The 1826–27 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1826 and 1827, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
The majority Jacksonians gained a seat in the United States Senate. Senators who called themselves "Anti-Jacksonian" or "National Republicans" were also called "Adams" or "Adams Men."
Contents
Results summary
Senate party division, 20th Congress (1827–1829)
Majority party: Jacksonian (27)
Minority party: Anti-Jacksonian (20–21)
Other parties: (0)
Total seats: 48
Change in composition
Before the elections
At the beginning of 1826.
Result of the special elections
Before the March 4, 1827, beginning of the new Congress.
Race summaries
Special elections during the 19th Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1826 or before March 4, 1827; ordered by election date.
Races leading to the 20th Congress
In these regular elections, the winner was seated on March 4, 1827; ordered by state.
All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.
Elections during the 20th Congress
In this election, the winner was seated in 1827 after the new Congress began on March 4.
Delaware
Delaware had two elections: a special for the class 2 seat and a regular election for the class 1 seat. The elections flipped both seats from Anti-Jacksonian to Jacksonian.
Delaware (special)
Anti-Jacksonian senator Nicholas Van Dyke died on May 21, 1826, and Anti-Jacksonian Daniel Rodney was appointed to continue the class 2 term (ending March 3, 1829) until a special election.
Jacksonian Henry M. Ridgely was elected on January 12, 1827.
Delaware (regular)
Anti-Jacksonian Thomas Clayton had served since winning an 1824 special election. It is unknown if Clayton was a candidate for re-election in 1827, but that election was won by Jacksonian Louis McLane.
Maryland
Maryland (special)
Ezekiel F. Chambers won election over Philip Reed by a margin of 18.07%, or 15 votes, for the Class 3 seat.
Maryland (regular)
Samuel Smith won election by a margin of 87.95%, or 73 votes, for the Class 1 seat.
Massachusetts
Mississippi
Jacksonian interim appointee Powhatan Ellis had served in the class 1 seat since 1825 for the term ending March 3, 1827.
He faced a special election to finish the term and a regular election to the next term.
Mississippi (special)
Jacksonian Thomas Buck Reed was elected January 27, 1826, to finish the term, but not to the next full term.
Mississippi (regular)
Jacksonian interim appointee Powhatan Ellis was elected sometime (date unknown) to the next term, and would go on to serve until 1832.