1851 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

For related races, see 1850–51 United States Senate elections.

The 1851 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held in the 4th Wisconsin Legislature on January 20, 1851. Incumbent Democratic U.S. senator Henry Dodge was re-elected to a full six-year term.^[1]

1851 United States Senate election in Wisconsin

← 1848 January 20, 1851 1857 →

Nominee Henry Dodge James Duane Doty Others Party Democratic Independent Democrat Legislative vote 69 7 7 Percentage 83.13% 8.43% 8.43%

U.S. senator before election Henry Dodge Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Henry Dodge Democratic

In the 1851 legislative session, Democrats held large majorities in both chambers and neither of the other parties bothered to make a formal nomination. The only real contest was in the Democratic caucuses, where Dodge narrowly won renomination.

Major candidates

Democratic

• Henry Dodge, the incumbent U.S. senator, former governor of the Wisconsin Territory.
• James Duane Doty, incumbent U.S. representative of Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district, and former governor of the Wisconsin Territory.
• Charles Dunn, former chief justice of the Wisconsin Territory Supreme Court.
• Moses M. Strong, former speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Results

Democratic nomination

The Democrats met in caucus on January 19 to select a nominee. Three Democrats were absent from the caucus, but they were joined by Free Soiler George Gale, who afterward became a Democrat. In the initial informal poll, Dodge had the support of only 22 of 61 legislators. His nearest opponent was Moses Strong, with 17 votes. Strong had been speaker of the previous session of the Assembly, and was considered the candidate of the western region of the state; Strong had also been instrumental in the maneuvering to rescind the resolution that had called for the resignation of U.S. senator Isaac P. Walker, seen as an effort to court Walker's eastern constituency.^[2]

Over the course of the evening, Dodge's vote count gradually crept up, while Strong faded. Dodge won the nomination on the fourth ballot with just 31 of 61 votes. As it turned out, George Gale's vote in the caucus proved decisive.^[2]

Official vote

1st Vote of the 4th Wisconsin Legislature, January 20, 1851^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Henry Dodge (incumbent)	69[a]	83.13%
	Independent Democrat	James Duane Doty	7[b]	8.43%
	Whig	Alexander L. Collins	3[c]	3.61%
	Whig	Rufus King	2[d]	2.41%
	Free Soil	Warren Chase	1[e]	1.20%
	Whig	John B. Terry	1[f]	1.20%
		Absent	2
Majority			42	50.60%
Total votes			83	97.65%
	Democratic hold

Notes

1. Dodge received the votes of all Democrats except senators Orson S. Head and Harvey G. Turner (who were absent), and representative Morris S. Barnett (who voted for Doty); he received cross-over votes from Free Soil senator George Gale, Whig senator John H. Rountree, Free Soil representatives Edward Eastman and Elijah Easton, and Whig representatives Henry C. Hemingway, Julius Hulburt, Nathan Olmsted, John D. Seaver, and William E. Smith.
2. Doty received the votes of Free Soil senator Stephen O. Bennett, Democratic representative Morris S. Barnett, and Free Soil representatives Obed Hale, Wyman Spooner, James Tinker, William L. Utley, and Peter Van Vliet.
3. Collins received votes from Whig representatives Henry Johnson, William F. Tompkins, and Charles Waldo.
4. King received votes from Whig representatives Enoch Chase and Edward Vincent.
5. Chase received a vote from Free Soil representative Adam E. Ray.
6. Terry received a vote from Whig senator Levi Sterling.