Dates vary by state 1894 / 1895 → 14 9 3 9 Start date June 11, 1892 | 39 47 42 38 3 1 | |
The United States Senate elections of 1892 and 1893 were elections which, corresponding with former Democratic President Grover Cleveland's return to power, had the Republican Party lose nine seats in the United States Senate and lose its majority to the Democratic Party. The Democratic majority, however, was minimal and didn't last past the next Congress.
Contents
- Results summary
- Elections during the 52nd Congress
- Races leading to the 53rd Congress
- Elections during the 53rd Congress
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- References
As these elections were prior to ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.
Results summary
Senate Party Division, 53rd Congress (1893–1895)
Elections during the 52nd Congress
In these elections the winners were seated during the 52nd Congress in 1892 or in 1893 before March 4; ordered by election date.
In this election, the winner was seated in the 53rd Congress, starting March 4, 1893.
In this election, the winner was seated in the 54th Congress, starting March 4, 1895.
Races leading to the 53rd Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1893; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
Elections during the 53rd Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1893 after March 4, and seated in the 53rd Congress.
In this election, the winner was seated in the 54th Congress, starting March 4, 1895.
New York
The New York election was held on January 18, 1893, by the New York State Legislature.
Republican Frank Hiscock had been elected to this seat in 1887, and his term would expire on March 3, 1893.
At the controversial State election in November 1891, 17 Democrats, 14 Republicans and 1 Independent were elected for a two-year term (1892-1893) in the State Senate. This was the only time a Democratic majority was seated in the State Senate between 1874 and 1910. At the State election in November 1892, 74 Democrats and 54 Republicans were elected for the session of 1893 to the Assembly. The 116th New York State Legislature met from January 3 to April 20, 1893, at Albany, New York.
The Democratic caucus met on January 10. 90 State legislators attended, only Assemblyman John Cooney, of Brooklyn, was absent due to illness. State Senator Amasa J. Parker, Jr. presided. Edward Murphy, Jr., a wealthy brewer of Troy, and Chairman of the Democratic State Committee, was nominated by a large majority. The New York Times had suggested earlier to nominate Carl Schurz, a former Republican U.S. Senator from Missouri and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who lived now in New York City, but the political machines of upstate boss David B. Hill and Tammany Hall chose a loyal party machine man rather than an Ex-Republican advocate of civil service reform. Even President-elect Grover Cleveland had voiced his disapproval of Murphy, to no avail.
The Republican caucus met on January 11. State Senator Thomas Hunter presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Frank Hiscock by acclamation.
Edward Murphy, Jr., was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected. State Senator James T. Edwards (32nd D.), of Randolph, voted for the defeated Republican vice presidential candidate of 1892, Whitelaw Reid.
Note: The votes were cast on January 17, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 18 to compare nominations, and declare the result.
When Murphy took his seat, for the first time since 1849 New York was represented by two Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Murphy served a single term, remaining in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1899. In January 1899, Murphy was defeated for re-election by Republican Chauncey M. Depew.
Pennsylvania
The election in Pennsylvania was held January 17, 1893. Incumbent Matthew Quay was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.