1869 Iowa Senate election

1869 Iowa Senate election

← 1867 October 12, 1869 1871 →

21 out of 50 seats in the Iowa State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Party Republican Democratic Populist
Last election 40 8 1
Seats before 37[a] 8[a] 1[a]
Seats after 43[b] 7[b] 0[b]
Seat change Increase6 Decrease1 Decrease1

President of the Iowa Senate[c] before election

John Scott[d]
Republican

Elected President of the Iowa Senate[c]

Henry Clay Bulis[e]
Republican

In the 1869 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the thirteenth Iowa General Assembly. Following the expansion of the Iowa Senate from 49 to 50 seats in 1869, elections were held for 21 of the state senate's 50 seats.[f] State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.

The general election took place on October 12, 1869.[9]

Following the previous election in 1867, Republicans had control of the Iowa Senate with 40 seats to Democrats' eight seats and a lone member from the People's Party. However, three changes occurred during the twelfth general assembly. In the tenth district, Republican Senator Charles Leopold Matthies died on October 16, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat.[10] In the eighteenth district, Republican Senator John R. Needham died on July 9, 1868, causing a vacancy in his seat.[11] In the twenty-fourth district, Republican Senator William Penn Wolf resigned on March 3, 1869, causing a vacancy in his seat.[12] All three seats were left vacant until the next election. Therefore, by election day in 1869, the Republicans held 37 seats, the Democrats held 8 seats, there was a lone People's Party member, and three seats were vacant (all the vacancies had been held by Republicans).

To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 18 Senate seats.

Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 43 seats and Democrats having seven seats (a net gain of 6 seats for Republicans).[b]


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  1. ^ "Senator Charles Leopold Matthies". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Senator John R. Needham". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "Senator William Penn Wolf". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "The Iowa General Assembly: Our Legislative Heritage 1846 - 1980" (PDF). Iowa General Assembly. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "Iowa Legislators Past and Present: Senate President". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "John Scott". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Henry Clay Bulis". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  8. ^ "General Assembly: 13 (01/10/1870 - 01/07/1872)". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  9. ^ "General Assembly: 13 (01/10/1870 - 01/07/1872)". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Senator Charles Leopold Matthies". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  11. ^ "Senator John R. Needham". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "Senator William Penn Wolf". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved July 23, 2021.