1876–77 United States Senate elections

The 1876–77 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with Rutherford B. Hayes's narrow election as president. 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 1876 and 1877, 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 2.

Although the Republican Party maintained their Senate majority, the Democratic Party gained five seats.

Results summary
Senate party division, 45th Congress (1877–1879)


 * Majority party: Republican (39)
 * Minority party: Democratic (35)
 * Other parties: Anti-Monopoly (1), Independent (1)
 * Total seats: 76

Before the elections
After the November 15, 1876 elections in the new state of Colorado.

Special elections during the 44th Congress
In these elections, the winners were seated during 1876 or in 1877 before March 4; ordered by election date.

Races leading to the 45th Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1877; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 2 seats.

Elections during the 45th Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1877 after March 4.

Pennsylvania (special)
The special election in Pennsylvania was held March 20, 1877.

Republican Senator Simon Cameron had been elected to the United States Senate by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in 1867 and was re-elected in 1873. Sen. Cameron resigned on March 12, 1877.

Following the resignation of Simon Cameron, the Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on March 20, 1877, to elect a new Senator to fill the vacancy. Former United States Secretary of War J. Donald Cameron, Simon Cameron's son, was elected to complete his father's term, set to expire on March 4, 1879. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:


 * -bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 * colspan="3" align="right" | Totals
 * align="right" | 251
 * align="right" | 100.00%
 * }
 * }

Texas
Incumbent Republican Morgan C. Hamilton did not run for re-election. Since his initial election in 1870, the Democratic Party had taken control of the Texas Legislature, ensuring that a Democrat would replace him. Incumbent governor Richard Coke defeated former Texas Supreme Court justice John Ireland on the third ballot. U.S. Representative John Hancock and former governor Fletcher Stockdale also ran, but they dropped out after the second round of balloting.

West Virginia (special)
First-term Democrat Allen T. Caperton died July 26, 1876, in his second year in office. Fellow-Democrat Samuel Price was appointed August 26, 1876 to continue the term, pending a special election in which he was a candidate. Price lost the election to Democratic congressman Frank Hereford January 26, 1877 on the fourth ballot.

✅ Frank Hereford (Democratic) 70 votes

Samuel Price 10 votes

Henry S. Walker 4 votes

R. F. Dennis 1 vote

Other 1 vote

Hereford resigned from the House January 31, 1877, thereby qualifying for the Senate. He only finished the term and left office in 1881.

West Virginia (regular)
First-term Democrat Henry G. Davis was re-elected January 26, 1877 on the third ballot.

✅ Henry G. Davis (Democratic) 60 votes

Charles J. Faulkner 19 votes

Gideon D. Camden 3 votes

John Brannon (politician) 2 votes

John J. Davis 1 vote

Scattering 1 vote

Davis would retire after this second term, in 1883.