The1849 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held in the2nd Wisconsin Legislature onJanuary 17, 1849. Incumbent Democratic U.S. senatorIsaac P. Walker was re-elected to a full six-year term.[1]
In the 1849 legislative session, Democrats held a majority in both chambers, but their majority was more tenuous due to the recent schism with theFree Soil Party. The schism, however, removed much controversy from the Democratic nominating process. At the election, the Democrats largely held together and managed to re-elect their nominee.
The2nd Wisconsin Legislature met in joint session on January 17, 1849, to elect a U.S. senator. All 85 members of the legislature were present and voting for this election. Voting was mostly along party lines, with six of 50 Democrats defecting from their nominee. Walker won the election with just two votes to spare.
^Kilbourn received the votes of all Free Soilers except representativeMorgan L. Noble (who voted for the Democratic nominee); he received two cross-over votes from Democratic senatorsWarren Chase andC. Latham Sholes, and he received two cross-over votes from Whig representativesJonathan Daugherty andMilo Kelsey.
^Botkin received the votes of all Whigs except representativesJonathan Daugherty andMilo Kelsey (who voted for Kilbourn), and his own vote (which he cast for Hamilton); he received one cross-over vote from Democratic representativeEnoch Chase.
