40 members of the Massachusetts Senate 396 members of the Massachusetts House Majority vote of each house needed to win | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1859 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held during January 1859. Incumbent SenatorHenry Wilson, who had been elected in 1855 to fill the unexpired term ofEdward Everett, was re-elected easily to a full term as a member of theRepublican Party.
At the time, Massachusetts elected United States senators by a majority vote of each separate house of theMassachusetts General Court, the House and the Senate.
At the time, the Massachusetts legislature was dominated by a coalition of Republican Party andAmerican Party supporters, united in opposition to slavery.
On January 11, the State Senate convened and re-elected Wilson overwhelmingly, with 35 votes.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Henry Wilson (incumbent) | 35 | 87.50% | |
| Republican | George S. Boutwell | 3 | 7.50% | |
| Constitutional Union | Edward Everett | 1 | 2.50% | |
| Democratic | Caleb Cushing | 1 | 2.50% | |
| Total votes | 40 | 100.00% | ||
On January 12, the House ratified the Senate result, electing Wilson to a full term in the U.S. Senate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Henry Wilson (incumbent) | 199 | 84.69% | |
| Democratic | Caleb Cushing | 25 | 10.64% | |
| Others | Scattering | 11 | 4.68% | |
| Total votes | 235 | 100.00% | ||