# 1846 Iowa Senate election

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In the 1846 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the first Iowa General Assembly. Elections were held for all 19 members of the State Senate. In the newly created Senate, members were to serve four-year terms. Members of the first General Assembly were classified into two groups. Nine of the newly elected senators would serve full four-year terms, while 10 drew short terms of two years and were up for re-election in 1848. This classification process began the rotation system whereby half the members of the Senate are elected biennially for full four-year terms.
This was the first general election following Iowa's admission to the Union. Prior to statehood, the Iowa Territory had a Legislative Assembly consisting of an upper chamber (i.e., the Territory Council) and a lower chamber (i.e., the Territory House). Therefore, the Territory Council was the predecessor of the Iowa Senate, which became the upper chamber in the new Iowa General Assembly.
In the previous election in 1845, the members of the eighth and final Territory Council were chosen. Democrats held a majority of seats with 11 to Whigs' two seats in the final Territory Council. The newly created Iowa Senate was expanded to nineteen members and districts were redrawn in advance of the election.
To claim a majority of seats, the Whigs needed to net eight seats.
The general election took place in 1846.
Democrats maintained a majority of seats. Following the 1846 general election, Democrats held 11 seats in the Iowa Senate while Whigs held eight seats (a net gain of 6 seats for Whigs). Democratic Councilor Stephen Hempstead was the President of the eighth & final Territory Council. Democratic Senator Thomas Baker was chosen as the first President of the Iowa Senate. During the first General Assembly, Democratic Senator Thomas Hughes succeeded Senator Baker as the second President of the Iowa Senate.

## Summary of Results

| Iowa Territory Council District | Counties in Council District | Incumbent Councilor | Party | Party | Iowa Senate District | Counties in Senate District | Elected Senator | Party | Outcome |
| 1st | Lee | James Brierly | | Dem | 1st | Lee | Jacob Huner | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 1st | Lee | John Thompson | | Dem | 1st | Lee | James Sprott | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 2nd | Van Buren, Davis, Appanoose | Paul Brattain | | Dem | 2nd | Van Buren | John Fletcher Sanford | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 2nd | Van Buren, Davis, Appanoose | Henry M. Shelby | | Dem | 2nd | Van Buren | John McCormick Whitaker | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 3rd | Des Moines | Shepherd Leffler | | Dem | 3rd | Davis, Appanoose | John Jackson Selman | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 4th | Henry | John Stephenson | | Whig | 4th | Monroe, Wapello | James Davis | Whig | Whig Hold |
| 5th | Monroe, Wapello, Jefferson | William Greyer Coop | | Dem | 5th | Marion, Jasper, Polk, Dallas | Thomas Baker | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 6th | Louisa, Washington, Keokuk, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek | Enoch Ross | | Whig | 6th | Des Moines | Milton D. Browning | Whig | Whig Hold |
| 6th | Louisa, Washington, Keokuk, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | Newly created subdistrict | 6th | Des Moines | Samuel Fullenwider | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 7th | Iowa, Johnson, Muscatine | Serranus Clinton Hastings | | Dem | 7th | Henry | Evan Jay | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 8th | Cedar, Jones, Linn, Benton, Tama | William Abbe | | Dem | 8th | Jefferson | Robert Brown | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 8th | Cedar, Jones, Linn, Benton, Tama | William Abbe | | Dem | 8th | Jefferson | John Howell | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 9th | Scott, Clinton, Linn | Laurel Summers | | Dem | 9th | Louisa, Washington | Francis Springer | Whig | Whig Gain |
| 10th | Jackson, Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Clayton, Fayette | Philip Burr Bradley | | Dem | 10th | Keokuk, Mahaska | Richard Randolph Harbour | Dem | Dem Hold |
| 10th | Jackson, Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Clayton, Fayette | Stephen Hempstead | | Dem | 10th | Keokuk, Mahaska | Richard Randolph Harbour | Dem | Dem Hold |
| Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | 11th | Iowa, Johnson, Muscatine | Thomas Hughes | Dem | Dem Gain |
| Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | 12th | Scott, Clinton | Loring Wheeler | Whig | Whig Gain |
| Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | 13th | Cedar, Linn, Benton | Samuel Augustus Bissell | Dem | Dem Gain |
| Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | 14th | Jackson, Jones | Philip Burr Bradley | Dem | Dem Gain |
| Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | 15th | Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Clayton, Fayette | Thomas Hart Benton | Dem | Dem Gain |
| Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | Newly created district | 15th | Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Clayton, Fayette | Theophilus Crawford | Dem | Dem Gain |
Source:
* 1 2 On December 28, 1846, Iowa was granted statehood as the twenty-ninth state in the Union. The 1845 Iowa Territory Council general election was the last held for seats in the territorial government. Starting in 1846, the legislative branch of the new state of Iowa would be the Iowa General Assembly, organized with the Iowa Senate as the upper chamber and Iowa House of Representatives as the lower chamber. The Territory Council with its councilors served as the precursor of the Iowa State Senate and its senators. Therefore, the 1846 Iowa Senate election determined the Senators to serve in the first Iowa General Assembly.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate was organized in 1846. In the newly created Senate, members were to serve four-year terms. Members of the First General Assembly were classified into two groups. Nine of the newly elected senators would serve full four-year terms, while 10 drew short terms of two years and were up for re-election in 1848. This classification system began the rotation system whereby half the members of the Senate are elected biennially for full four-year terms.
* 1 2 The Iowa Territory Council had 13 seats; however, the newly created Iowa Senate was expanded to 19 seats.
* 1 2 Councilor Hempstead of Dubuque County was chosen to be the President of the eighth and final Iowa Territory Council.
* 1 2 Senator Thomas Baker of Polk County was chosen to be the first President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the first Iowa General Assembly.
* 1 2 Senator Thomas Hughes of Johnson County was chosen to be the second President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the first Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Senator Thomas Baker in that leadership position.
* ↑ At the time, the Iowa Territory Council and the Iowa Senate both had several multi-member districts.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 1st district was a 2-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 1st district was a 2-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 2nd district was a 2-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 2nd district was a 2-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 3rd district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 3rd district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 4th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 4th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 5th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 5th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 6th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 6th district was a 2-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 7th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 7th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 8th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 8th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ On January 2, 1848, Senator Brown resigned, causing a vacancy. That vacant seat was filled by Senator John Howell.
* ↑ On January 2, 1848, Senator Brown resigned, causing a vacancy. That vacant seat was filled by Senator John Howell.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 9th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 9th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Territory Council 10th district was a 2-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 10th district was a 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 11th district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 12th district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 13th district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 14th district was a newly created 1-member district.
* ↑ Senator Bradley was an incumbent councilor who had served representing the 10th district during the final Iowa Territory Council before being elected to the first session of the Iowa Senate.
* ↑ The Iowa Senate 15th district was a newly created 2-member district.

## Detailed Results

* NOTE: The Iowa General Assembly does not contain detailed vote totals for Iowa State Senate elections in 1846.