1857 Iowa Senate election

In the 1857 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the seventh Iowa General Assembly. Elections were held for 15 of the state senate's 36 seats.[c] State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.

1857 Iowa Senate election

← 1856 1857 1859 →

15 out of 36 seats in the Iowa State Senate
19 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Party Republican Democratic Know Nothing
Last election 23 12 1
Seats after 22 14 0
Seat change Decrease1 Increase2 Decrease1

President of the Iowa Senate before election

William W. Hamilton[a]
Republican

Elected President of the Iowa Senate

Oran Faville[b]
Republican

The general election took place in 1857.[5]

Following the previous election in 1856, Republicans had control of the Iowa Senate with 23 seats to Democrats' 12 seats and one member from the Know Nothing Party.

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to garner seven Senate seats.

Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 22 seats and Democrats having 14 seats (a net gain of 2 seats for Democrats).

Summary of Results

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  • Note: The holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.
Senate District Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party Outcome
1st[d] Exum Sumner McCulloch Dem John R. Allen Dem Dem Hold
William A. Thurston Dem John Walker Rankin Rep Rep Gain
3rd[e] Abner Harrison McCrary Rep Gideon Smith Bailey Dem Dem Gain
4th[f] William Findlay Coolbaugh Dem William Findlay Coolbaugh Dem Dem Hold
7th[g] Alvin Saunders Rep Alvin Saunders Rep Rep Hold
8th[h] James C. Ramsey Dem John A. Johnson Dem Dem Hold
9th[i] Daniel A. Anderson Rep Daniel A. Anderson Rep Rep Hold
12th[j] James D. Test Dem William H.M. Pusey Dem Dem Hold
13th[k] Hiram Thomas Cleaver Rep Samuel Reiner Rep Rep Hold
15th[l] James Latimer Hogin Rep Oliver P. Sherraden Rep Rep Hold
19th[m] George W. Wilkinson Know Nothing Andrew Oliphant Patterson Dem Dem Gain
23rd[n] Julius J. Matthews Rep George M. Davis Rep Rep Hold
27th[o] James Cunningham Jordan Rep William P. Davis Rep Rep Hold
29th[p] Joseph Birge Dem Joseph Mann Dem Dem Hold
31st[q] William W. Hamilton Rep David S. Wilson Dem Dem Gain

Source:[6]

  1. ^ Republican Senator William W. Hamilton of Dubuque County was chosen to be the seventh President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the sixth Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Democratic Senator Maturin L. Fisher in that leadership position.[1] Senator Hamilton was the first Republican to serve as President of the Senate (all the previous Senate Presidents had been Democrats). Following Hamilton's one term as President of the Iowa Senate, Article IV, section 18, of the Constitution of Iowa was enacted & established that the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa shall perform the duties of the President of the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor performed the duties of President of the Senate from January 11, 1858 through January 14, 1991. As of 1991, duties of Iowa's Lieutenant Governor no longer include presiding over the state Senate.[2]
  2. ^ Article IV, section 18, of the Constitution of Iowa at that time established that the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa shall perform the duties of the President of the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor performed the duties of President of the Senate from January 11, 1858 through January 14, 1991. As of 1991, duties of Iowa's Lieutenant Governor no longer include presiding over the state Senate. As the Lieutenant Governor at the time, Oran Faville was the eighth President of the Iowa Senate. He served during the seventh Iowa General Assembly, succeeding Republican Senator William W. Hamilton in that leadership position.[3]
  3. ^ At the time, the Iowa Senate had several multi-member districts.[4]
  4. ^ The first district was a 2-member district at the time.
  5. ^ The third district was a 1-member district at the time.
  6. ^ The fourth was a 2-member district at the time. However, only one of the seats in the district was contested in the election. The other was held by a holdover senator not up for re-election.
  7. ^ The seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
  8. ^ The eighth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  9. ^ The ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  10. ^ The twelfth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  11. ^ The thirteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  12. ^ The fifteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  13. ^ The nineteenth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  14. ^ The twenty-third district was a 1-member district at the time.
  15. ^ The twenty-seventh district was a 1-member district at the time.
  16. ^ The twenty-ninth district was a 1-member district at the time.
  17. ^ The thirty-first district was a 1-member district at the time.

Detailed Results

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See also

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District boundaries for the Iowa Senate in 1857:

References

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  1. ^ "Senator William W. Hamilton". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "Iowa Legislators Past and Present: Senate President". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Iowa Legislators Past and Present: Senate President". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "General Assembly: 7 (01/11/1858 - 01/08/1860)". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  5. ^ "General Assembly: 7 (01/11/1858 - 01/08/1860)". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "Legislators". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved July 21, 2021.