The 1875 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held in the 28th Wisconsin Legislature between January 27, 1875, and February 3, 1875. Incumbent Republican U.S. senator Matthew H. Carpenter ran for a second six-year term, but was defeated by a determined rebellion from within his own party. Former state legislator, Republican Angus Cameron, was elected United States senator on the 11th ballot.[1] This was the first time that one of Wisconsin's U.S. senators had been defeated seeking re-election.
At the start of the 1875 term, Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature with 14 votes to spare, so should have been able to quickly elect a Republican United States senator. But accusations of corruption against the incumbent, Matt Carpenter, had caused a significant number of Republican legislators to pledge to voters that they would not support Carpenter's re-election to the U.S. Senate. Despite Carpenter winning enough support in the Republican caucus to obtain renomination, the holdouts refused to fall in line with the party and denied his re-election. Ultimately, Cameron was selected as a consensus choice merging the support of the 19 holdout Republicans with 49 of the 52 Democratic, Liberal Republican, or Reformer legislators.
Prior to the caucus, Carpenter faced opposition in the caucus, but was still widely expected to win re-election in Wisconsin newspapers. During the two months between the legislative elections and the start of the legislative session, Carpenter was consumed with activity in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as presiding officer of the Senate due to the absence of Vice President Henry Wilson.[2] At the time, Carpenter's leading opponent for the nomination was former Wisconsin governor Cadwallader C. Washburn, who had been a candidate for U.S. senate in each of the last four opportunities. The Wisconsin press concluded that one of the two would certainly be the next senator.[3]
The Republican caucus met on the evening of January 21. On the first ballot, Carpenter secured the nomination with 54 of 81 votes. Republican newspapers urged legislators to fall in line and support the nominee, as rumors began to emerge of a planned revolt.[4]
The legislature met in joint session on January 27 with only one member absent. They took two votes in succession to try to pick a U.S. senator. The results were identical, no candidate reached a majority.
The legislature reconvened in joint session on January 28 and took three more votes. The three votes had nearly identical results; again no candidate reached a majority.
A larger number of legislators were absent from the votes on January 30 and February 1, reducing the number needed for a majority, but still no candidate could reach the threshold.
On the evening of February 2, 1875, the Democrats caucused with the holdout Republicans and agreed to a compromise candidate to merge their voting power—the caucus chose former speaker Angus Cameron. Wisconsin newspapers credited U.S. representative and railroad financier Alexander Mitchell with facilitating the negotiation.[5] The legislature re-convened in joint session on February 3, and voted again, with nearly all the Democrats supporting Cameron, he achieving a majority on the 11th overall ballot.
^ abcdeRepublican senator John Schuette was the lone vote for Luther S. Dixon on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ballots.
^ abRepublican representative Leroy S. Chase was the lone vote for Lucius Fairchild on the 1st and 2nd ballots.
^ abOn the 5th ballot, Liberal Republican representative Job Grant switched his vote from Bragg to Stephen D. Carpenter.
^On the 4th ballot, Republican representative John Bradley switched his support from Orsamus Cole to Angus Cameron.
^ abcRepublican representative Benjamin M. Coates was the lone vote for Horace Rublee on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ballot.
^ abcdefRepublican representative Noah D. Comstock was the lone vote for Romanzo Bunn on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th ballots.
^ abcdRepublican representative John Bradley was the lone vote for Angus Cameron on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th ballots.
^On the 6th vote, Republican representative John H. Thomas switched his vote from Orsamus Cole to Matt Carpenter.
^On the 6th ballot, Liberal Republican Job Grant switched his vote from Stephen D. Carpenter back to Bragg.
^On the 6th ballot, Orsamus Cole lost the vote of Republican representative John H. Thomas, but gained the vote of Republican senator John Schuette.
^ abRepublican representative Benjamin M. Coates was the lone vote for David Atwood on the 6th, 7th, and 8th ballots.
^On the 8th ballot, Joshua J. Guppey received votes from Republican senator Levi W. Barden and Republican representatives Robert Mitchell and John R. Rowlands (all had previously voted for Cole).
^On the 9th ballot, Republican representative Benjamin M. Coates voted for Hazelton.
^On the 9th ballot, Reformer representative Richard Dewhurst voted for William T. Price.
^On the 11th ballot, Carpenter received the votes of 58 of 81 Republicans. From the 10th ballot, he lost the votes of Republican representatives John Chandler Holloway (who voted for Dixon) and James Jeffery (who voted for Hazelton), and gained the votes of Republican representative John H. Thomas (who had previously been absent) and Democratic representative Bryan S. Lorigan (who previously voted for Bragg).
^On the 11th ballot, Hazelton received the votes of Republican representatives Benjamin M. Coates, James Jeffery, and Benjamin F. Washburn.
^On the 11th ballot, Republican senator John Chandler Holloway voted for Dixon.
^On the 11th ballot, Republican representative Kearton Coates voted for Clark.
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