1862–63 United States Senate elections

← 1860 & 1861 January 4, 1862– November 13, 1863 1864 & 1865 →
24[a] of the 70[b] seats in theUnited States Senate 36[c] seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Dem Leader John P. Hale[d] (retired as leader) Party Republican Democratic Alliance Republican-Union Leader's seat New Hampshire Seats before 31 14 Seats won 31[e] 10[f] Seat change 4 Seats up 12 9 Races won 12 5   Third party Fourth party   Party Union Radical Union Seats before 4 0 Seats won 6[g][e] 2[e] Seat change 3 2 Seats up 2 — Races won 5 2   Fifth party   Party Constitutional Union Seats before 0 Seats won 1[e] Seat change 1 Seats up 0 Races won 1
Summary results Elections held in 1862 Elections held in 1863 Results      Democratic gain     Republican gain     Union gain      Democratic hold     Republican hold      Border state Union gain     Border state Union hold      Radical Union gain     Constitutional Union gain

The1862–63 United States Senate elections were held from January 4, 1862, to November 13, 1863. Regularly scheduled elections were held for 20 out of the 70 seats in theUnited States Senate, and special elections were held inIndiana,Illinois,Michigan,Missouri,New Jersey,Oregon, andRhode Island. TheRepublican-Union coalition kept the majority they had held since 1861 despite an unfavorable national environment.

U.S. senators are divided into threeclasses whose six-year terms are staggered, such that one-third of the Senate is elected every two years. Senators in Class 1 were elected in 1862 and 1863. Prior to ratification of theSeventeenth Amendment, senators were elected by theU.S. state legislatures. There was no fixed calendar, and states held elections on various dates preceding the first session of Congress. In states with split partisan control of the legislature, multiple rounds of voting could be required to elect a senator, leading to extended vacancies.^[3]

The elections took place against the backdrop ofcivil war andemancipation in what was the first real test ofDemocratic opposition to theLincoln administration.^[4] The war disruptedestablished party systems in thefree states and the loyalborder states, resulting in a partialpolitical realignment. In the Lower North,Republicans andWar Democrats contested these elections as theUnion Party, while Republicans maintained a separate organization inNew England and theUpper Midwest.^[5] InMassachusetts andRhode Island, conservative opponents of the Republicans formed new political parties composed of most Democrats andConstitutional Unionists.^[6] In the border states,Unionists were ascendant but internally divided over issues relating toslavery andReconstruction, resulting in protracted legislative battles in Missouri andWest Virginia.^[7]

Emancipation and the status offreedpeople were major issues during the campaign and a significant factor in party alignments.Lincoln's initial plan ofgradual,compensated emancipation paired with thecolonization of freedpeople outside theUnited States was jointly rejected byabolitionists who favored immediate, unqualified emancipation, and by Democrats andconservatives who opposed emancipation altogether.^[8]Radical Republican opposition to any compromise with slavery was the catalyst for the formation of the People's Party in Massachusetts, who campaigned in support of Lincoln's proposal.^[9] The manner and timing of emancipation split the Missouri unionist movement, leading radical Immediate Emancipationists to organize theRadical Union Party in September 1863.^[10] The appearance of the preliminaryEmancipation Proclamation in September 1862 interrupted the campaign and undercut the momentum of pro-Lincoln conservatives.^[11] Democrats attempted to capitalize onracist backlash to the proclamation, warning that emancipation would precipitateslave rebellions and large-scale Black migration to the free states, and charging the administration of prolonging the war in service ofreligious fanaticism.^[12] While Radical Republicans celebrated the proclamation,Moderates andConservatives feared the president's policy spelled electoral defeat.^[13] In Ohio, Republican-Unionists avoided mention of slavery in their state platform, and the Indiana Union Party called for the restoration of the Union withthe rights of the states fully intact.^[14]

While Democrats made significant gains in theconcurrent elections for the House of Representatives and won important state races in Illinois, Indiana, andNew York, the party failed to improve its standing in the Senate and instead suffered a net loss of seats.^[15] Republican-Unionists flipped Democratic-held seats in California, Oregon, and Minnesota, while Democrats flipped Republican-held seats inIllinois andPennsylvania. In Indiana and New Jersey, Democrats defeated Republican-Union incumbents appointed to fill vacancies caused by the expulsion or death of a Democratic senator less than a year before the election.^[16] Radical Unionists gained both Missouri seats held by Democrats prior to 1862, and Constitutional Unionists flipped a Republican-held seat in Rhode Island.^[17] No election was held inTennessee following the resignation of DemocratAndrew Johnson, increasing the number of vacancies to 20.^[18]

The death ofJames A. Pearce ofMaryland reduced the Democratic caucus to nine seats before the start of the 38th Congress.^[19] The Missouri Radical Unionists, both Union senators fromWest Virginia, and Constitutional UnionistWilliam Sprague of Rhode Island subsequently caucused with the Republican-Union majority, increasing their caucus to 36 seats.^[1]

