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1867 United States Senate election in New York

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The 1867 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 15, 1867, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate. Incumbent Senator Ira Harris was not renominated for a second term in office. U.S. Representative Roscoe Conkling was elected to succeed him.

1867 United States Senate election in New York
← 1861 January 15, 1867 1873 →
Majority vote of each house needed to win
 
Nominee Roscoe Conkling Henry C. Murphy
Party Republican Democratic
Senate 24 2
Percentage 75% 6.25%
House 78 42
Percentage 60.94% 32.81%
Senator before election

Ira Harris
Republican

Elected Senator

Roscoe Conkling
Republican

With large Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature, the real contest was for Republican Party support, which was determined in a joint caucus of Senate and Assembly Republicans. A three-way race between Harris, Conkling, and Judge Noah Davis eventually gave way to a two-way contest between Conkling and Davis, with Conkling prevailing on the fifth ballot.

Background

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Republican Ira Harris had been elected in February 1861 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1867.

At the State election in November 1865, 27 Republicans and 5 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1866-1867) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1866, 82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1867 to the Assembly. The 90th State Legislature met from January 1 to April 20, 1867, at Albany, New York.

Candidates

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Republican caucus

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The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 10, State Senator Charles J. Folger presided. State Senator Thomas Parsons (28th D.) was absent, but had his vote cast by proxy. They nominated Congressman Roscoe Conkling for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Ira Harris was voted down.

1867 Republican caucus for United States Senator result
Candidate Informal
ballot 		First
ballot 		Second
ballot 		Third
ballot 		Fourth
ballot 		Fifth
ballot
Roscoe Conkling 33 39 45 53 59
Noah Davis 30 41 44 50 49
Ira Harris 32 24 18 6
Ransom Balcom[1] 7 4 2 wd
Horace Greeley 6 wd
Charles J. Folger 1 1 1

Notes:

  • On the fourth ballot, 110 votes were cast, one too many, and it was annulled.
  • "wd" = name withdrawn

Democratic caucus

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The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met also on January 10. State Senator Henry C. Murphy was nominated on the first ballot with 25 votes against 21 for Ex-D.A. of New York A. Oakey Hall.

Result

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Roscoe Conkling was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected.

1867 United States Senator election result
House Republican Democratic Democratic
State Senate
(32 members) 		Roscoe Conkling 24 Henry C. Murphy 2 George F. Comstock 1
State Assembly
(128 members) 		Roscoe Conkling 78 Henry C. Murphy 42

Notes:

  • The vote for Ex-Chief Judge Comstock was cast by Henry C. Murphy.
  • The votes were cast on January 15, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 16 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

Aftermath

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Conkling was re-elected in 1873 and 1879, and remained in office until May 17, 1881, when he resigned in protest against the distribution of federal patronage in New York by President James A. Garfield without being consulted. The crisis between the Stalwart and the Half-Breed factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the New Yorker Half-Breeds William H. Robertson was appointed Collector of the Port of New York, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Ransom Balcom (1818-1879), of Binghamton, justice of the New York Supreme Court (6th D.) 1856-77

Sources

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