1867 United States Senate election in New York
U.S. Senate election in New York
The 1867 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 15, 1867, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate. Incumbent Senator Ira Harris was not renominated for a second term in office. U.S. Representative Roscoe Conkling was elected to succeed him.
With large Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature, the real contest was for Republican Party support, which was determined in a joint caucus of Senate and Assembly Republicans. A three-way race between Harris, Conkling, and Judge Noah Davis eventually gave way to a two-way contest between Conkling and Davis, with Conkling prevailing on the fifth ballot.
Background
Republican Ira Harris had been elected in February 1861 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1867.
At the State election in November 1865, 27 Republicans and 5 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1866–1867) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1866, 82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1867 to the Assembly. The 90th State Legislature met from January 1 to April 20, 1867, at Albany, New York.
Republican caucus
Candidates
Ransom Balcom, judge of the New York Supreme Court from Binghamton
Roscoe Conkling, U.S. Representative from Utica
Noah Davis, judge of the New York Supreme Court from Albion
Charles J. Folger, State Senator from Canandaigua
Horace Greeley, founder and editor of the New York Tribune and former U.S. Representative from New York City
Ira Harris, incumbent Senator since 1861
Results
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on January 10, State Senator Charles J. Folger presided.
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