1826–27 United States Senate elections

The 1826–27 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1826 and 1827, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.^[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.

1826–27 United States Senate elections

← 1824 & 1825 Dates vary by state 1828 & 1829 →
16 of the 48 seats in the United States Senate (plus special elections) 25 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Jacksonian Anti-Jacksonian Last election 26 seats 21 seats Seats before 26 22 Seats won 9 6 Seats after 27 20 Seat change 1 2 Seats up 8 8
Results:      Jacksonian hold      Jacksonian gain      Anti-Jacksonian hold      Anti-Jacksonian gain      Legislature failed to elect
Majority Party before election Jacksonian Elected Majority Party Jacksonian

The majority Jacksonians gained a seat in the United States Senate. Senators who called themselves "Anti-Jacksonian" or "National Republicans" were also called "Adams" or "Adams Men."

Results summary

Senate party division, 20th Congress (1827–1829)

• Majority party: Jacksonian (27)
• Minority party: Anti-Jacksonian (20–21)
• Other parties: (0)
• Total seats: 48

Change in composition

Before the elections

At the beginning of 1826.

						A1	A2	A3	A4
A14 Ind. Ran	A13	A12	A11	A10	A9	A8	A7	A6	A5
A15 Mass. Ran	A16 Ohio Ran	A17 R.I. Ran	A18 Vt. Ran	A19 Del. Unknown	A20 Maine Unknown	A21 N.J. Died	V1	J26 Pa. Retired	J25 Conn. Unknown
Majority →
J15	J16	J17	J18	J19 Md. Ran	J20 Miss. Ran	J21 Mo. Ran	J22 N.Y. Ran	J23 Tenn. Ran	J24 Va. Ran
J14	J13	J12	J11	J10	J9	J8	J7	J6	J5
						J1	J2	J3	J4

Result of the regular elections

						A1	A2	A3	A4
A14 Ind. Re-elected	A13	A12	A11	A10	A9	A8	A7	A6	A5
A15 Ohio Re-elected	A16 R.I. Re-elected	A17 Vt. Re-elected	A18 N.J. Hold	A19 Conn. Gain	V2 Mass. A Loss	V1	J27 Maine Gain	J26 Del. Gain	J25 Va. Hold
Majority →
J15	J16	J17	J18	J19 Md. Re-elected	J20 Mo. Re-elected	J21 N.Y. Re-elected	J22 Tenn. Re-elected	J23 Miss. Hold[a]	J24 Pa. Hold
J14	J13	J12	J11	J10	J9	J8	J7	J6	J5
						J1	J2	J3	J4

Result of the special elections

Before the March 4, 1827, beginning of the new Congress.

						A1	A2	A3	A4
A14	A13	A12	A11	A10	A9	A8	A7	A6	A5
A15	A16	A17 Md. Gain	A18 N.J. Hold, same as regular	A19 N.Y. Gain	A20 Mass. 2 Hold	V1	J27 Del. (sp) Gain	J26 Miss. (sp) Elected[b][a]	J25 Ala. (sp) Hold
Majority →
J15	J16	J17	J18	J19	J20	J21	J22	J23	J24 S.C. Hold
J14	J13	J12	J11	J10	J9	J8	J7	J6	J5
						J1	J2	J3	J4

