1881 United States Senate election in New York explained

Election Name:1881 United States Senate election in New York
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1875 United States Senate election in New York
Previous Year:1875
Next Election:1881 United States Senate special elections in New York
Next Year:1881 (special)
Election Date:January 18, 1881
Votes For Election:Majority vote of each house needed to win
1Blank:Senate
2Blank:Percentage
3Blank:House
4Blank:Percentage
Image1:File:Picture of Thomas C. Platt.jpg
Nominee1:Thomas C. Platt
Party1:Republican Party (US)
1Data1:25
2Data1:80.65%
3Data1:79
4Data1:64.23%
Nominee2:Francis Kernan
Party2:Democratic Party (US)
1Data2:6
2Data2:19.35%
3Data2:44
4Data2:35.77%
Senator
Before Election:Francis Kernan
Before Party:Democratic Party (US)
After Election:Thomas C. Platt
After Party:Republican Party (US)

The 1881 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 18, 1881, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

Background

Democrat Francis Kernan had been elected in January 1875 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1881.

At the State election in November 1879, 25 Republicans and 7 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1880-1881) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1880, 81 Republicans and 47 Democrats were elected for the session of 1881 to the Assembly. The 104th State Legislature met from January 4, 1881, on at Albany, New York.

Republican caucus

Candidates

Withdrew

The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 13, State Senator Dennis McCarthy presided. All but one of the legislators were present, only State Senator Edward M. Madden (13th D.) was absent. The caucus nominated Ex-Congressman Thomas C. Platt for the U.S. Senate. Platt was a friend of the other U.S. Senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling, and belonged to the Stalwart faction. The opposing Half-Breeds (in the press sometimes referred to as the "anti-machine men") at first wanted to nominate Chauncey M. Depew, but he withdrew before balloting. The majority of the Half-Breeds, led by President pro tempore of the State Senate William H. Robertson, then supported Platt, a minority voted for Sherman S. Rogers, the defeated Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1876. Congressman Richard Crowley was supported by a faction led by Speaker of the State Assembly George H. Sharpe, allied with Governor Alonzo B. Cornell. U.S. Vice President William A. Wheeler, and Congressmen Elbridge G. Lapham and Levi P. Morton also received votes.

1881 Republican caucus for United States Senator result
OfficeCandidateFirst ballot
U.S. SenatorThomas C. Platt54
Richard Crowley26
Sherman S. Rogers10
William A. Wheeler10
Elbridge G. Lapham4
Levi P. Morton1

Democratic caucus

The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on January 17, State Senator Charles A. Fowler (14th D.) presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Francis Kernan by acclamation.

Result

Thomas C. Platt was the choice of both the State Senate and the Assembly, and was declared elected.

1881 United States Senator election result
OfficeHouseRepublicanDemocrat
U.S. SenatorState Senate
(32 members)
Thomas C. Platt25Francis Kernan6
State Assembly
(128 members)
Thomas C. Platt79Francis Kernan44

Notes:

Aftermath

Platt remained in office for only ten weeks, until May 16, 1881, when he resigned together with his boss Roscoe Conkling in protest against the distribution of federal patronage in New York by President James A. Garfield, a Half-Breed, without being consulted, what Conkling said was a breach of a pledge given by Garfield. The confrontation between the Stalwart and the Half-Breed factions of the Republican party arose when the leader of the Half-Breeds William H. Robertson was appointed Collector of the Port of New York, the highest paying federal office in New York, a position Conkling wanted to give to one of his Stalwart friends. Conkling and Platt then tried to show their power by standing for re-election, but Elbridge G. Lapham and Warner Miller were elected instead to fill the vacancies. This effectively ended Conkling's political career, and severely harmed Platt's. However, 16 years later, in 1897, Platt was re-elected to the U.S. Senate, and served two terms.

See also

Sources