The 1905 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 17, 1905. Incumbent Senator Chauncey Depew was re-elected to a second term in office. He was renominated unanimously after former Governor

Frank S. Black Frank Swett Black (March 8, 1853March 22, 1913) was an American newspaper editor, lawyer and politician. A Republican, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1895 to 1897, and the 32nd Governor of New York from 1897 ...

dropped his challenge, and easily won the election given the Republican Party's large majorities in both houses.

Background

Republican

Chauncey M. Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew (April 23, 1834April 5, 1928) was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, as ...

had been elected to this seat in

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

, and his term would expire on March 3, 1905. At the State election in November 1904, large Republican majorities were elected for a two-year term (1905-1906) in the State Senate, and for the session of 1905 to the Assembly. The 128th State Legislature met from January 3, 1905, on at

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

Candidates

Republican caucus

Late in 1904, Ex-Governor

tried to be nominated to succeed Depew. Black was supported by Governor

Benjamin B. Odell, Jr. Benjamin Barker Odell Jr. (January 14, 1854May 9, 1926) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 34th Governor of New York from 1901 to 1904. Early life Born in Newburgh, New York, in 1854, Odell's father, Benjamin B. Odell ...

, but after intense fighting behind the scenes, Odell finally dropped Black and accepted Depew's re-election which had been supported by his fellow Senator

Thomas C. Platt Thomas Collier Platt (July 15, 1833 – March 6, 1910), also known as Tom Platt

and Speaker S. Frederick Nixon. The Republican caucus met on January 16. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator

unanimously.

Democratic caucus

The Democratic caucus met also on January 16. They nominated again

Smith M. Weed Smith Mead Weed (July 26, 1833 – June 7, 1920) was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic lawyer and businessman from Plattsburgh, New York, who served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1865 to 1867, in 1871, and again i ...

Smith Mead Weed Smith Mead Weed (July 26, 1833 – June 7, 1920) was a Democratic lawyer and businessman from Plattsburgh, New York, who served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1865 to 1867, in 1871, and again in 1873 and 1874. A native of ...

(1834-1920), lawyer and businessman, of

Plattsburgh Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...

, assemblyman 1865-67, 1871, 1873 and 1874; delegate to the

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...

and

1884 Democratic National Convention The 1884 Democratic National Convention was held July 8–11, 1884 and chose Governor Grover Cleveland of New York their presidential nominee with the former Governor Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana as the vice presidential nominee.World Book Bac ...

s who had been the candidate of the Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate election of 1887.

Result

Chauncey M. Depew was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected. 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.

Aftermath

Depew remained in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1911. In 1911, Depew was defeated for re-election by Democrat

James A. O'Gorman James Aloysius O'Gorman (May 5, 1860 – May 17, 1943) was an American attorney, judge, and politician from New York. A Democrat, he is most notable for his service as a United States Senator from March 31, 1911 to March 3, 1917. A native of Ma ...

after a deadlock of two months and a half.

Notes

Sources

Members of the 59th United States Congress
* * * * * * {{New York elections

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...