The 1869 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on January 19, 1869. Incumbent Charles Sumner was re-elected to a fourth term in office.
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40 Members of the Massachusetts Senate 231 Members of the Massachusetts House Majority vote of each house needed to win | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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At the time, Massachusetts elected United States senators by a majority vote of each separate house of the Massachusetts General Court: the House and the Senate.
Background
editIn the 1868 state legislative elections, Republicans maintained an overwhelming majority in both houses. Only 20 Democratic Representatives and two Democratic Senators were elected. This ensured Sumner's re-election in the January session, though there was some speculation that Sumner would vacate his seat to accept a Cabinet appointment in the newly elected Grant administration.[1]
Election
editElection in the House
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles Sumner (incumbent) | 216 | 93.51% | |
| Democratic | Josiah G. Abbott | 14 | 6.06% | |
| Republican | Nathaniel P. Banks | 1 | 0.43% | |
| Total votes | 231 | 100.00% | ||
Election in the Senate
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles Sumner (incumbent) | 37 | 92.5% | |
| Democratic | Josiah G. Abbott | 2 | 5% | |
| None | No vote | 1 | 2.5% | |
| Total votes | 40 | 100.00% | ||