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1864–65 United States Senate elections

← 1862 & 1863 Various dates 1866 & 1867 →
24 of the 72 seats in the United States Senate (with special elections) 25 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Henry B. Anthony Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 4, 1863 Leader's seat Rhode Island Last election 32 seats 10 seats Seats before 31 10 Seats after 33 9 Seat change 2 1 Seats up 9 4 Races won 11 3   Third party Fourth party   Party Unconditional Unionist Party (US) Union Last election 1 seat 5 seats Seats before 5 3 Seats after 4 2 Seat change 1 1 Seats up 1 1 Races won 0 0
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Confederacy      Barred from being seated
Majority Party before election Republican Elected Majority Party Republican

The 1864–65 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. They occurred during the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln'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 1864 and 1865, 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 2.

The Republican Party gained two seats. Most of the Southern states were absent because of the Civil War.

Results summary

Senate party division, 39th Congress (1865–1867)

• Majority party: Republican (37)
• Minority party: Democratic (9)
• Other parties: Unconditional Unionist (1); Unionist (1)
• Vacant: (24)
• Total seats: 72

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections

As a result of the elections

Beginning of the next Congress

Race summaries

Elections during the 38th Congress

In these elections — some special and some initial — the winners were seated during 1864 or in 1865 before March 4; ordered by election date.

Elections leading to the 39th Congress

In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1865; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

Elections during the 39th Congress

In this election, the winner was elected in 1865 after March 4.

1864 United States Senate special election in Maryland

← 1861 December 1864 1865 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Candidate Thomas Holliday Hicks Party Unconditional Unionist Legislative vote - Percentage -%

Maryland

Maryland (1864 special)

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022)

James Pearce died, and Thomas Holliday Hicks was appointed to his seat. He then won election to finish the rest of the term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.

1865 United States Senate special election in Maryland

← 1864 February 1865 1868 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Candidate John Creswell Party Unconditional Unionist Legislative vote - Percentage -%

Maryland (1865 special)

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022)

Thomas Holliday Hicks died, and John Creswell was appointed to his seat. He then won election to finish the rest of the term by an unknown margin of votes, for the Class 3 seat.

West Virginia

Incumbent Waitman T. Willey was re-elected by the legislature to his first full term as United States Senator, with Willey being elected as a Republican. Willey would serve his term until 1871.

1865 United States Senate election in West Virginia

← 1863 January 31, 1865 1871 →
Needed to win: Majority of votes cast jointly by the Legislature 69 votes cast; 35 votes needed
Candidate Waitman Willey Party Republican First ballot 53 votes 76.8%
U.S. senator before election Waitman Willey Unconditional Union Elected U.S. senator Waitman Willey Republican

Willey was the only candidate to be formally nominated, though attempted nominations were made of Archibald Campbell and House Speaker Lee Roy Kramer. Campbell's nomination was promptly withdrawn, and Kramer declined his.

See also

• 1864 United States elections
  • 1864 United States presidential election
  • 1864–65 United States House of Representatives elections
• 38th United States Congress
• 39th United States Congress

Notes

1. as Republican Conference Chair

References

1. "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
2. Byrd & Wolff, page 120
3. ^ "Musical Chairs (1861–1869)". United States Senate. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
4. Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa"., page 131
5. University of Minnesota Libraries, University of Minnesota. "1865 Minnesota U.S. Senate Election". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
6. "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Dec 00, 1862". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
7. "Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Feb 00, 1865". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
8. Journal of the House of Delegates of West Virginia for the Session Commencing January 17, 1865. Wheeling: West Virginia Legislature. 1865. p. 57.

• Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov
• Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.

• 1864 United States Senate elections
• 1865 United States Senate elections