Parties								Total
		Democratic	Republican-Union	Union[h]	Radical Union	Others	Vacant
Last elections (1860–61)		31	31	—	—	1	5	68
Before these elections		9	33	6	—	—	20	68
Not up		5	19	2	—	—	16	42
	Class 2 (1858–59→1864–65)	2	8	1	—	—	9	20
	Class 3 (1860–61→1866–67)	3	11	1	—	—	7	22
Up		4	14	4	—	—	6	28
	Class 1 (1856–57→1862–63)	3	12	3	—	—	4	24
	Special: Class 2 & 3	1	2	1	—	—	—	3
	Special: Class 1	—	3	1	—	—	—	5
	New states	—	—	—	—	—	2[i]	2
General election
1862		—	3	1	—	—	—	4
	Held by same party	—	2	1	—	—	—	3
	Replaced by other party	1 Republican replaced by 1 Constitutional Unionist						1
	Result	—	2	1	—	1	—	4
1863		3	9	2	—	—	6	20
	Held by same party	1	6	1	—	—	4	12
	Replaced by other party	3 Republican-Unionists replaced by 3 Democrats 2 Democrats replaced by 2 Republican-Unionists 2 vacancies replaced by 2 Unionists 1 Unionist replaced by 1 Radical Unionist						8
	Result	5	8	3	1	1	4	22
Special election
1862		1	2	—	—	—	—	3
	Held by same party	—	1	—	—	—	—	1
	Replaced by other party	1 Democrat replaced by 1 Republican-Unionist 1 Republican-Unionist replaced by 1 Constitutional Unionist						2
	Result	—	2	—	—	1	—	3
1863		—	3	2	—	—	—	5
	Held by same party	—	—	1	—	—	—	1
	Replaced by other party	3 Republican-Unionists replaced by 3 Democrats 1 Unionist replaced by 1 Radical Unionist						4
	Result	3	2	1	1	—	—	8
Result		10	31	6	2	1	20	70
Other changes[f][g]		1		1				70
Changes after December 7, 1863			5	2	2	1		70

Each block represents one of the 68 seats in the U.S. Senate. (The admission of West Virginia on June 20, 1863, increased the number of seats in the Senate to 70.) "CU_#" is a Constitutional Union senator, "D_#" is a Democratic senator, "Rad_#" is a Radical Union senator, "R_#" is a Republican senator, "RU_#" is a Republican-Union senator, "U_#" is a Union senator, and "V_#" is a vacant seat. They are arranged so that the parties are separated, and a majority is clear by crossing the middle.

UnionistThomas H. Hicks was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of James A. Pearce of Maryland, flipping the seat from Democratic to Union.^[2]

Five senators elected as border state Unionists (Peter G. Van Winkle andWaitman T. Willey of West Virginia), Radical Unionists (B. Gratz Brown andJohn B. Henderson of Missouri), or Constitutional Unionists (William Sprague of Rhode Island) caucused with the Republican-Union majority after the start of the 38th Congress, increasing their caucus to 36 seats.^[1]

Special elections were held to fill six vacancies in the37th United States Congress.

Eighteen senators were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1863.

In these elections, the winners were elected in 1863 after March 4; ordered by election date.

California election

← 1860 (special) February 10, 1863 1867 →
Members of theCalifornia State Legislature Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee John Conness Benjamin Shurtleff Party Union Democratic 1st ballot 98 (86.0%) 15 (13.2%)
Senator before election Milton Latham Lecompton Democratic Elected Senator John Conness Union

Incumbent DemocratMilton Latham waselected in 1860 to fill the vacancy created by the death ofDavid C. Broderick.^[20] He was not a candidate for re-election.^[21]

The Union members of the legislature held a caucus from January 13 to February 9, 1863.^[22]Timothy G. Phelps,John Conness,Aaron A. Sargent, andTrenor W. Park were the major candidates. Phelps led on the first ballot, but without a majority. During the balloting, an internal inquiry found that Phelps's supporters had offered bribes to several members in exchange for their votes. Although Phelps denied the allegations, the stigma of corruption in effect ended his candidacy.^[23] Conness was nominated on the final ballot with 60 votes to 29 for Sargent, three for Phelps, and eight for other candidates.^[24]

TheCalifornia State Legislature met injoint session on February 10, 1863, to hold an election for the next term.^[25] Conness defeated the Democratic candidateBenjamin Shurtleff on the first ballot.^[26]

Connecticut election

← 1856 May 22, 1862 1868 →
Members of theConnecticut General Assembly Majority in both houses needed to win
Nominee James Dixon Charles Chapman Party Union Democratic House 162 (72.3%) 57 (25.4%) Senate 19 (95.0%) —
Senator before election James Dixon Republican Elected Senator James Dixon Union

