1861 United States Senate election in California

← 1857 (special) March 9–20, 1861(1st–22nd) April 2, 1861(23rd) 1865 →
113 members of theCalifornia State Legislature 57 votes needed to win
Nominee James A. McDougall John Nugent John B. Weller Party Douglas Democratic (Anti-Lecompton) Douglas Democratic (Lecompton) Breckinridge Democratic 1st ballot 27 (23.9%) 9 (8.0%) 27 (23.9%) 23rd ballot 57 (54.8%) 39 (37.5%) 4 (3.8%)   Nominee Timothy G. Phelps James W. Denver Party Republican Douglas Democratic (Lecompton) 1st ballot 23 (20.4%) 16 (14.3%) 23rd ballot — —
Senator before election William M. Gwin Democratic Elected Senator James A. McDougall Democratic

The1861 United States Senate election in California was held on April 2, 1861, by theCalifornia State Legislature to elect aU.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State ofCalifornia in theUnited States Senate. The legislature had previously attempted to elect a senator from March 9–20, culminating with McDougall's apparent victory on the 22nd ballot; however, it was subsequently found that McDougall had not received the requisite majority, and his election was rescinded.^[1] In a special joint session, Anti-Lecompton Democratic former U.S. representativeJames A. McDougall was elected over Lecompton Democratic newspaper editorJohn Nugent.^[2][3] McDougall was elected with Republican support.^[4]

Two-term DemocratWilliam M. Gwin wasre-elected in 1857 following the failure of the California State Legislature to elect a senator in 1855. He was not a candidate for re-election.^[5]

TheCalifornia Democratic Party was divided betweenproslavery Chivalry or Lecompton Democrats, and free soil Anti-Lecompton Democrats. The1860 U.S. presidential election multiplied these divisions, producing splits between supporters of the presidential candidacies of Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckinridge, and between Lecompton and Anti-Lecompton Douglas Democrats. TheConstitutional Union Party, composed of conservative formerWhigs, was of minimal importance.California Republicans were able to capitalize on the bitterness between the Democratic factions to carry the state in the national election with less than one third of the votes cast.^[6]

Gwin's term ended on March 3, 1861, without the legislature having chosen his successor.^[7] On March 9, theSenate and theHouse of Representatives met in joint session to hold an election for the next term.^[8] Anti-Lecompton Douglas DemocratJames A. McDougall, Breckinridge DemocratJohn B. Weller, RepublicanTimothy G. Phelps, and Lecompton Douglas DemocratsJames W. Denver andJohn Nugent were the major candidates.^[9]

Several coalitions of various factions were attempted during the balloting. Lacking the votes to elect their own candidate, the Republicans threw their support to McDougall in order to forestall a coalition of the Breckinridge and Lecompton Douglas Democrats.^[10]

After multiple rounds of voting spread out over several days, McDougall was apparently elected on March 20 with 56 votes on the 22nd ballot.^[11] Subsequently, it was discovered that McDougall's total fell one vote short of the requisite majority for a legal election. The joint session reconvened on April 2, when McDougall received the necessary 57 votes on the first (23rd overall) ballot.^[12]

On the 22nd ballot, the votes for Anderson and Casserly were omitted from the official tally by mistake, and McDougall was erroneously pronounced elected with 56 votes—one short of a majority with the votes for Anderson and Casserly included.^[19]

• California (1861).Journal of the House of Assembly of California [...](PDF). Sacramento.
• Hittell, Theodore H. (1898).History of California. San Francisco.

• United States Senate elections in California
• 1861 United States Senate elections
• 1861 California elections

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