Key:	A# = Anti-Jacksonian J# = Jacksonian V# = Vacant

Race summaries

Special elections during the 19th Congress

In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1826 or before March 4, 1827; ordered by election date.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
New York (Class 3)	Vacant			Seat vacant after an 1824 legislative deadlock. New senator elected January 14, 1826. Anti-Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Nathan Sanford (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
Maryland (Class 3)	Edward Lloyd	Jacksonian	1819 1825	Incumbent resigned January 14, 1826. New senator elected January 24, 1826. Anti-Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Ezekiel F. Chambers (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
Mississippi (Class 1)	Powhatan Ellis	Jacksonian	1825 (appointed)	Interim appointee lost election January 28, 1826. Jacksonian hold.	▌Y Thomas Reed (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Massachusetts (Class 2)	James Lloyd	Anti-Jacksonian	1808 (special) 1808 1813 (resigned) 1822 (special) 1822	Incumbent resigned May 23, 1826. New senator elected May 31, 1826. Anti-Jacksonian hold.	▌Y Nathaniel Silsbee (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
New Jersey (Class 1)	Joseph McIlvaine	Anti-Jacksonian	1823 (special)	Incumbent died August 19, 1826 New senator elected November 10, 1826. Anti-Jacksonian hold. Winner also elected to the next term; see below.	▌Y Ephraim Bateman (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
Alabama (Class 3)	Israel Pickens	Jacksonian	1826 (appointed)	Interim appointee not elected to finish the term. New senator elected November 27, 1826. Jacksonian hold.	▌Y John McKinley (Jacksonian) [data missing]
South Carolina (Class 3)	William Harper	Jacksonian	1826 (appointed)	Interim appointee not elected to finish the term. New senator elected November 29, 1826. Jacksonian hold.	▌Y William Smith (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Delaware (Class 2)	Daniel Rodney	Anti-Jacksonian	1826 (appointed)	Interim appointee not elected to finish the term. New senator elected January 12, 1827. Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Henry M. Ridgely (Jacksonian) [data missing]

Races leading to the 20th Congress

In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1827; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Connecticut	Henry W. Edwards	Jacksonian	1823 (appointed) 1824 (special)	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected. Anti-Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Samuel A. Foote (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
Delaware	Thomas Clayton	Anti-Jacksonian	1824 (special)	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected. Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Louis McLane (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Indiana	James Noble	Anti-Jacksonian	1816 1821	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y James Noble (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
Maine	John Holmes	Anti-Jacksonian	1820 1821	Incumbent retired or lost re-election. New senator elected. Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Albion K. Parris (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Maryland	Samuel Smith	Jacksonian	1802 1809 1815 (lost) 1822 (special)	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Samuel Smith (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Massachusetts	Elijah H. Mills	Anti-Jacksonian	1820 (special) 1820	Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature elected late. Anti-Jacksonian loss.	[data missing]
Mississippi	Thomas Reed	Jacksonian	1826 (special)	Incumbent lost re-election. New senator elected in 1826 or 1827. Jacksonian hold.	▌Y Powhatan Ellis (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Missouri	Thomas H. Benton	Jacksonian	1821	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Thomas H. Benton (Jacksonian) [data missing]
New Jersey	Joseph McIlvaine	Anti-Jacksonian	1823 (special)	Incumbent died August 19, 1826. New senator elected November 10, 1826. Anti-Jacksonian hold. Winner was also elected to finish the preceding term; see above.	▌Y Ephraim Bateman (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
New York	Martin Van Buren	Jacksonian	1821	Incumbent re-elected February 6, 1827.	▌Y Martin Van Buren (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Ohio	Benjamin Ruggles	Anti-Jacksonian	1815 1821	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Benjamin Ruggles (Anti-Jacksonian) Unopposed[2]
Pennsylvania	William Findlay	Jacksonian	1821	Incumbent retired. New senator elected. Jacksonian hold.	▌Y Isaac D. Barnard (Jacksonian) 81.20% ▌Samuel D. Ingham (Jacksonian) 8.27% ▌Joseph Hemphill (Jacksonian) 3.76% ▌James Buchanan (Jacksonian) 2.26% ▌Thomas Sergeant (Jacksonian) 0.75% Not voting 3.76%
Rhode Island	Asher Robbins	Anti-Jacksonian	1825 (special)	Incumbent re-elected November 2, 1826.	▌Y Asher Robbins (Anti-Jacksonian) unanimously[3]
Tennessee	John Eaton	Jacksonian	1818 (appointed) 1819 (special) 1821 (special)	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y John Eaton (Jacksonian) [data missing]
Vermont	Horatio Seymour	Anti-Jacksonian	1821	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Horatio Seymour (Anti-Jacksonian) [data missing]
Virginia	John Randolph	Jacksonian	1825 (Appointed)	Appointee lost election. New senator elected. Jacksonian hold.	▌Y John Tyler (Jacksonian) [data missing]

Elections during the 20th Congress

In this election, the winner was seated in 1827 after the new Congress began on March 4.