One-term RepublicanJames Dixon waselected in 1856.^[20]

The Union members of the legislature held a caucus on May 15, 1862. Dixon,William A. Buckingham,Roger S. Baldwin, andOrris S. Ferry were the leading candidates. Dixon defeated the other candidates on the first ballot.^[27]

TheSenate and theHouse of Representatives met separately on May 22, 1862, to hold an election for the next term.^[27] Dixon defeated the Democratic candidateCharles Chapman on the first ballot.^[28]

Delaware election

← 1857 January 8, 1863 1864 (special) →
Members of theDelaware General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee James A. Bayard Edward G. Bradford Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 19 (65.5%) 10 (34.5%)
Senator before election James A. Bayard Democratic Elected Senator James A. Bayard Democratic

Two-term DemocratJames A. Bayard wasre-elected in 1857.^[29]

TheDelaware General Assembly met in joint session on January 8, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Bayard defeated the Union candidateEdward G. Bradford on the first ballot.^[30][31]

Two-term DemocratStephen Mallory withdrew from the Senate on March 14, 1861, following the secession of Florida. TheFlorida Legislature did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1868.^[32]

Illinois special election

← 1859 January 12, 1863 1865 →
Members of theIllinois General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee William A. Richardson Richard Yates Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 65 (63.1%) 38 (36.9%)
Senator before election Orville H. Browning Republican Elected Senator William A. Richardson Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanOrville H. Browning was appointed in 1861 to fill the vacancy created by the death ofStephen A. Douglas.^[33] He was not a candidate for re-election.

The Union Party was initially confident in its ability to retain control of theIllinois General Assembly, a feat which would allow it to elect a successor to complete Douglas's unexpired term. The campaign was interrupted by the appearance of the preliminaryEmancipation Proclamation in September 1862, which placed the national Lincoln administration on ground long occupied by Radical Republicans. The proclamation inflamed factional conflict between Radicals and Moderates in the Union Party and emboldened the Democratic opposition, who accused the administration of seeking to "Africanize" Illinois.Illinois Democrats were victorious in state elections held in the fall of 1862, electing nine of the state's fourteenU.S. representatives and a 27-seat majority in the legislature.^[34]

The General Assembly met on January 12, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. The Democratic candidateWilliam A. Richardson defeated the Union candidateRichard Yates on the first ballot.^[35]

Incumbent UnionistJoseph A. Wright was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by theexpulsion ofJesse D. Bright. With Bright's expulsion coming little more than a year before the end of his term on March 4, 1863, theIndiana General Assembly would hold concurrent elections in January 1863: a special election for the remainder of the unexpired term, and the regularly scheduled election for the next term.^[36]

Wright and Bright had waged a bitter struggle for control of theIndiana Democratic Party during the preceding decade; by appointing Wright to Bright's former seat in the Senate,Indiana governorOliver P. Morton helped to bring Wright's War Democratic supporters into Indiana's nascent Union Party. From the outset of the campaign, Democrats accused the national administration of using the war as a pretext for emancipation. These fears were seemingly vindicated by the appearance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862. Democrats launched an unprecedented racist campaign against the proclamation that confounded the attempts of moderate Unionists to defend emancipation as a military necessity. In the fall legislative elections, Democrats won majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, paving the way for the election of a Democratic senator in January.^[37]

The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on January 9, 1863.David Turpie was nominated for the unexpired term andThomas A. Hendricks was nominated for the next term.^[38]

The General Assembly met in joint session on January 14, 1863, to hold concurrent elections for both terms. Turpie and Hendricks were respectively elected.^[39]

Indiana special election

← 1857 January 14, 1863 1863 →
Members of theIndiana General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee David Turpie Daniel D. Pratt Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 85 (57.8%) 62 (42.2%)
Senator before election Joseph A. Wright Union Elected Senator David Turpie Democratic

Wright was not a candidate in the special election. Turpie defeated the Union candidateDaniel D. Pratt on the first ballot.^[40]

Indiana election

← 1863 (special) January 14, 1863 1869 →
Members of theIndiana General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Thomas A. Hendricks Joseph A. Wright Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 85 (57.8%) 61 (41.5%)
Senator before election Joseph A. Wright Union Elected Senator Thomas A. Hendricks Democratic

Turpie was not a candidate for the next term. Hendricks defeated Wright on the first ballot.^[41]

Maine election

← 1861 (special) January 13, 1863 1869 →
Members of theMaine Legislature Majority in both houses needed to win
Nominee Lot M. Morrill William P. Haines Party Republican Democratic House 95 (68.3%) 42 (30.2%) Senate 25 (96.2%) 1 (3.8%)
Senator before election Lot M. Morrill Republican Elected Senator Lot M. Morrill Republican

Incumbent RepublicanLot M. Morrill waselected in 1861 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation ofHannibal Hamlin.^[42]

TheSenate and theHouse of Representatives met separately on January 13, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Morrill defeated the Democratic candidate William P. Haines on the first ballot.^[43]

Maryland election

← 1856–57 March 5, 1862 1868–69 →
Members of theMaryland General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Reverdy Johnson Blank Party Union 1st ballot 56 (66.7%) 28 (33.3%)
Senator before election Anthony Kennedy Union Elected Senator Reverdy Johnson Union

One-term UnionistAnthony Kennedy waselected in 1856 or 1857.^[44] He was not a candidate for re-election.

TheMaryland General Assembly met on March 5, 1862, to hold an election for the next term. Voting proceeded separately in theSenate and theHouse of Delegates, after which the tellers withdrew and to count the ballots in the Senate chamber. The Union candidateReverdy Johnson was elected on the first ballot.^[45]

Massachusetts election

← 1857 January 15, 1863 1869 →
Members of theMassachusetts General Court Majority in both houses needed to win
Nominee Charles Sumner Josiah G. Abbott Party Republican People's House 194 (82.6%) 38 (16.2%) Senate 33 (84.6%) 5 (12.8%)
Senator before election Charles Sumner Republican Elected Senator Charles Sumner Republican

Two-term RepublicanCharles Sumner wasre-elected in 1857.^[46]

The Republican state convention met atWorcester, Massachusetts, on September 9, 1862. Sumner had earned the disapproval ofConservative Republicans when he opposed Lincoln's plan forgradual emancipation in March 1862, calling instead for Congress to use its authority under theWar Powers Clause to abolish slavery immediately. Seeking to preempt a movement to replace Sumner at the next senatorial election, Sumner's allies took the unusual step of having the state convention endorse his bid for re-election. A resolution endorsing Sumner and approving his course in the Senate passed over the protests of Conservative delegates, in effect making Sumner's re-election the central issue of the fall campaign.^[47]

Conservative opponents of Sumner held a convention atBoston on October 7, 1862.^[48] Many of the organizers of the convention were formerWhigs who had supported theConstitutional Union Party in1860.^[49] In a nod toantipartisan wartime rhetoric, the movement called itself the People's Party; its express purpose was to defeat Sumner's bid for reelection. The convention adopted a pro-war, anti-abolitionist platform and selected candidates for the upcoming state elections;Charles F. Adams was nominated for U.S. senator, but declined. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, issued September 22, had brought the Lincoln administration into line with Sumner's position, while the endorsement of the People's ticket by theMassachusetts Democratic Party undermined the movement's claim to constitute the true pro-administration party in Massachusetts. Following these events, most Conservative Republicans returned to the fold, and the Republican ticket was elected by a large majority.^[50]

TheSenate and theHouse of Representatives met separately on January 15, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Sumner defeated the People's candidateJosiah G. Abbott on the first ballot.^[51]

There were two elections in Michigan, due to the death ofKinsley S. Bingham.

Michigan special election

← 1858 January 4, 1862 1865 →
Members of theMichigan Legislature Majority in both houses needed to win
Nominee Jacob M. Howard Alpheus Felch Party Republican Democratic House 75 (88.2%) 10 (11.8%) Senate 28 (93.3%) 2 (6.7%)
Senator before election None (vacant from October 5, 1861) Elected Senator Jacob M. Howard Republican

One-term RepublicanKinsley S. Bingham waselected in 1858. Bingham died on October 5, 1861, causing a special election.^[52]

The Republican members of the legislature held a caucus on January 3, 1862.Jacob M. Howard,Austin Blair, Hezekiah G. Wells, andHenry Waldron were the leading candidates. Howard was nominated on the sixth ballot.^[53]

TheSenate and theHouse of Representatives met separately on January 4, 1862, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. Howard defeated the Democratic candidateAlpheus Felch on the first ballot.^[54]

Michigan election

← 1857 January 8, 1863 1869 →
Members of theMichigan Legislature Majority in both houses needed to win
Nominee Zachariah Chandler James F. Joy Alpheus Felch Party Republican Democratic Democratic House 60 (63.2%) 34 (35.8%) — Senate 18 (56.2%) 11 (34.4%) 2 (6.2%)
Senator before election Zachariah Chandler Republican Elected Senator Zachariah Chandler Republican

One-term RepublicanZachariah Chandler waselected in 1857.^[52]

The Republican members of the legislature held a caucus on January 8, 1863. Chandler was renominated unanimously. The Democratic members met the same day and nominatedJames F. Joy over Alpheus Felch.^[55]

The Senate and the House of Representatives met separately on January 8, 1863, to hold an election for the next term.^[56] Chandler defeated Joy on the first ballot.^[55]

Minnesota election

← 1858 January 14, 1863 1869 →
Members of theMinnesota Legislature Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Alexander Ramsey Andrew G. Chatfield Party Republican Democratic 1st ballot 45 (72.6%) 17 (27.4%)
Senator before election Henry M. Rice Democratic Elected Senator Alexander Ramsey Republican

One-term DemocratHenry M. Rice waselected in 1858.^[52] He was not a candidate for re-election.

The Republican members of the legislature held a caucus from January 12–13, 1863.Alexander Ramsey,Cyrus Aldrich,David Cooper,William R. Marshall, andJames Smith, Jr. were the major candidates.^[57] Ramsey defeated Smith on the 25th ballot.^[58]

TheMinnesota Legislature met in joint session on January 14, 1863.^[59] Ramsey defeated the Democratic candidateAndrew G. Chatfield on the first ballot.^[60]

One-term DemocratJefferson Davis withdrew from the Senate on March 14, 1861, following the secession of Mississippi. TheMississippi Legislature did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1870.^[61]

Three elections were held in Missouri, due to the expulsions ofTrusten Polk andWaldo P. Johnson. With Polk's expulsion coming little more than a year before the end of his term on March 4, 1863, theMissouri General Assembly would hold special elections for both seats, followed by the regularly-scheduled election for the Class 1 seat.

Missouri Unionists were divided in their responses toemancipation and the related issue ofReconstruction. Three main ideological camps emerged: radical Charcoals, who supported immediate emancipation; conservative Claybanks, who favored Lincoln's initial plan of gradual emancipation; and ultra-conservative Snowflakes, who opposed emancipation altogether.^[62] InSt. Louis, the ideological divide resulted in a formal split between the Immediatist and Gradualist wings of the Emancipation Party.^[63] Elections held in the fall of 1862 resulted in a clear majority for the Emancipationists in the General Assembly, while five Conservatives and four Radicals were elected to theU.S. House of Representatives.^[64][p]

The Emancipation members of the legislature held a caucus on January 3, 1863.^[66] The Conservatives boycotted the proceedings.^[67]John B. Henderson was nominated for the Class 1 seat andB. Gratz Brown was nominated for the Class 3 seat.^[66]

The General Assembly met in joint session on January 6, 1863, to hold concurrent special elections for both seats.^[68] Henderson was elected to the Class 1 seat for the term ending March 4. The special election for the Class 3 seat remained deadlocked after multiple rounds of voting, and the joint session adjourned without making a choice.^[69]

The joint session reconvened in November 1863. In the interim, the Radicals held a convention atJefferson City that organized the Radical Union Party. The meeting nominated Brown for the Class 3 seat andBenjamin F. Loan for the Class 1 seat. The two conservative factions were aligned in support of the administration ofHamilton R. Gamble, but lacked a formal party organization.^[70] Closely-fought judicial elections in the fall of 1863 helped to clarify party lines.^[69] In the legislature, the Radical Unionists had 65 votes on the joint ballot, just short of an overall majority. The Radical Union members and Henderson-aligned Conservatives held a caucus after the first round of voting on November 12 and agreed to form a coalition.^[71] Brown was subsequently elected to the Class 3 seat and Henderson was re-elected to the Class 1 seat for the next term as a Radical Unionist.^[72]

Missouri (Class 1) special election

← 1857 January 6, 1863 1863 →
Members of theMissouri General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee John B. Henderson Robert Wilson Party Emancipation Union Faction Conservative Conservative 1st ballot 104 (68.4%) 47 (30.9%)
Senator before election John B. Henderson Emancipation Elected Senator John B. Henderson Emancipation

Incumbent Emancipationist John B. Henderson was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Trusten Polk.^[61]

The General Assembly met on January 6, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. Henderson defeated the Conservative candidateRobert Wilson on the first ballot.^[73]

Missouri (Class 3) special election

← 1861 1867 →
First session
January 6–11, 1863; February 2–11, 1863
Members of theMissouri General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee John S. Phelps Robert F. Wingate B. Gratz Brown Party Democratic Emancipation Emancipation Faction Conservative Radical Radical 1st ballot 51 (33.1%) — 51 (33.1%) 30th ballot 47 (33.3%) 31 (22.0%) 29 (20.6%)   Nominee Samuel M. Breckinridge Samuel T. Glover Party Emancipation Emancipation Faction Conservative Conservative 1st ballot 11 (7.1%) 34 (22.1%) 30th ballot 28 (19.8%) —
Adjourned session
November 12–13, 1863
Members of theMissouri General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee B. Gratz Brown James Broadhead John S. Phelps Party Radical Union Conservative Conservative 31st ballot 62 (50.0%) 39 (29.5%) 30 (22.7%) 32nd ballot 74 (52.5%) 65 (46.1%) —
Senator before election Robert Wilson Conservative Elected Senator B. Gratz Brown Radical Union

Incumbent Conservative Robert Wilson was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Waldo P. Johnson.^[74] He was not a candidate for re-election to the Class 3 seat.

The General Assembly met from January 6–11, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term.^[68] DemocratJohn S. Phelps and Emancipationists B. Gratz Brown, Samuel T. Glover, Samuel M. Breckinridge,John W. Noell, andJames Broadhead were candidates on the first ballot.^[75] No candidate had a majority after the sixth ballot, and the joint session adjourned.^[76]

The joint session met again from February 2–11, 1863. Phelps, Brown, Glover, Breckinridge, and Broadhead were candidates.^[77] Noell's name was withdrawn, after which Phelps led on the seventh ballot, but without a majority.^[78] No candidate had a majority after the thirtieth ballot, and the joint session adjourned.^[79]

The joint session met a third time from November 12–13, 1863.^[80] Brown was nominated by the Radical Unionists, while Broadhead received the votes of most of the Conservative members.^[69] Brown defeated Broadhead on the 32nd ballot.^[81]

Missouri election

← 1863 (special) November 13, 1863 1868 →
Members of theMissouri General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee John B. Henderson John S. Phelps Benjamin F. Loan Party Radical Union Conservative Radical Union 1st ballot 84 (60.9%) 42 (30.4%) 7 (5.1%)
Senator before election John B. Henderson Emancipation Elected Senator John B. Henderson Radical Union

Incumbent Emancipationist John B. Henderson waselected in 1863 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Trusten Polk.^[61]

The General Assembly met on November 13, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Henderson defeated Phelps on the first ballot.^[82]

Incumbent UnionistRichard S. Field was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the death ofJohn R. Thomson. With Thomson's death coming less than a year before the end of his term on March 4, 1863, theNew Jersey Legislature would hold consecutive elections in 1863: a special election for the unexpired term, and the regularly scheduled election for the next term.^[83]

New Jersey special election

← 1857 January 14, 1863 1863 →
Members of theNew Jersey Legislature Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee James W. Wall Richard S. Field Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 53 (67.1%) 23 (29.1%)
Senator before election Richard S. Field Union Elected Senator James W. Wall Democratic

The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on January 14, 1863. William Cook,Charles Skelton,Charles Sitgreaves, andJames W. Wall were candidates. Cook led on the first two ballots, but without a majority. Skelton and Sitgreaves then withdrew, and Wall defeated Cook on the third ballot.^[84]

The Legislature met in joint session on January 14, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term.^[85] Wall defeated Field on the first ballot.^[84]

New Jersey election

← 1863 (special) February 26, 1863 1867 (special) →
Members of theNew Jersey Legislature Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee William Wright William A. Newell Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 54 (68.4%) 25 (31.6%)
Senator before election James W. Wall Democratic Elected Senator William Wright Democratic

The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on February 25, 1863.^[86] Wall andWilliam Wright were candidates.^[87] Wright was nominated on the 23rd ballot.^[86]

The Legislature met in joint session on February 26, 1863, to hold an election for the next term.^[88] Wright defeated the Union candidateWilliam A. Newell on the first ballot.^[89]

New York election

← 1857 February 3, 1863 1869 →
Members of theNew York State Legislature Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Edwin D. Morgan Erastus Corning John A. Dix Party Union Democratic Union Assembly (2nd) — 63 (49.2%) 65 (50.8%) Senate (1st) 23 (76.7%) 7 (23.3%) — Joint ballot 86 (54.4%) 70 (44.3%) 1 (0.6%)
Senator before election Preston King Republican Elected Senator Edwin D. Morgan Union

One-term RepublicanPreston King waselected in 1857.^[90]

In the1862 New York state elections, the Democratic candidateHoratio Seymour waselectedgovernor, but Unionists retained a narrow majority in theNew York State Legislature.^[91] The Democratic ticket was endorsed by the Constitutional Union state convention in a bid to unite conservative, anti-abolitionist opponents of the Union state administration. Democrats framed the election as a referendum onwhite supremacy; one Democratic congressional candidate remarked that "the negation of thewhite race and the elevation of thenegro over the white man have hushed up or exiled all our past political differences." The failure of prominent Conservative Republicans to support the Union candidate for governor contributed to the Democratic victory in the gubernatorial race.^[92]

The Union members of the legislature held a caucus on February 2, 1863.Edwin D. Morgan, King,Daniel S. Dickinson,Charles B. Sedgwick,David D. Field,Henry J. Raymond,Ward Hunt, andHenry R. Selden were candidates. Morgan was nominated on the second ballot.^[93]

The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on February 2, 1863. The meeting found it inexpedient to nominate a candidate and advised members tovote their conscience in the senatorial election.^[93] The caucus met again on February 3 and voted to reconsider the previous day's motion.Erastus Corning defeatedFernando Wood on the first ballot.^[94]

TheSenate and theAssembly met separately on February 3, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Morgan andJohn A. Dix were selected by the Senate and the Assembly, on the first and second ballots, respectively. The two chambers being in disagreement, theNew York State Legislature met in joint session to resolve the dispute. Morgan defeated Corning on the joint ballot.^[95]

Ohio election

← 1856 January 22, 1863 1869 →
Members of theOhio General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Benjamin Wade Hugh J. Jewett Thomas Ewing Party Union Democratic Union 1st ballot 126 (59.5%) 35 (27.8%) 15 (11.9%)
Senator before election Benjamin Wade Republican Elected Senator Benjamin Wade Union

Two-term RepublicanBenjamin Wade wasre-elected in 1856.

