| Elections in Pennsylvania |
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 Government |
The 1840 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on January 14, 1840, after the regularly scheduled election in December 1838 was postponed due to the Buckshot War. Daniel Sturgeon was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. [1] [2]
Democrat Samuel McKean was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in the 1832-1833 Senate election. Sen. McKean's term was to expire on March 4, 1839, and an election would have occurred during the winter of 1838-1839 to elect a Senator for the successive term. The election did not occur, however, due to significant political unrest in Harrisburg, the state capital, over disputed election returns during the Buckshot War. McKean's seat was vacated when his term expired in March 1839 and remained vacant until the General Assembly elected a new Senator in 1840. [1]
The Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on January 14, 1840, to elect a Senator to serve out the remainder of the term that began on March 4, 1839. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Daniel Sturgeon | 87 | 65.41 | |
| Whig | Charles Ogle | 26 | 19.55 | |
| Anti-Masonic | Richard Biddle | 17 | 12.78 | |
| N/A | Not voting | 3 | 2.26 | |
| Totals | 133 | 100.00% | ||
Samuel McKean was an American merchant and politician from Burlington, Pennsylvania, who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate for Pennsylvania from 1833 to 1839 and of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district from 1823 to 1829. He served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1815 to 1819 and the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 11th district from 1829 to 1830.
The United States Senate elections of 1908 and 1909 were held to determine the winners of the 31 class 3 Senate seats up for election, as well as various special elections to fill vacancies or confirm appointments. Until the 17th Amendment, which passed in 1913, Senators were elected by state legislatures. However, some states had already begun direct elections during this time. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to adopt measures reflecting the people's will. By 1912, as many as 29 states elected senators either as nominees of their party's primary or in conjunction with a general election. The Republicans lost two seats overall.
The United States Senate elections of 1856 and 1857 were elections which had the young Republican Party assume its position as one of the United States's two main political parties. The Whigs and Free Soilers were gone by the time the next Congress began.
The United States Senate elections of 1900 and 1901 were elections in which the Democratic Party gained two seats in the United States Senate, and which corresponded with President William McKinley's landslide re-election. By the beginning of the next Congress, however, the Republicans gained five additional seats, giving them a ten-seat majority.
The United States Senate elections of 1904 and 1905 were elections that coincided with President Theodore Roosevelt's landslide election to a full term. Party share of seats remained roughly the same, when including vacancies and appointments, and the Republicans retained a significant majority over the Democrats.
The United States Senate elections of 1844 and 1845 were elections which, coinciding with James K. Polk's election, had the Democratic Party retake control of the United States Senate, gaining a net total of eleven seats from the Whigs.
The United States Senate elections of 1880 and 1881 were elections that coincided with the presidential election of 1880, and had the Democratic Party lose five seats in the United States Senate. The newly elected Readjuster senator caucused with the Republicans, and the Republican Vice President's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the slightest majority. All of that changed September 19, 1881 when the Vice President ascended to the Presidency and the Senate became evenly-divided.
The United States Senate elections of 1890 and 1891 were elections in which the Republican Party lost four seats in the United States Senate, though still retaining a slim majority. That majority was increased, however, upon the admission of two more states with Republican senators.
The United States Senate elections of 1840 and 1841 were elections which, corresponding with their Party's success in the 1840 presidential election, had the Whig Party take control of the United States Senate.
The United States Senate elections of 1832 and 1833 were elections that had the Anti-Jacksonian coalition assume control of the United States Senate from the Jacksonian coalition, despite Andrew Jackson's victory in the 1832 presidential election.
The United States Senate elections of 1860 and 1861 were elections corresponding with Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency. The nascent Republican Party increased their Senate seats in the regular elections, and after southern Democrats withdrew to join the Confederacy, Republicans gained control of the United States Senate. To establish a quorum with fewer members, a lower total seat number was taken into account.
The 1797 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on February 16, 1797. Incumbent James Ross was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1832-1833 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on eleven separate dates from December 1832 to December 1833. On December 7, 1833, Samuel McKean was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1845 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on January 14, 1845. Incumbent Daniel Sturgeon was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1901 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania was held on January 15, 1901, after the regularly scheduled legislative election in January—April 1899 failed to elect a Senator. Former Senator Matthew Quay, who had left the Senate for nearly two years because of the political stalemate, was again elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1836 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on December 14, 1836. Future President of the United States James Buchanan was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1845 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania was held on March 13, 1845. Simon Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on January 14, 1856. William Bigler was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1877 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania was held on March 20, 1877. J. Donald Cameron was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
The 1879 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on January 20, 1879. J. Donald Cameron was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.
| Preceded by 1832-33 | Pennsylvania U.S. Senate election (Class I) 1840 | Succeeded by 1845 |