State	Incumbent			Results	Candidates
	Senator	Party	Electoral history
Massachusetts (Class 1)	Vacant			Vacant due to late election. New senator elected June 8, 1827. Anti-Jacksonian gain.	▌Y Daniel Webster (Anti-Jacksonian) 202[4] Others 126

Alabama (special)

See also: List of United States senators from Alabama

Connecticut

See also: List of United States senators from Connecticut

Delaware

See also: List of United States senators from Delaware

Delaware had two elections: a special for the class 2 seat and a regular election for the class 1 seat. The elections flipped both seats from Anti-Jacksonian to Jacksonian.

Delaware (special)

Anti-Jacksonian senator Nicholas Van Dyke died on May 21, 1826, and Anti-Jacksonian Daniel Rodney was appointed to continue the class 2 term (ending March 3, 1829) until a special election.

Jacksonian Henry M. Ridgely was elected on January 12, 1827.

Delaware (regular)

Anti-Jacksonian Thomas Clayton had served since winning an 1824 special election. It is unknown if Clayton was a candidate for re-election in 1827, but that election was won by Jacksonian Louis McLane.

Indiana

See also: List of United States senators from Indiana

Maine

See also: List of United States senators from Maine

Maryland

See also: List of United States senators from Maryland

Maryland (special)

See also: List of United States senators from Maryland

1826 United States Senate special election in Maryland

← 1825 January 24, 1826 1831 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Candidate Ezekiel F. Chambers Philip Reed Party National Republican Democratic-Republican Legislative vote 49 34 Percentage 59.04% 40.96%

Ezekiel F. Chambers won election over Philip Reed by a margin of 18.07%, or 15 votes, for the Class 3 seat.^[5]

Maryland (regular)

See also: List of United States senators from Maryland

1827 United States Senate election in Maryland

← 1822 January 9, 1827 1833 →
80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
Candidate Samuel Smith Did not vote Party Jacksonian democracy Legislative vote 78 5 Percentage 93.98% 6.02

Samuel Smith won election by a margin of 87.95%, or 73 votes, for the Class 1 seat.^[6]

Massachusetts

See also: List of United States senators from Massachusetts

Massachusetts (special, class 2)

Massachusetts (regular)

Massachusetts (special, class 1)

Mississippi

See also: List of United States senators from Mississippi

Jacksonian interim appointee Powhatan Ellis had served in the class 1 seat since 1825 for the term ending March 3, 1827.

He faced a special election to finish the term and a regular election to the next term.

Mississippi (special)

Jacksonian Thomas Buck Reed was elected January 27, 1826, to finish the term, but not to the next full term.

Mississippi (regular)

Jacksonian interim appointee Powhatan Ellis was elected sometime (date unknown) to the next term, and would go on to serve until 1832.

Missouri

See also: List of United States senators from Missouri

New Jersey

See also: List of United States senators from New Jersey

New Jersey (regular)

New Jersey (special)

New York

Main article: 1827 United States Senate election in New York

See also: List of United States senators from New York and 1825–1826 United States Senate election in New York

Ohio

See also: List of United States senators from Ohio

Pennsylvania

Main article: 1826 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

See also: List of United States senators from Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

See also: List of United States senators from Rhode Island

South Carolina (special)

See also: List of United States senators from South Carolina

Tennessee

See also: List of United States senators from Tennessee

Vermont

See also: List of United States senators from Vermont

Virginia

See also: List of United States senators from Virginia

See also

• 1826 United States elections
  • 1826–27 United States House of Representatives elections
• 19th United States Congress
• 20th United States Congress

Notes

1. In Mississippi, Jacksonian appointee Powhatan Ellis lost the election to finish the term, but was elected to the next term.
2. Appointee elected