United States Senate elections, 1870

United States Senate elections, 1870

November 1870
? seats in the United States Senate
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party Republican Democratic Liberal Republican Last election 62 seats 12 seats 0 Seats won 56 17 1 Seat change 6 5 1
Majority Party before election Republican Party Elected Majority Party Republican Party

In the United States Senate election of 1870, the Republican Party lost six seats in the United States Senate, though it still retained an overwhelming majority.

As this election was prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen or elected by State legislatures.

Reconstruction

That election marked the first time that, with Mississippian Hiram Rhodes Revels, an African American was elected as a US senator and became a member of Congress.

In Georgia, Foster Blodgett was elected and presented his credentials as Senator-elect, but the Senate declared him not elected.

In Virginia, Republican John F. Lewis and Democrat John W. Johnston were elected on January 26, 1870 to fill seats that had been vacant since 1864 and 1865.

Results

Senate Party Division, 42nd Congress (1871–1873)

• Majority Party: Republican (55)
• Minority Party: Democratic (16)
• Other Parties: Liberal Republican (1)
• Vacant: (2)
• Total Seats: 74

Change in Senate composition

Before the elections D D D D D D D R R R R R D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

In the next Congress V D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R V R R R R R R

Key:	D = Democratic L = Liberal Republican R = Republican V = Vacant	Majority divider

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections, 1870