1866 United States elections

Elections occurred in the middle of National Union President Andrew Johnson's term, during the Third Party System and Reconstruction. Johnson had become president on April 15, 1865, upon the death of his predecessor, Abraham Lincoln. Members of the 40th United States Congress were chosen in this election. As this was the first election after the Civil War, many ex-Confederates were barred from voting, and several Southern states did not take part in the election. Delegations from Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, and South Carolina were re-admitted during the 40th Congress.

1866 United States elections

← 1864          1865          1866          1867          1868 → Midterm elections
Incumbent president	Andrew Johnson (National Union)[a]
Next Congress	40th
Senate elections
Overall control	Republican hold
Seats contested	25 of 66 seats[1]
Net seat change	Republican +2[2]
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican gain      Republican hold      Legislature failed to elect      Unreconstructed states
House elections
Overall control	Republican hold
Seats contested	All 224 voting seats
Net seat change	Republican +23[2]
1866 House of Representatives election results      Democratic      Republican      Unreconstructed states

Johnson's supporters held the 1866 National Union Convention in hopes of rallying supporters against the Radical Republicans. However, the Republican Party maintained a dominant majority in both houses of Congress, and ultimately impeached Johnson in 1868.

In the House, both parties picked up several seats, but Republicans retained a majority.^[3]

In the Senate, Republicans won massive gains and increased their already-dominant majority, while Democrats suffered slight losses.^[4]

See also

• 1866–67 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1866–67 United States Senate elections

Notes

1. Johnson was elected as vice president on the National Union ticket in 1864 and assumed the presidency in 1865 after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. After becoming president, Johnson broke with Lincoln's Republican Party, attempted to form his own party, and was a candidate for the presidential nomination at the 1868 Democratic National Convention.