The Union members of the legislature held a caucus from January 15–16, 1863.^[96] Wade,Salmon P. Chase,David Tod,William S. Groesbeck, andThomas Ewing were mentioned as candidates ahead of the caucus. Wade, aRadical Republican, had earned the enmity of Conservatives and personal rivals in the Union Party.^[97] At the first meeting of the caucus, a group ofWar Democrats expressed their opposition to Wade and requested his name be withdrawn from consideration. The meeting adjourned until the following day, when Wade's supporters refused to honor the War Democrats' request. Wade defeatedRobert C. Schenck on the first ballot with 56 votes to Schenck's six.^[98]

TheOhio General Assembly met in joint session on January 22, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Wade defeated the Democratic candidateHugh J. Jewett and Ewing on the first ballot.^[99]

Oregon special election

← 1860 (special) September 11–12, 1863 1864 →
Members of theOregon Legislative Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Benjamin F. Harding Henry W. Corbett George H. Williams Party Union Union Union Faction War Democrat Republican War Democrat 1st ballot 7 (14.6%) — 7 (14.6%) 30th ballot 28 (58.3%) 11 (22.9%) 5 (10.4%)   Nominee John Whiteaker Thomas H. Pearne Elisha L. Applegate Party Democratic Union Union Faction Peace Democrat Republican Republican 1st ballot 3 (6.25%) 9 (18.8%) 8 (16.7%) 30th ballot 3 (6.25%) — —   Nominee Orange Jacobs Reuben F. Maury Party Union Union Faction Republican 1st ballot 5 (10.4%) 4 (8.3%) 30th ballot — —
Senator before election Benjamin Stark Democratic Elected Senator Benjamin F. Harding Union

Incumbent DemocratBenjamin Stark was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the death ofEdward D. Baker.^[100] He was not a candidate for re-election.

TheOregon Legislative Assembly met in joint session from September 11–12, 1862, to hold a special election for the unexpired term.^[101] With the Union Party in almost complete control of the legislature, the contest centered between the Republican and War Democrat wings of the coalition.^[102]Benjamin F. Harding defeatedHenry W. Corbett,George H. Williams, andJohn Whiteaker on the 30th ballot.^[103]

Pennsylvania election

← 1861 (special) January 13, 1863 1869 →
Members of thePennsylvania General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Charles R. Buckalew Simon Cameron Party Democratic Union 1st ballot 67 (50.4%) 65 (48.9%)
Senator before election David Wilmot Republican Elected Senator Charles R. Buckalew Democratic

Incumbent RepublicanDavid Wilmot waselected in 1861 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation ofSimon Cameron.^[100]

The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on January 12, 1863.Charles R. Buckalew,James Campbell,Francis W. Hughes, andHenry D. Foster were the leading candidates. Buckalew defeated Campbell on the sixth ballot.^[104]

The Union members of the legislature held a caucus from January 12–13, 1863.^[105] Cameron and Wilmot were candidates for the nomination. A secret committee formed to assess the relative electability of the candidates in the closely-divided legislature found that the Democratic members were inflexibly opposed to Wilmot, while Cameron claimed several Democrats were prepared to vote for him if nominated. The caucus selected Cameron on the basis of these assurances in the final hours before the election.^[106]

ThePennsylvania General Assembly met in joint session on January 13, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Buckalew defeated Cameron on the first ballot.^[107]

There were two elections inRhode Island, due to the resignation ofJames F. Simmons.

Rhode Island election

← 1857 May 28, 1862 1862 (special)→ 1868 →
Members of theRhode Island General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee William Sprague James F. Simmons Nathan F. Dixon Party Constitutional Union Republican Republican Alliance Democratic — — 1st ballot 90 (89.3%) 5 (4.8%) 5 (4.8%)
Senator before election James F. Simmons Republican Elected Senator William Sprague Constitutional Union

Two-term Republican James F. Simmons wasre-elected non-consecutively in 1857.^[108]

TheRhode Island General Assembly met in joint session on May 28, 1862, to hold an election for the next term.^[109] The Democratic and Constitutional Union candidateWilliam Sprague defeated Simmons andNathan F. Dixon on the first ballot.^[110] Sprague subsequently caucused with the Republican-Union majority in the Senate and served the remainder of his term as a Republican.^[111]

