The 1861 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 5, 1861, by the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an officia ...

to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York in the

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 ...

Background

Whig

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

had been re-elected in February 1855 to this seat, had become a Republican upon the foundation of that party in September 1855, and his term would expire on March 3, 1861. Seward did not seek re-election, instead being certain to be appointed to an office in the incoming

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

administration. The election was held amid the ongoing secession crisis, as much of the South had already seceded in anticipation of the impending inauguration of President Lincoln.

Legislative composition

At the 1859 state election, 23 Republicans and 9 Democrats were elected for a two-year term in the State Senate. At the 1860 election, 93 Republicans and 35 Democrats were elected to the Assembly for the session of 1861. The

84th New York State Legislature The 84th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to April 16, 1861, during the third year of Edwin D. Morgan's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

met from January 1 to April 16, 1861, 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 C ...

. Thus, Republicans were assured of electing the next Senator unless the party split.

Republican caucus

Candidates

* William Evarts,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

attorney * Horace Greeley, editor of the ''

New-York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...

'' and former U.S. Representative * Ira Harris, judge of the New York Supreme Court and former Assemblyman Though Seward was no longer a factor in the election, his political patron

Thurlow Weed Edward Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a printer, New York newspaper publisher, and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was i ...

expected to control the outcome. His preferred candidate was William Evarts, a leading member of the

bar who had chaired the New York delegation at the 1860 Republican National Convention. However, Evarts was opposed by Horace Greeley, the influential editor of the New York Tribune who had joined Weed and Seward to control the Whig and Republican parties in the state for the past several years. A third candidate in the race, Ira Harris, held himself out at Weed's disposal in case Evarts could not be elected.

Caucus results

After weeks of canvassing, formal ballots were held in which Greeley and Evarts exchanged the lead as Harris slipped behind. On the ninth ballot, when it appeared Greeley would win the nomination (and thus the election), Weed ordered the Evarts men to vote for Harris. Greeley fell short of a majority on the ninth ballot, and on the tenth, Harirs was nominated.

Election

Both in the Assembly and the Senate a strict party vote confirmed the caucus selections. In the Assembly 119 votes were given. Republicans Smith Anthony (Cayuga Co.), Martin Finch (Essex Co.), Henry A. Prendergast (Chautauqua Co.), Victor M. Rice (Erie Co.) and Perez H. Field (Ontario Co.); and Democrats Luke F. Cozans (NYC), Benjamin H. Long (Erie Co.), N. Holmes Odell (Westchester Co.) and Christian B. Woodruff (NYC); did not vote. In the State Senate, 31 votes were given. William H. Ferry (Rep., 19th D.) was absent.

Result

Ira Harris was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

Aftermath

Harris served one term, and remained in office until March 3, 1867.

References

Sources

''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner, 1867 (see pg. 568 for U. S. Senators; pg. 442 for State Senators 1861; pg. 492ff for Members of Assembly 1861)
Members of the 37th United States Congress
*Result state election 1859 i
''The Tribune Almanac for 1860''
compiled by Horace Greeley of the '' New York Tribune'' *Result state election 1860 i
''The Tribune Almanac for 1861''
compiled by Horace Greeley of the '' New York Tribune''
''FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.; Election of United States Senator''
in NYT on February 6, 1861 *Result, State Senate
''Journal of the Senate'' (84th Session)
(1861; pg. 137) *Result, Assembly
''Journal of the Assembly'' (84th Session)
(1861; pg. 247f)