{38}$ |
| Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | Majority → | R$_{37}$ |
| R$_{28}$ | R$_{29}$ | R$_{30}$ | R$_{31}$ | R$_{32}$ | R$_{33}$ | R$_{34}$ | R$_{35}$ | R$_{36}$ | R$_{37}$ |
| R$_{27}$ | R$_{26}$ | R$_{25}$ | R$_{24}$ | R$_{23}$ | R$_{22}$ | R$_{21}$ | R$_{20}$ | R$_{19}$ | R$_{18}$ |
| R$_8$ | R$_9$ | R$_{10}$ | R$_{11}$ | R$_{12}$ | R$_{13}$ | R$_{14}$ | R$_{15}$ | R$_{16}$ | R$_{17}$ |
| R$_7$ | R$_6$ | R$_5$ | R$_4$ | R$_3$ | R$_2$ | R$_1$ | | | |
| Key: | D$_#$ Democratic LR$_#$ Liberal Republican R$_#$ Republican V$_#$ Vacant |

## Race summaries
### Special elections during the 42nd Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated during 1872 or in 1873 before March 4; ordered by election date.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| North Carolina (Class 2) | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Legislature had failed to elect. New senator elected January 30, 1872. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Matt W. Ransom (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Kentucky (Class 3) | Willis B. Machen | Democratic | 1872 (appointed) | Interim appointee elected January 21, 1873. Winner was not elected to the next term; see below. | ▌Y Willis B. Machen (Democratic) 104 ▌Tarvin Baker (Republican) 18 |
| Louisiana (Class 3) | William P. Kellogg | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana. Legislature failed to elect. The seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876, due to a Senate dispute; see below. Republican loss. | ▌P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican) ▌John Ray (Unknown) [data missing] |

### Races leading to the 43rd Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1873; 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 | George E. Spencer | Republican | 1868 (readmission) | Incumbent re-elected in 1872. | ▌Y George E. Spencer (Republican) [data missing] |
| Arkansas | Benjamin F. Rice | Republican | 1868 (readmission) | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y Stephen W. Dorsey (Republican) [data missing] |
| California | Cornelius Cole | Republican | 1866–67 | Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y Aaron A. Sargent (Republican) [data missing] |
| Connecticut | Orris S. Ferry | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected May 15, 1872 as a Liberal Republican. Liberal Republican gain. | ▌Y Orris S. Ferry (Liberal Republican) 51.55% ▌Joseph R. Hawley (Republican) 48.45% |
| Florida | Thomas W. Osborn | Republican | 1868 (readmission) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y Simon B. Conover (Republican) [data missing] |
| Georgia | Joshua Hill | Republican | 1867 (not seated) 1871 (admitted) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1873. Democratic gain. | ▌Y John Brown Gordon (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Illinois | Lyman Trumbull | Liberal Republican | 1855 1861 1867 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected January 20, 1873. Republican gain. | ▌Y Richard J. Oglesby (Republican) 54.53% ▌Lyman Trumbull (Liberal Republican) 42.47% |
| Indiana | Oliver P. Morton | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected in 1873. | ▌Y Oliver P. Morton (Republican) [data missing] |
| Iowa | James Harlan | Republican | 1855 1857 (election voided) 1857 (special) 1860 1865 (resigned) 1866 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected January 17, 1872. Republican hold. | ▌Y William B. Allison (Republican) ▌Joseph C. Knapp (Democratic) |
| Kansas | Samuel C. Pomeroy | Republican | 1861 1867 | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y John Ingalls (Republican) [data missing] |
| Kentucky | Willis B. Machen | Democratic | 1872 (appointed) | Interim appointee retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872. Democratic hold. Winner was not elected to finish the current term, see above. | ▌Y Thomas C. McCreery (Democratic) ▌John Marshall Harlan (Republican) |
| Louisiana | William P. Kellogg | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent resigned November 1, 1872 to become Governor of Louisiana. Legislature failed to elect and the seat remained vacant until January 12, 1876 due to a Senate dispute. | ▌P. B. S. Pinchback (Republican) ▌William L. McMillen (Republican) [data missing] |
| Maryland | George Vickers | Democratic | 1868 (special) | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Democratic hold. | ▌Y George R. Dennis (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Missouri | Francis Blair | Democratic | 1871 (special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Democratic hold. | ▌Y Lewis V. Bogy (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Nevada | James W. Nye | Republican | 1865 1867 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y John P. Jones (Republican) [data missing] |
| New Hampshire | James W. Patterson | Republican | 1866–67 | Incumbent lost renomination. New senator elected in 1872. Republican hold. | ▌Y Bainbridge Wadleigh (Republican) [data missing] |
| New York | Roscoe Conkling | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873. | ▌Y Roscoe Conkling (Republican) ▌Charles A. Wheaton (Democratic) ▌William M. Evarts (Republican) ▌Henry R. Selden (Liberal Republican) |
| North Carolina | John Pool | Republican | 1868 (readmission) | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872. Democratic gain. | ▌Y Augustus Merrimon (Democratic) [data missing] |
| Ohio | John Sherman | Republican | 1861 (special) 1866 | Incumbent re-elected in 1872. | ▌Y John Sherman (Republican) [data missing] |
| Oregon | Henry W. Corbett | Republican | 1866–67 | Incumbent retired. New senator elected in 1872. Republican hold. | ▌Y John H. Mitchell (Republican) [data missing] |
| Pennsylvania | Simon Cameron | Republican | 1867 | Incumbent re-elected January 21, 1873. | ▌Y Simon Cameron (Republican) 57.14% ▌William A. Wallace (Democratic) 37.59% ▌Thomas Marshall (Liberal Republican) 0.75% ▌Hendrick B. Wright (Democratic) 0.75% |
| South Carolina | Frederick A. Sawyer | Republican | 1868 | Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected in 1872 or 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y John J. Patterson (Republican) [data missing] |
| Vermont | Justin S. Morrill | Republican | 1866 | Incumbent re-elected in 1872. | ▌Y Justin S. Morrill (Republican) [data missing] |
| Wisconsin | Timothy O. Howe | Republican | 1861 1867 | Incumbent re-elected January 22, 1873. | ▌Y Timothy O. Howe (Republican) 64.84% ▌ Henry L. Palmer (Democratic) 34.38% ▌ Charles A. Eldredge (Democratic) 0.78% |

