1830–31 United States Senate elections

The 1830–31 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 1830 and 1831, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

1830–31 United States Senate elections

← 1828 & 1829Dates vary by state1832 & 1833 →

16 of the 48 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections)
25 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority party
 
PartyJacksonianAnti-Jacksonian
Last election26 seats19 seats
Seats before2523
Seats won86
Seats after2620
Seat changeIncrease 1Decrease 3
Seats up79

 Third party
 
PartyNullifier
Seats beforeNew party
Seats won1
Seats after1
Seat changeIncrease 1
Seats up0

Results:
     Jacksonian Hold      Jacksonian Gain
     Anti-Jacksonian Hold      Anti-Jacksonian Gain
     Nullifier Gain      Legislature Failed To Elect

Majority Party before election


Jacksonian

Elected Majority Party


Jacksonian

The Jacksonians gained one seat from the Anti-Jacksonian coalition, but lose one seat to the short-lived Nullifier Party. By the time Congress first met in December 1831, however, the Jacksonians had a net loss of one seat.

Results summary

Senate party division, 22nd Congress (1831–1833)

  • Majority party: Jacksonian (24–23)
  • Minority party: Anti-Jackson (21–23)
  • Other parties: Nullifier (2–1)
  • Total seats: 48

Change in composition

Before the elections

After the January 7, 1830 special election in Delaware.

AJ1AJ2AJ3AJ4
AJ14AJ13AJ12AJ11AJ10AJ9AJ8AJ7AJ6AJ5
AJ15
Ind.
Ran
AJ16
La.
Ran
AJ17
Md.
Ran
AJ18
Mo.
Ran
AJ19
N.Y.
Ran
AJ20
Pa.
Ran
AJ21
Conn.
Unknown
AJ22
Vt.
Unknown
AJ23
Ohio
Retired
J25
N.C.
Retired
Majority →J24
N.H.
Unknown
J15J16J17J18J19
Ala.
Ran
J20
Ga.
Ran
J21
Ill.
Ran
J22
S.C.
Ran
J23
Ky.
Ran
J14J13J12J11J10J9J8J7J6J5
J1J2J3J4

As a result of the elections

AJ1AJ2AJ3AJ4
AJ14AJ13AJ12AJ11AJ10AJ9AJ8AJ7AJ6AJ5
AJ15
Ind.
Re-elected
AJ16
La.
Re-elected
AJ17
Md.
Re-elected
AJ18
Ala.
Hold
AJ19
Conn.
Hold
AJ20
Ohio
Hold
V1
Ky.
J Loss
N1
S.C.
Gain
J26
Pa.
Gain
J25
N.Y.
Gain
Majority →J24
Mo.
Gain
J15J16J17J18J19
Ga.
Re-elected
J20
Ill.
Re-elected
J21
N.H.
Hold
J22
N.C.
Hold
J23
Vt.
Hold
J14J13J12J11J10J9J8J7J6J5
J1J2J3J4

At the beginning of the first session, December 5, 1831

AJ1AJ2AJ3AJ4
AJ14AJ13AJ12AJ11AJ10AJ9AJ8AJ7AJ6AJ5
AJ15AJ16AJ17AJ18AJ19AJ20AJ21[a]
Gain
AJ22[b]
Gain
N1N2
S.C.
Changed
Plurality[c]J24
J15J16J17J18J19J20J21J22J23
J14J13J12J11J10J9J8J7J6J5
J1J2J3J4
Key:
AJ#= Anti-Jacksonian
J#= Jacksonian
N#= Nullfier
V#= Vacant

Race summaries

Bold states link to specific election articles.

Special elections during the 21st Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1830 or before March 4, 1831; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Illinois
(Class 2)
David J. BakerJacksonian1830 (Appointed)Incumbent appointee retired when elected successor qualified.
Winner elected December 11, 1830.
Jacksonian hold.
Mississippi
(Class 2)
Thomas B. ReedJacksonian1826 (special)
1827 (Lost re-election)
1828
Incumbent died November 26, 1829.
Winner elected January 6, 1830.
Jacksonian hold.
Delaware
(Class 1)
Louis McLaneJacksonian1827Incumbent resigned April 29, 1829 to become U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom.
Winner elected January 7, 1830.
Anti-Jacksonian gain.

Races leading to the 22nd Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1831 (except where noted due to late election); ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 3 seats.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
AlabamaJohn McKinleyJacksonian1826 (special)Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1831.
Jacksonian hold.
ConnecticutCalvin WilleyAnti-Jacksonian1825Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
Winner elected May 20, 1830.
Anti-Jacksonian hold.
GeorgiaJohn ForsythJacksonian1829 (special)Incumbent re-elected in 1830 or 1831.
IllinoisElias KaneJacksonian1825Incumbent re-elected in 1831.
IndianaWilliam HendricksAnti-Jacksonian1824Incumbent re-elected December 18, 1830 on the fourth ballot.
KentuckyJohn RowanJacksonian1824Legislature elected late.
Seat vacant.
[data missing]
LouisianaJosiah S. JohnstonAnti-Jacksonian1824 (Appointed)
1825
Incumbent re-elected in 1831.
MarylandEzekiel F. ChambersAnti-Jacksonian1826 (special)Incumbent re-elected in 1831.
MissouriDavid BartonAnti-Jacksonian1821
1825 (Re-elected)
Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1830.
Jacksonian gain.
New HampshireLevi WoodburyJacksonian1825Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
Winner elected in 1831.
Jacksonian hold.
New YorkNathan SanfordAnti-Jacksonian1826 (Elected late)Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected February 1, 1831.
Jacksonian gain.
North CarolinaJames Iredell Jr.Jacksonian1828 (special)Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in 1830.
Jacksonian hold.
OhioJacob BurnetAnti-Jacksonian1828 (special)Incumbent retired.
Winner elected in 1830.
Anti-Jacksonian hold.
PennsylvaniaWilliam MarksAnti-Jacksonian1825Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1830 or 1831.
Jacksonian gain.
South CarolinaWilliam SmithJacksonian1826 (special)Incumbent lost re-election.
Winner elected in 1830 or 1831.
Nullifier gain.
VermontDudley ChaseAnti-Jacksonian1825Unknown if incumbent ran for re-election.
Winner elected in 1831.
Anti-Jacksonian hold.

Elections during the 22nd Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated in 1831 after March 4; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Kentucky
(Class 3)
VacantLegislature elected late.
New senator elected November 10, 1831.
Anti-Jacksonian gain.
Louisiana
(Class 2)
Edward LivingstonJacksonian1828 or 1829Incumbent resigned May 24, 1831 to become U.S. Secretary of State.
Winner elected November 15, 1831.
Anti-Jacksonian gain.
Pennsylvania
(Class 1)
Isaac D. BarnardJacksonian1826Incumbent resigned December 6, 1831 due to ill health.
Winner elected December 13, 1831.[6]
Jacksonian hold.

Alabama

Connecticut

Delaware (special)

Georgia

Illinois

Illinois had two elections in this cycle: one for each seat.

Illinois (regular)

For the Class 3 seat, one-term incumbent Jacksonian Elias Kane was re-elected in 1831 for the term beginning March 4, 1831.

Illinois (special)

For the Class 2 seat, Jacksonian incumbent John McLean, who had been elected in 1828 or 1829, died October 14, 1830. Jacksonian David J. Baker was appointed November 12, 1830 to continue the term until a special election. On December 11, 1830, Jacksonian John McCracken Robinson was elected to finish the term and was seated January 4, 1831.

Indiana

Kentucky

Kentucky had two elections in this cycle.

When Jacksonian John Rowan's term ended March 3, 1831, the legislature had not yet voted a replacement. When the legislature resumed for its session in November 1831, Anti-Jacksonian Henry Clay was elected, but still in time to participate when the 22nd Congress convened in December 1831.

Kentucky (regular)

Kentucky (special)

Louisiana

Louisiana had two elections in this cycle.

Louisiana (regular)

Louisiana (special)

Maryland

1831 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 1826February 24, 18311835 →

80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
 
CandidateEzekiel F. ChambersNo votes
PartyNational Republican
Legislative vote5320
Percentage72.60%27.40%

Ezekiel F. Chambers won election over non-voters by a margin of 45.21%, or 33 votes, for the Class 3 seat.[7]

Mississippi (special)

Missouri

New Hampshire

New York

The Senate election in New York was held on February 1, 1831, by the New York State Legislature. Nathan Sanford had been elected in 1826 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1831. At the state election in November 1830, the Jacksonians managed to defeat the combined Anti-Masons and Anti-Jacksonians. Enos T. Throop was narrowly re-elected Governor, a large Jacksonian majority was elected to the Assembly, and five of the nine State Senators elected were Jacksonian Democrats. The 54th New York State Legislature met from January 4 to April 26, 1831, at Albany, New York. The Jacksonian State legislators held a caucus before the election, and n The Jacksonian State legislators held a caucus before the electionominated New York Supreme Court Justice William L. Marcy. The vote was 77 for Marcy, 15 for Erastus Root, 6 for the incumbent Nathan Sanford and 6 scattering votes. William L. Marcy was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

HouseJacksonianAnti-MasonAnti-Jacksonian
State Senate (32 members)William L. Marcy20Samuel Works5
State Assembly (128 members)William L. Marcy86Samuel Works27Nathan Sanford1

North Carolina

Ohio

The two houses of the Ohio General Assembly met during the winter of 1830–1831 in joint assembly to elect a Senator (Class 3). After seven ballots, on various dates, Thomas Ewing was elected on a majority of the ballots. The balloting was as follows:[8]

BallotThomas Ewing
(Anti-Jacksonian)
Micajah T. Williams
(Jacksonian)
Edward King
(Anti-Jacksonian)
1334921
2375021
3424916
446529
551515
654532
7 Y 54512

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania had two election in this cycle.

Pennsylvania (regular)

-

Pennsylvania (special)

Following the December 6, 1831 resignation of Senator Isaac Barnard due to ill health, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on December 13, 1831, to elect a new Senator to fill the vacancy. Eleven ballots were recorded. The results of the eleventh and final ballot of both houses combined are as follows:

State Legislature Results[9][10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticGeorge M. Dallas 67 50.38
DemocraticJoseph Hemphill3425.56%
Anti-MasonicRichard Rush3022.56%
DemocraticSamuel B. Davis10.75%
N/ANot voting10.75%
-Totals133100.00%

Vermont

See also

Notes

References

Sources