Rhode Island special election

← 1857 ←1862 September 5, 1862 1868 →
Members of theRhode Island General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Samuel G. Arnold Nathan F. Dixon Party Constitutional Union Republican Alliance Democratic — 1st ballot 71 (87.6%) 7 (8.6%)
Senator before election James F. Simmons Republican Elected Senator Samuel G. Arnold Constitutional Union

Simmons resigned from the Senate on August 15, 1862, less than a year before the end of his term.^[108]

The General Assembly met in joint session on September 5, 1862, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. The Democratic and Constitutional Union candidateSamuel G. Arnold defeated Nathan F. Dixon on the first ballot.^[112]

Incumbent DemocratAndrew Johnson resigned on March 4, 1862, following his appointment asmilitary governor of Tennessee. TheTennessee General Assembly did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1866.^[113]

Incumbent DemocratLouis T. Wigfall was expelled from the Senate on July 11, 1861. TheTexas Legislature did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1870.^[114]

Vermont election

← 1856 October 14, 1862 1866 (special) →
Members of theVermont General Assembly Majority in both houses needed to win
Nominee Solomon Foot Daniel Kellogg Party Republican Democratic House 206 (96.7%) 3 (1.4%) Senate 30 (100.0%) —
Senator before election Solomon Foot Republican Elected Senator Solomon Foot Republican

Two-term RepublicanSolomon Foot wasre-elected in 1856.

TheSenate and theHouse of Representatives met separately on October 14, 1862, to hold an election for the next term. Foot defeatedDaniel Kellogg on the first ballot.^[115]

Virginia election

← 1861 (special) January 23, 1863 1864 (special) →
Members of theRestored Virginia General Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Lemuel J. Bowden Waitman T. Willey Daniel Lamb Party Union Union Union 1st ballot 20 (40.8%) 16 (32.6%) 10 (20.4%) 2nd ballot 29 (59.2%) 19 (38.8%) 1 (2.0%)
Senator before election Waitman T. Willey Union Elected Senator Lemuel J. Bowden Union

Incumbent UnionistWaitman T. Willey waselected in 1861 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion ofJames M. Mason.^[116]

TheRestored Virginia General Assembly met on January 23, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Voting proceeded separately in the Senate and the House of Delegates, after which the votes were tallied jointly.Lemuel J. Bowden defeated Willey on the second ballot.^[117]

West Virginia election

August 4, 1863 1865→ 1868–69 →
Members of theWest Virginia Legislature Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee Waitman T. Willey Peter G. Van Winkle Archibald W. Campbell Party Union Union Union 1st ballot 50 (73.5%) 22 (32.4%) 27 (39.7%) 6th ballot Y 46 (68.6%) 12 (17.9%)   Nominee Benjamin H. Smith Daniel Lamb George W. Summers Party Union Union Union 1st ballot 24 (35.3%) 5 (7.35%) 3 (4.4%) 6th ballot 2 (3.0%) — 6 (8.9%)
Senators before election None Elected Senators Peter G. Van Winkle(Class 1) Waitman T. Willey(Class 2) Union

West Virginia elected two senators following its admission on June 20, 1863.^[118]

TheWest Virginia Legislature met on August 4, 1863, to hold elections for both seats. Members voted for two candidates on the first ballot; voting proceeded separately in the Senate and the House of Delegates, after which the votes were tallied jointly.^[119]

Waitman T. Willey was elected on the first ballot;Archibald W. Cambpell finished second, but without a majority. On subsequent ballots, each member cast one vote.Peter G. Van Winkle defeated Campbell on the sixth ballot.^[119][120]

Wisconsin election

← 1857 January 22, 1863 1869 →
Members of theWisconsin State Assembly Majority of voting members needed to win
Nominee James R. Doolittle Edward G. Ryan Party Republican Democratic 1st ballot 73 (55.3%) 57 (43.2%)
Senator before election James R. Doolittle Republican Elected Senator James R. Doolittle Republican

One-term RepublicanJames R. Doolittle waselected in 1857.^[121]

Doolittle was a prominent supporter of colonizingfree people of color outside the United States, considering such essential to any plan of emancipation.^[122] His endorsement of Lincoln's gradual emancipation scheme proved divisive withWisconsin Republicans during the 1862 state elections. Radical Republicans mocked Doolittle's "wild notions of colonization" and called on Lincoln to adopt immediate emancipation andBlack enlistment as the basis of a national policy. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation accepted the premise of the Radical position, helping to heal Republican divisions and sow discord among the opposition in the final weeks before the election.^[123]

TheWisconsin State Assembly met in joint session on January 22, 1863, to hold an election for the next term.^[124] Doolittle defeated the Democratic candidateEdward G. Ryan on the first ballot.^[125]

• 1862 United States elections
  • 1862–63 United States House of Representatives elections
• 37th United States Congress
• 38th United States Congress