### Elections during the 43rd Congress

In this election, the winner was elected in 1873 after March 4.
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| Massachusetts (Class 2) | Henry Wilson | Republican | 1855 (special) 1859 1865 1871 | Incumbent resigned to become U.S. Vice President. New senator elected March 12, 1873. Republican hold. | ▌Y George S. Boutwell (Republican) 152 ▌Henry L. Dawes (Republican) 115 ▌George B. Loring (Republican) 2 ▌John K. Tarbox (Democratic) 2 ▌William Whiting (Democratic) 2 ▌C. G. Greene (Unknown) 2 votes |
| California (Class 1) | Eugene Casserly | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent resigned. New senator elected December 23, 1873. Democratic hold. | ▌Y John S. Hager (Democratic) ▌[FNU] Cole (Republican) ▌[FNU] Goodwin (Unknown) ▌[FNU] Swift (Unknown) ▌[FNU] Lewis (Unknown) ▌[FNU] Edgerton (Unknown) |

### Early election

| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Candidates |
| State | Senator | Party | Electoral history | Results | Candidates |
| California (Class 1) | Eugene Casserly | Democratic | 1868 | Incumbent resigned November 29, 1873. New senator elected early December 20, 1873. Anti-Monopoly gain. | ▌Y Newton Booth (Anti-Monopoly) 60 [data missing] |

## Maryland

George R. Dennis was elected by a margin of 75.27%, or 70 votes, for the Class 3 seat.

## New York

The New York election was held January 21, 1873. Republican Roscoe Conkling had been elected in January 1867 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1873.
At the State election in November 1871, 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1872–1873) in the State Senate. In 1872, a faction of the Republican Party opposed the re-election of President Ulysses S. Grant and the Radical Republicans who supported him, and under the name Liberal Republican Party nominated a joint ticket with the Democratic Party. At the State election in November 1872, 91 Republicans, 35 Democrats and 2 Independents were elected for the session of 1873 to the Assembly. The 96th New York State Legislature met from January 7 to May 30, 1873, at Albany, New York.
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 8, State Senator William B. Woodin, of Auburn (25th D.), presided. 18 state senators and 88 assemblymen were present. They re-nominated Conkling unanimously. The caucus of the Democratic State legislators nominated Ex-First Judge of Dutchess County Charles Wheaton.
Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.
| House | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Republican | Republican | Liberal Republican | Liberal Republican |
| State Senate (32 members) | Roscoe Conkling | 20 | Charles A. Wheaton | 5 | William M. Evarts | 1 | Henry R. Selden | 1 |
| State Assembly (128 members) | Roscoe Conkling | 92 | Charles A. Wheaton | 26 | | | | |
Note: The vote for Ex-U.S. Attorney General William M. Evarts was cast by Norman M. Allen (32nd district), the vote for Ex-Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Henry R. Selden by Gabriel T. Harrower (27th district). Allen, Harrower and Abiah W. Palmer (11th district) were the three Liberal Republicans in the State Senate.

## Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania State Senate, voted on January 21, 1873. Incumbent Republican Simon Cameron, who was elected in 1867, won re-election.
State Legislature Results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Simon Cameron (Incumbent) | 76 | 57.14 |
| | Democratic | William A. Wallace | 50 | 37.59 |
| | Liberal Republican | Thomas Marshall | 1 | 0.75 |
| | Democratic | Hendrick Wright | 1 | 0.75 |
| | N/A | Not voting | 5 | 3.76 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 133 | 100.00% |

## Wisconsin

The 26th Wisconsin Legislature met in joint session on January 22, 1873, to elect a U.S. senator. The voting was almost entirely along party lines, with five Democrats absent. Of the 128 in attendance, Timothy O. Howe received the votes of all but one of the Republican legislators, winning his third term as U.S. senator.
1st Vote of the 26th Wisconsin Legislature, January 22, 1873 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Timothy O. Howe (incumbent) | 83 | 64.84% |
| | Democratic | Henry L. Palmer | 44 | 34.38% |
| | Democratic | Charles A. Eldredge | 1 | 0.78% |
| | | Absent | 5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 50.78% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 128 | 96.24% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |