| ←1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 → Presidential election year | |
| Election day | November 5 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) |
| Next Congress | 43rd |
| Presidential election | |
| Partisan control | Republican hold |
| Popular vote margin | Republican +11.8% |
| Electoral vote | |
| Ulysses S. Grant (R) | 286 |
| Horace Greeley (LR/D) | 66[1] |
 | |
| 1872 presidential election results. Numbers indicate theelectoral votes won by each candidate.Red denotes states won by Grant. The other colors denote electoral votes for various members of the Liberal Republican and Democratic parties; Greeley did not receive electoral votes because he died after the election. | |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | 24 of 74 seats[2] |
| Net seat change | Democratic +2[3] |
 | |
| Results: Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold Liberal Republican gain Legislature Failed to Elect | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Republican hold |
| Seats contested | All 292 voting members |
| Net seat change | Republican +61[3] |
 | |
| Results: Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain Conservative hold Conservative gain Liberal Republican gain Independent Gain | |
Elections were held on November 5, 1872, electing the members of the43rd United States Congress. The election took place during theThird Party System. The election took place during theReconstruction Era, and many Southerners were barred from voting. Despite a split in the party, the Republicans retained control of the presidency and both houses of Congress.
In the presidential election,Republican presidentUlysses S. Grant easily defeatedLiberal Republican newspaper editorHorace Greeley.[4] Greeley's Liberal Republicans campaigned oncivil service reform and an end toReconstruction. Eager to defeat Grant, theDemocratic Party also nominated Greeley. Greeley died after the election but prior to the meeting of the electoral college, so most of Greeley's electoral votes went to his running mate, Missouri GovernorBenjamin Gratz Brown, as well as former senatorThomas A. Hendricks of Indiana.
Following the1870 census, 49 seats wereadded to theHouse. Republicans made major gains in theHouse, picking up new seats while also winning seats from the Democrats.[5]
In theSenate, Republicans continued to control a commanding majority, but lost multiple seats to the Democrats andLiberal Republicans.[6]
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